Facing a defending league champion and top contender in Week 1, Troy responded with a nearly flawless performance against Pleasant Ridge.

The Trojans held the high-powered Rams to under 200 yards of total offense and nine first downs, helping Troy open the season with a 35-6 shellacking of one of the Delaware Valley League’s perennial contenders.

“We knew going into this summer, we’d have a special group on defense,” Troy coach Steve Martin said. “We feel we can match up with anyone pretty well with our size and our speed. We’ve talked about how we’re going to win games with our defense. We’re pretty excited.”

Pleasant Ridge quarterback Matt Hager completed only 10 of 37 passes for 146 yards, the big blow coming on a 74-yard touchdown strike in the third quarter. But Troy led 28-0 at that point and had forced Pleasant Ridge’s hand into the passing game.

The Rams managed just 53 yards rushing.

The one big blemish didn’t bother Martin.

“We know that’s going to happen. We’re going to give up one or two big plays on defense based on how aggressive we are,” Martin said. “We changed our mentality this year to let our players play. That’s football.”

Troy entertains another of last year’s DVL tri-champions in Horton, a second straight matchup against a 3A playoff team from last year. Troy has 26 kids out for football this year, seeking a return to its 2006 league championship form.

“It doesn’t matter how many kids are on the sideline. It’s the 11 on the field,” Martin said. “Expectations are high here. That’s about all the words I can put on it right now. Not from the community, but within this team.”

Cameron’s close call

Pleasant Hill came to Cameron last Friday with a No. 2 ranking in the Class 3 AP poll with the idea of taking an easy win against the Dragons.

Instead, Cameron showed signs of life one week after a 45-15 drilling against Excelsior Springs. The Dragons led twice and held a three-point lead until under 3 minutes remained.

“I think we kind of simplified things last week and went back to basics,” first-year Cameron coach Dave Rash said. “Defensively, we focused on certain plays, and offensively we focused on running the football.”

The Dragons scored on their opening drive to take a 6-0 lead, going 68 yards on 10 plays and taking up more than 5 minutes of the first quarter. But Pleasant Hill scored three times in the second quarter — including a safety after the Dragons snapped the ball over their punter’s head — and took a 16-6 halftime lead.

But Cameron kept coming back and scored two times in the third, taking its second lead in the third quarter on another clock-eating march.

Quarterback Sean Skilling led a 13-play, 79-yard drive that included a 29-yard scramble from the signal-caller and a 14-yard completion to Clay Hale. Lincoln Greene capped the 6-minute possession with a 15-yard touchdown run.

Leading 19-16, Cameron stayed on top until Pleasant Hill scored with 2:40 remaining to take a 22-19 lead. Cameron’s ensuing possession went all the way to the Roosters’ 14 before Skilling took a sack on third down.

Facing fourth and long, Skilling’s pass towards the end zone fell incomplete, and Pleasant Hill ran out the clock. The Dragons still found a positive result in the close call.

“I think Week 1, hopefully, wasn’t what we’re going to be like all year,” Rash said. “Maybe we showed people we’re a better football team.

I think our players understand now that they are capable of competing and competing at a high level. I think if anything we learned we need to finish in the fourth quarter.

Pleasant Hill (2-0, including a Week 1 win against Smithville) retained its No. 2 ranking in this week’s poll. Cameron dropped to 0-2.

The Dragons plays at defending Class 2 champion Lawson this week.

Is Stanberry back?

Coach Dan Collins couldn’t have been more disappointed in Stanberry’s Week 1 performance.

A 41-20 loss to conference foe South Holt left the Bulldogs with a chance to respond in Week 2. Did they ever.

Stanberry rolled up 81 points on West Nodaway forcing the game to be called after three quarters, an 81-16 victory for the Bulldogs.

So what made the difference?

“We played pretty well (against West Nodaway),” Collins said. “Week 1, I don’t know if it was we thought we were gonna win the (darn) thing or didn’t give a (darn). I don’t know. The effort wasn’t there.”

Against West Nodaway, Cody Luke returned the opening kick for a touchdown, and after a three-and-out, Conner Rosier scored on the second play from scrimmage for a 13-0 lead. West Nodaway’s Connor Nicholas responded with a kickoff return for a touchdown, and West Nodaway got the ball back down 13-8.

The Rockets drove inside the Bulldogs’ 3, but Cody Moore threw an interception that changed the game. Stanberry scored the next 41 points and never looked back.

Stanberry travels to Heartland on Friday before a crucial Week 4 conference tilt against Mound City.