Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Timber Creek tops Cherokee

Khalil Trotman was mad at himself. He wasn't the only one. "I chewed him out pretty good," Timber Creek coach Rob Hinson said of his senior quarterback, who threw two first-half interceptions.

Timber Creek's Khallil Trotman scores game-winning touchdown. (Elizabeth Robertson/Staff Photographer)
Timber Creek's Khallil Trotman scores game-winning touchdown. (Elizabeth Robertson/Staff Photographer)Read more

Khalil Trotman was mad at himself.

He wasn't the only one.

"I chewed him out pretty good," Timber Creek coach Rob Hinson said of his senior quarterback, who threw two first-half interceptions.

Trotman passed for 140 yards and a touchdown and ran for 78 yards and the winning TD Friday night as Timber Creek beat Cherokee, 22-14, in a WJFL clash of power programs.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Trotman busted through three tackles on his way to a 12-yard scoring run that broke a 14-14 tie with 6 minutes, 57 seconds to play in front of a large crowd on a cool night at Cherokee's field.

"I let down my team, and I had to make up for it," Trotman said. "That [the touchdown run] was all determination."

Strong work by both the offensive and defensive lines paved the way for Timber Creek, the No. 3 team in The Inquirer's South Jersey Top 25, to win the first football game between the schools, which have combined for five South Jersey titles since 2009.

Timber Creek senior defensive end Daren Sherif and junior defensive tackle Malcom Boulden came up with back-to-back sacks on the possession after Trotman's touchdown run, forcing Cherokee to punt.

Timber Creek ran out the clock as Trotman converted a third and 3 with a 13-yard strike to wide receiver Cameron Chambers.

Cherokee (1-1), No. 4 in the rankings, took the second-half kickoff and drove 71 yards, with junior quarterback Evan Powell throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Jordan Krug to tie the score at 14.

"That always seems to happen to us after things go wrong late in the first half," Hinson said. "It happened two years ago against Williamstown and last year against Eastern. For us to respond, that was really big."

Trotman still is trying make an impression on his new teammates after transferring to Timber Creek for his senior year from Burlington Township.

Trotman was 14-for-19 passing and showed speed and elusiveness in carrying the football nine times.

But he also threw a pair of first-half interceptions, one of which was returned 95 yards for a touchdown by Cherokee senior Marc Woodard.

"I got greedy," Trotman said.

Timber Creek dominated play in the first half, with a 233-15 edge in total yards. But the Chargers' lead was just 14-7 thanks to Trotman's interceptions and a penalty that nullified an apparent 27-yard touchdown throw from Trotman to Chambers.

"We can play so much better," said Timber Creek junior wide receiver Shaquise McIntyre, who went 25 yards for a touchdown on a slip screen on the Chargers' first possession and also threw a 64-yard scoring strike to Noah Ellison on a double pass in the second quarter.

Trotman said he was happy that the Timber Creek coaches kept the ball in his hands in the second half after his turnovers in the first half.

"That showed confidence in me," Trotman said. "That meant a lot."

Timber Creek 7 7 0 8 - 22

Cherokee 7 0 7 0 - 14

TC: Shaquise McIntyre 25 pass from Khalil Trotman (Tyler Coluccio kick)

C: Marc Woodard 95 interception return (Jess Streb kick)

TC: Noah Ellison 64 pass from McIntyre (Coluccio kick)

C: Jordan Krug 4 pass from Evan Powell (Streb kick)

TC: Trotman 12 run (Mason Pease run)