The Trenton High School varsity football team will open their season on Friday night in Plattsburg.
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On Friday night the waiting will finally be over and some of the questions about the 1999 Trenton High School varsity football team will be answered.
The Bulldogs will take the field for the first time this season in Plattsburg at 7:30 p.m.
“The kids are ready to get out there and play (football),” Head Coach Shane Cavanah said. “As a coach I wouldn’t mind three more weeks to prepare, but the schedules says we are playing on Friday, so we are going play on Friday.”
The players, on the other hand, are beginning to show signs of practice wear, according to the coaches.
“They are chomping at the bit,” Cavanah said. “It’s like spending three weeks sitting in class without a test. These guys are ready for their first test.”
Last season the Bulldogs jumped out to a 27-7 lead in the first half lead against Plattsburg and went on to beat the Tigers, 35-13.
“We need to get off to a strong start,” Cavanah said. “We have been marked as the district favorite and we need to come out and make a statement.”
The Bulldogs will be returning all but one starter from a year ago, including their entire offensive backfield.
“We have a lot experience on offense, but we have to execute,” Cavanah said. “I am expecting to have good balance. We want to do a better job of throwing the ball. We have good backs, so I am expecting to have a solid running game.”
The play of the offensive and defensive lines will be key to Trenton’s success on both sides of the ball.
“The line play is the most important aspect of football,” Cavanah said. “I expect to come out and control the line of scrimmage because you have to if you want to be successful.”
The Bulldogs will have to overcome the loss of two key linemen for at least a couple of weeks. Senior Andy Akers suffered a broken wrist at the Jamboree and will be out for the first four gams while junior Nathan Carman will be out for two to three weeks because of an appendectomy.
“I don’t consider the loss of Nathan as an injury,” Cavanah said. “I don’t think we have been hit hard by the injury bug, but it does hurt us to lose those two players.”
On defense, the Bulldogs will have to handle Plattsburg’s quick, but young running backs.
“They have some pretty quick running backs that like to get to the outside,” Defensive Coordinator Richard Griffith said. “We have to make sure we know our assignments because we are expecting to see some option play.”
The Bulldog will be counting on seniors Tom Key, Justin Moore and Noah Hastings to lead THS on the defense line. The Bulldogs, however, will be young at the linebacker position.
“(sophomore) Chris Cavanah and (junior) Carl Woodard will be our starting linebackers,” Griffith said. “I have a lot confidence in their ability to make plays.”
The Bulldogs have revamped their secondary. Josh Eaton has moved from cornerback to strong safety. Craig Sager and Ben Rippe will be the corners and Chanse Dennis will be the free safety.
“I am very pleased with how our secondary has come along,” Griffith said. “We had a lot of questions going into the season but the kids have really stepped up. Overall, we are ready to get out under the lights and see were we stack up.”