ANGOLA, Ind.-- Olivet's high-powered offense led the Comets to a 49-24 victory over Trine on Homecoming Saturday afternoon in Fred Zollner Athletic Stadium.
Olivet racked up 420 yards of total offense and punted just once on the afternoon. Quarterback Braden Black completed 17-of-23 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown. He added 39 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Gage Corner (Leo, Ind./Leo) caught 11 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown to lead the Thunder. The 11 catches were tied for the second-most in a game in team history. Trine fell to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the MIAA. Olivet remained unbeaten at 5-0 overall and 2-0 in conference play.
Freshman Jeffery Barnett (Fremont, Ohio/Fremont-Ross) caught a career-high 10 passes for 131 yards for the Thunder. He added 88 return yards on two kickoff returns. Taylor Masiewicz (Belmont, Mich./Rockford) completed 24-of-31 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns.
Damorria Lilly paced a potent Comet rushing attack that totaled 265 yards on the ground. Lilly carried the ball 25 times for 138 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Andre Houston added 82 yards and a touchdown on 13 totes. Olivet became the first team to hold Trine under 100 rushing yards in 28 games, as the Thunder managed just 46 yards on the ground.
Trine got on the board first with a field goal. A 13-play, 71-yard drive stalled just shy of the goal line. Mark Haydock (Fort Wayne, Ind./Snider) booted a 19-yard field goal through to make the score 3-0.
Olivet answered as Travis Lankerd caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Black. The Thunder came right back to take a 10-7 lead as Masiewicz found Corner for a 1-yard TD strike. A 47-yard completion from Masiewicz to Barnett set up the score.
The Comets once again had the answer as Lilly capped a drive with his first touchdown. That sparked a run of three-straight Olivet touchdowns before Trine could get on the board again. Lilly added his second touchdown, this time from 10 yards out, and Black snuck into the end zone in the closing seconds of the half to give OC a 28-10 advantage at the break.
Marcus Winters (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) provided a defensive highlight to set up a Thunder score as he picked off a pass midway through the third quarter. His return set up an 11-yard Lamar Carswell (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales) touchdown run to cut the score to 28-17 with 6:22 to play in the third quarter.
Once again, Olivet had the answer as Black capped back-to-back drives with rushing TDs to push the score to 42-17. Houston later added a touchdown run. Masiewicz found Corner for the second time for Trine's final scoring of the day.
Trine returns to action next Saturday, Oct. 17 when they travel to face non-conference foe Lakeland. Kick-off is slated for 2 p.m.
