PINEVILLe — Chemistry proved to be the difference when two of the top MAIS Class A teams met at Wildcat field Friday night.

Trinity suffered a 62-36 loss to University Academy, and perhaps more importantly, suffered an injury to versatile skill player Cade Wells.

“It was a fourth-and-long in the third quarter and a player cut his legs out from underneath him, and he landed on his shoulder,” Rogel said. “We’re not sure if he broke his collarbone yet or not.”

Rogel said University Academy’s experience combined with Trinity’s injuries, including Tommy McCoy leaving at halftime with an ankle sprain, allowed University Academy to separate its lead.

“I think once we get healthy, in shape and earn more chemistry, we will be looking at a completely different product,” Rogel said. “They were a good team, but it should have been a better ballgame than that.”

It didn’t take long for University Academy and Trinity to trade scores. University Academy’s Dezmon Eddie caught a 55-yard pass from Peyton Gauthier at the 9:58 mark of the first quarter to take an eventual 8-0 lead.

Trinity’s Kevontaye Caston took the ensuing kickoff 79 yards for a score, followed by a failed two-point conversion to bring the Saints within 2.

From there, the first quarter was a seesaw battle.

Eddie scored on a 12-yard pass from Gauthier to go up 14-6, and on the ensuing possession, McCoy caught a 13-yard pass from Caston to make the score 14-12. University Academy added six more before the end of the quarter.

Trinity defensive coordinator Chris Bunio refused to blame his eighth grade and freshman starting cornerbacks for giving up the big plays.

“Our corners actually played surprisingly well for how young they are,” Bunio said. “It wasn’t so much the secondary, but the front seven. We had trouble stopping the running game. They had two quick running backs and they had great chemistry offensively.”

University Academy took a 26-12 lead early in the second after Gauthier found Jeremiah Jefferson for a 56-yard touchdown pass. Trinity’s David Jackson answered with a 69-yard touchdown catch from Caston.

Jackson added two more touchdown receptions in the fourth quarter, while Caston finished the game with 210 passing yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. Caston also added 43 yards on the ground.

“Kevontaye looked good tonight,” Rogel said. “I was very proud of him. He was positive throughout, and I think we’ll be able to do better offensively down the road.”