Trenton Bulldog fans who looked forward to the annual match-up with Carrollton because they liked seeing a high school team run the spread offense may have been disappointed last week when they discovered the Trojans had moved to a split-back option offense. They need not worry, however. Trenton’s opponent this week, traditionally run-minded Lexington, has a new coach and a new offense – the spread.
This website brought to you in part by the following sponsor:
The Minutemen, who come to THS on Friday night, have undergone a complete makeover under new Head Coach Andy Leerman and will now take the majority of their snaps out of the shotgun.
“They have a new coach this year and a new philosophy,” Trenton Head Coach Wes Croy said. “They are a spread team, they are in the shotgun 75 to 80 percent of the time. It’s a complete 180 from what they have been in the past. They have some weapons, too.”
One such weapon is quarterback Jevon Williams. Williams is the key to Lexington’s spread. He was the Minutemen quarterback last year as a sophomore, but did little more than hand the ball off to Lexington’s bruising backs. In Trenton’s homecoming win over Lexington last season, Williams threw the ball just three times and had only one official rushing attempt, which went for a negative three yards. Look for those numbers to be a lot higher this year.
“Their quarterback, Jevon Williams, is a very good football player. He is very quick, very elusive and he is their playmaker. When we are on defense, he is who we have to stop. We need to make sure we contain him. He is a lot like Darrian Owens was for Carrollton a year ago and if he gets loose on us, he could cause some problems.”
Despite the wholesale changes in the Minutemen’s offense, Lexington is still Lexington. They still base out of a 4-4 defense and the tradition of football prowess is still deeply embedded in the town. Croy still sees Lexington as a tough football team and wouldn’t be surprised if the game had a similar finish to last season when a Seth Acton field goal with 11 seconds remaining decided the game’s outcome.
“I think it will be a competitive game again,” Croy said. “I think it could be one that comes down to the last second or the last possession like last year. They are always a polished football team and they have a great football tradition in that town. Their kids grow up wanting to play football and knowing how to play football. It’s a big deal for them, kind of like it is here (in Trenton). They put out a quality effort every year, whether it’s a good year or a bad year.”
Lexington was roughed up pretty good in week one, jumping up a class to face Oak Park, the number 4-ranked school in Class 3. The Minutemen coughed up the ball five times and fell 50-6.
“We really expect them to come in with the full expectation of getting their first win,” Croy said. “It’s up to us to play well and mistake free and keep that from happening.”
The game will mark the first home game on the schedule for the Trenton Bulldogs. Last year, the Bulldogs were 3-2 at home, but won their last two home games in district play with dramatic victories over LeBlond and Plattsburg. The Bulldogs needed fourth quarter rallies in both games to win. This weekend also marks Alumni Weekend in Trenton, which usually gives the Bulldogs one of their biggest home crowds of the season.
“It is such a great atmosphere and we really embrace it,” Croy said of the Bulldogs’ home, C.F. Russell Stadium. “It’s a big thing to play a football game at home, especially on Alumni Weekend. That adds more to it and we always want to play well at home, especially when a lot of people are making maybe their only trip back to Trenton for the year. It’s very important to us to play well and give an effort that all of our community and all of our alumni can be proud of.”
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Friday at C.F. Russell Stadium. A pre-game tailgate sponsored by Hy-Vee will be held prior to the game at Eastside Park at 5:30 p.m.
There will be only two admission gates this season, the east gate on the home side and the gate on the visitor’s side. Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for students, kindergarten through college. There is no re-entry for students; once they leave they must pay again to re-enter. Students 12 years and younger must be accompanied by an adult to enter the stadium. No pets, sports balls or skateboards will be allowed inside the stadium. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. with no reserved seating permitted.
