Football Preview – Week 1, Trenton @ Carrollton

High school football makes its return across the Show-Me State Friday night, one week earlier than the previous year, but the Trenton Bulldogs will be getting a late start. That’s because high temperatures have kickoff between the Bulldogs and Trojans in Carrollton pushed back a half hour to 7:30 p.m.
The Trenton-Carrollton game has become a staple of the early season for the two schools who will be colliding on the opening night of the season for the third-straight year. The two schools met in week two in several seasons prior to 2012. The many match-ups over the years have the schools on familiar terms and new Trenton Head Coach Brandon Boswell has a fairly good idea what to expect from the Trojans in week one.
“They always have pretty talented skills kids,” Boswell said. “Of course, right off the bat you have to think about their returning quarterback Luke Wozny. He is a great player and he probably plays at 220 or 225 pounds. He is what makes their offense go and he does a good job of what they are trying to do and accomplish.”
Wozny was limited to just 37 rushing yards and 43 passing yards in last year’s match-up, a game Trenton won 28-14. Ridge Mathis and Keaton Sullivan, Carrollton’s two leading producers in last year’s game, are gone now, however, meaning Wozny is now the go-to guy.
Wozny is a dual-threat player and will have free reign as Carrollton returns to a true spread offense this year after a handful of seasons running the ball exclusively out of a spread formation. Now, however, the Trojans get back into a true spread offense where passing is as much an option as running.
“They are back running spread, which is what Coach (Greg) Hough does,” Boswell said. “The last few years they have been trying to run two offenses with the split-back veer option along with some spread stuff. Now that they are back down to running just one thing we expect them to be a lot better. They are going to be similar now to what they were four years ago.”
Trenton’s task to stop the Trojans is to limit Wozny. That sounds simple enough, but containing the Trojans’ quarterback will be no easy feat.
“We know what makes their offense go and that is Wozny,” Boswell said. “What’s going to be important is that our outside linebackers slow up their vertical releases. We have to get them off their routes a little bit to give our guys time to get to Wozny. We have to make sure we get that.”
Offensively, the Bulldogs return a lot of pieces from what was a pretty strong rushing game a year ago. Fullback Colton Neff ran for 126 yards against Carrollton last season and Travis Leeper scored two touchdowns. Both players are back, hoping to replicate the good numbers they had against the Trojans last season. Dalton Ellis, who is back at quarterback again this season, had a very efficient game against the Trojans in 2013, completing four-of-six passes for 107 yards and a touchdown that changed the tide of the game and led to the Trenton win.
Carrollton will look to slow Trenton’s returning offensive stars with a pair of offenses, a 4-3 and a 4-2-5. With the Bulldogs’ running game, it’s likely the Trojans will stick to the 4-3, keeping as many players in the box as possible.
“Their linebackers seem to be what makes them go,” Boswell said. “Their secondary is decent. Their line is big and three of their four are fairly agile. They can get to our quarterback if we are not on our ‘A’ game. Wozny again is there at the middle linebacker position and he runs the defense.”
Trenton and Carrollton will clash in the season opener Friday night at Trojan Field in Carrollton. Kickoff between the two Class 2 District 8 foes is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Week 1 Notables
(2013 Stats)
Offense
Rushing – Colton Neff, 200 carries, 1,149 yards, 10 TDs; Travis Leeper, 108 carries, 595 yards, 9 TDs.
Passing – Dalton Ellis, 53-109, 717 yards, 6 TDs, 2 int.
Receiving – Bailey Owen, 14 catches, 151 yards; Aaron Anderson, 8 catches, 30 yards.
Defense
Tackles – Trey Shields, 89; Troy Hanes 58; Travis Gilbertson, 49.
Tackles For Loss – Hanes, 9; Gilbertson, 5; Shields,4.
Sacks – Hanes, 2; Shields, 2.
Interceptions – Anderson, 1; Shields, 1.
Starting Lineups
Trenton
Offense
QB 13 Dalton Ellis 5-10 158 Sr.
RB 11 Travis Leeper 5-11 154 Jr.
WB 21 Gavin Griffin 6-4 179 Sr.
FB 33 Colton Neff 6-1 203 Jr.
OT 51 Alex Davis 6-3 218 Sr.
OG 56 Trey Shields 6-1 169 Jr.
C 53 Nick Gass 6-0 189 Sr.
OG 54 Jeramiah Chipps 5-11 215 Sr.
OT 74 Terrin Ellis 6-4 256 Sr.
TE 24 Cree Mullenix 6-1 184 Jr.
WR 80 Aaron Anderson 6-1 161 Sr.
Defense
DE 75 Travis Gilbertson 6-2 275 Sr.
NG 71 Troy Hanes 5-9 171 Sr.
DE 53 Nick Gass 6-0 189 Sr.
LB 11 Travis Leeper 5-11 154 Jr.
LB 24 Cree Mullenix 6-1 184 Jr.
LB 56 Trey Shields 6-1 169 Jr.
LB 21 Gavin Griffin 6-4 179 Sr.
LB 27 Austin Burkeybile 6-0 176 So.
CB 13 Dalton Ellis 5-10 158 Sr.
CB 80 Aaron Anderson 6-1 161 Sr.
FS 18 Kail McCarter 5-11 153 Jr.
Carrollton
Carrollton does not provide height and weight for its players
Defense
DE 64 Wyatt Cooper Sr.
DT 55 Dalton Wilson So.
DT 78 Jacob Reffitt Sr.
DE 53 Keagan Eiserer Sr.
LB 4 Tanner Sarbaugh Jr.
LB 5 Luke Wozny Sr.
LB 7 Luke Stanton So.
CB 34 Logan Chavez Jr.
CB 11 James Harker Sr.
SS 1 Hunter McNelly Jr.
FS 24 Chase Cooper So.
Offense
QB 5 Luke Wozny Sr.
RB 4 Tanner Sarbaugh Jr.
RB 7 Luke Stanton So.
OL 69 Brier Shields Sr.
OL 64 Wyatt Cooper Sr.
OL 53 Keagan Eiserer Sr.
OL 52 Shane Stark Jr.
OL 65 Kyle Davis Sr.
WR 24 Chase Cooper So.
WR 3 Ty Hudson Jr.
WR 10 Chandler Webb Sr.