Hornets defeat Trojans at season's first game.

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Friday night, the Wellsboro Hornets opened the 1975 football season on the road at Troy. Under the direction of head coach Ted Yeager and assistant coaches Dave Lintal and Russ Manney, they beat the Trojans 19-7.

Troy received the opening kickoff. Following two running plays, which netted them small yardage, the Trojan quarterback completed a 66 yard touchdown pass. The Hornets were stymied on their first series of plays and were forced to punt. On the initial play following the punt.

Troy fumbled and the Hornets recovered to find themselves in good field position on the Trojan 35-yard line. Three plays later, Barry Jordan scored on a 15 yard run up the middle.

Following punt exchanges, Wellsboro was in possession of the ball on their own 32-yard line to end the first quarter.

The Hornets then drove 68 yards using a ground attack which ended with Matt Coolidge running the last five yards to put Wellsboro in the lead. Neither team could engineer any sustained drives during the remainder of the second quarter.

On the opening kickoff of the second half, junior Hornet Jay Buker received the ball and scampered 85 yards to score a touchdown which was nullified by a clipping penalty.

Later, Troy stopped the Hornets deep in Trojan territory following an interception by Randy Gross. The third quarter ended with the score still 13-7.

Wellsboro iced the victory on a six yard touchdown pass from Jeff Coolidge to Tim Smith with 50 seconds showing on the clock. Time ran out as Jeff Coolidge intercepted a Trojan pass.

Defensively the Hornets were very stingy on the ground allowing Troy a net of 21 yards and 97 in the air due mainly to the outstanding defensive play of Darryl Kaufmann, Darryl Keck, sophomore linemen Vince Driebelbies and Terry Ingerick.

Offensively the Hornets gained 190 yards running and 28 passing. Hard running backfield men Matt Coolidge and Barry Jordan had 164 yards between themselves with the help of good offensive blocking.

Wellsboro's next game is this Friday at 8:00 p.m. against Thomas Edison who is the last team to beat us on our homefield.