Back on Sept. 12, the Troy High School football team was trying to find the right combination in preparation of 7B District play. On that evening, Loyola rolled to a 41-0 victory over the Trojans.

The two teams meet again Friday night in the first round of the Class B playoffs.

“We kept it very simple those first couple of weeks,” THS football coach Rich McElmurry said.

Loyola took advantage of Trojan mistakes in the contest to account for the final score.

“It was our second game of the year and some kids were out of position,” McElmurry said. “We got beat on play-action passes twice for long touchdowns Š they had a couple of interceptions and ran one back for a touchdown. If we take away those big plays, it will make it a different ballgame.”

McElmurry said the Trojans have shown improvement – evidenced by a rare road win at Thompson Falls to reach the postseason.

“They’re still very talented and have gotten better but I think we’ve gotten better, too,” he said.

Loyola comes into the game unbeaten and has a strong tradition of performing well on the gridiron. Troy is making its first postseason appearance in 16 years. The Trojans last won a state football championship in 1991.

“We want to go down there and give them a better game,” McElmurry said. “We need to redeem ourselves a little bit.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m., Friday at Loyola Sacred Heart in Missoula.