A warm late November day graced the town of Troy, Alabama as fans gathered for the Trojans’ final game of the season. The open space outside Veterans Memorial Stadium swelled with folks anxiously awaiting their team’s arrival to the stadium. Troy’s marching band, The Sound of the South, formed a lane for the team to be welcomed in style. T-ROY, the Trojan mascot, along with a host of cheerleaders greeted legendary coach, Larry Blankney, off the bus and led the team through the band and the fans stretching on their tiptoes to catch a glimpse. The band stayed and entertained a while longer after the team entered their locker room and game day had officially kicked off.
We took a stroll around to the other side of the stadium where we were stunned to see Coach Blakeney shaking a few hands. Opportunity struck for me as I introduced myself, got a picture with him, and thanked him with a “Go Trojans!”
It was a big game for Blankney and his team. The local newspapers hyped the contest as Troy’s opportunity to become bowl eligible. Texas State was looking to enhance their marketability for a bowl.
Veteran’s Memorial Stadium is fantastic venue for a smaller stadium. Unfortunately, the crowd today could only be best described as sparse. Perhaps it was due to Thanksgiving weekend or the wish that Troy would have lived up to their potential this season. I overheard some of the band members discussing Troy’s bowl hopes and fretting that they would be overlooked in favor of Mississippi State, who unexpectedly became bowl eligible the day before.
Regardless of the reason, Trojan fans did not produce a home field advantage that Texas State would be daunted by today. The Troy football team gave the Bobcats all they could handle, though. The offense looked bowl worthy as they blasted through what was supposed to be a stout TSU defense and posted a solid 42-28 victory. The Sound of the South, donning Santa hats for their halftime holiday routine, would find themselves playing the Troy Fight Song more often than Christmas carols. It was a memorable way to send off the seniors for their final home game. However, it may also have to double as their “bowl game” this season.
Coach Blankney leads the team