WAYNESVILLE — There wasn’t much Tuscola football’s Sam Trantham and Ty Walker couldn’t do against Smoky Mountain.
Trantham ran for over 200 yards and three touchdowns. Then early in the second quarter, he took a snap at quarterback and delivered a strike down the seam to wide receiver Elijah Pruitt for a 36-yard touchdown.
Walker ran for a touchdown and caught another.
Their six total touchdowns led the Mountaineers to a 41-13 win over the Mustangs (5-1, 2-1 Mountain Eight) at C.E. Weatherby Stadium on Sept. 25.
The win kept Tuscola (6-0, 3-0) among the five remaining undefeated teams in WNC and strengthened its position in the Mountain Eight Conference race.
“Him and Ty are so
versatile,” Tuscola coach Jonathan Crompton said. “It’s fun to watch them back in the backfield together. Obviously, they don’t, but it’s almost like they rock, paper, scissors to see who will be at tailback.”
Trantham finished with 209 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries, plus a 36-yard touchdown pass. Walker ran for 38 yards on seven carries and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 54 yards and a touchdown.
Trantham has been the bell cow for the Mountaineers all season. Including his performance against Smoky Mountain, he has run for 1,215 yards and 19 touchdowns on 127 carries, while throwing for three more touchdowns and catching another.
Walker has also made an impact defensively, leading Tuscola with 44 tackles, including six for loss, along with a sack and a pass deflection through five games.
“They’re a dynamic duo,” Crompton said. “They’re phenomenal. I love coaching them. I love watching them.”
Crompton credited Trantham's and Walker’s vision for their success, but he also pointed to the players blocking for them. Tuscola has rushed for more than 1,600 yards this season, and the offensive line’s communication and experience have been critical to that production.
“They do it every day in practice,” Crompton said. “They’re coachable, so they understand we can slow things down and go over this, this and this and get right back into the groove during practice.”
Crompton declined to make any players available for interviews following the game.
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: How Tuscola football's Sam Trantham, Ty Walker powered win over Smoky Mountain
