Sports

Trinity football advances to round three

The Tigers take down Hardin-Simmons 34-24 in postseason battle

Cole Isaacson, Sports Editor • December 3, 2025 • 147 Views

The Tigers won 34-24 against Hardin-Simmons University over the weekend. | Trinitonian Archives

On Nov. 29, No. 21 Trinity football met No. 14 Hardin-Simmons University (HSU) in the second round of the NCAA playoffs in San Antonio. Both teams entered the game with identical 9-1 records. They matched up in the postseason for the third time in four years, with Trinity winning this one 34-24.

Trinity started the game with a touchdown on their opening drive, as sophomore quarterback Hondo Franklin connected on a screen pass with junior wide receiver Lamont Nickleberry to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead. HSU answered later in the quarter with an 80-yard touchdown from their all-conference running back Noah Garcia to even the game at 7-7.

Trinity controlled the early part of the second quarter with two touchdowns. The first score came on a 60-yard touchdown run from Franklin. He then threw the following touchdown to junior wide receiver Alejandro Tavarez to give the Tigers a 20-7 lead.

HSU answered with a touchdown of their own, and drove down the field for another before the first half ended. However, first-year cornerback Parker Moeller intercepted a pass to the end zone that ended the drive. Trinity went into halftime with a 20-14 lead.

HSU cut Trinity’s lead to three with a second-half field goal, but the Tigers extended it to 10 points after a rushing touchdown from first-year running back Luke Sams, giving the Tigers a 27-17 lead.

Despite being down ten points in the fourth quarter, HSU managed to hang with Trinity by scoring a touchdown with just over 12 minutes left in the game. HSU’s defense also managed to stop the Tigers in the fourth quarter, giving their offense a chance with the ball down 27-24.

It was Trinity’s defense that sealed the victory, as senior linebacker TJ Scannell intercepted an errand pass and charged to the endzone with a 70-yard pick six in the final minute. The touchdown gave the Tigers a 34-24 lead, and ultimately won the game with that final score. Following their round two victory, Trinity will travel to Mount Berry, Ga. to face No. 17 Berry College — the only team that managed to beat Trinity in the regular season — in the NCAA playoffs’ third round this Saturday, Dec. 6.

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About the Contributor

Cole Isaacson, Sports Editor

Hello! My name is Cole Isaacson (he/him), and I am the sports editor for the Trinitonian. I am passionate about sports and enjoy the access we get to Trinity sports at the Trinitonian. I’m a senior from Las Vegas, Nevada majoring in communications with a sports management minor. Outside of the Trinitonian, I work with Trinity’s student-produced news program, Newswave, through Tiger TV, and Trinity’s sports broadcasting network, the Tiger Network, as a play by play announcer. I hope to continue the track of sports broadcasting and do it professionally after I graduate from Trinity.