R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
Trenton quarterback Lathan Croy races past the Lathrop defense during the Bulldogs’ 28-13 district victory last season. The Bulldogs and Mules will meet again, this time in Trenton, as the high school football season opens Friday night.
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Last October when Trenton traveled to Lathrop for the second time in the season the Bulldogs had not won a district game since MSHSAA changed the district format to a bracket style in 2012. Four years of first-round exits were put to bed that night, however, as Trenton triumphed over the Mules, 28-14.
Now, almost 10 months later, Trenton and Lathrop are set to tangle again, opening the season Friday night at C.F. Russell Stadium. This meeting will be the third between the two teams in a calendar year, dating back to last year’s opener in Lathrop, which the Mules won 31-15.
Playing a team three times in under 365 days would make one think there is quite a bit of familiarity between the two schools. But, a new season brings new questions and it’s safe to say Friday night’s showdown will see the two squads spending ample time feeling out each other’s new looks.
“I think you’ve just got to focus on what you do well,” Trenton head coach Brandon Boswell said. “You just kind of prepare for (Lathrop) like you have in the past and our game plan isn’t going to be too much different from what it was the last two times we played them. In high school football you have playmakers and you just have to have plans for those playmakers.”
Lathrop certainly has some playmakers coming back this season as well. Quarterback Brock Lewis returns for his senior campaign and junior running back Seth McKnight returns as well. While the two took a back seat to Josh Sailing, who graduated last May, Boswell believes the two players are set to lead the way for Lathrop’s offense this season.
“Going into last year Seth McKnight was a kid who you had to keep track of,” Boswell said. “As the year went along, I think Josh Sailing became more of an important player for them, but he graduated. So I think they are going to showcase (McKnight) and Brock Lewis more now. Lewis has great passing ability, he’s a good athlete and he is a threat to pull the ball down and run.”
Hunter Sloan and Devyn Williams are also seeing their roles increased for the Mules this season and will be worth keeping an eye on. With those players, Lathrop has some speed and Trenton will need to do a good job of sealing the edge and forcing the play back to the middle of the field – something they struggled to do in the season-ending loss in Lexington last year.
Offensively, Trenton will lean on its ground game with top wide receiver Colton Colston ineligible for the first two weeks of the season. Colston was late joining the team due to military requirements for his future career with the National Guard.
Trenton’s fullback situation remains in flux. Carson Radcliff will start, while Mark Trump and Lucas Clark could see time at the position as well. Quarterback Lathan Croy is Trenton’s leading returning rusher from last season, running for 557 yards and nine touchdowns. Three of those touchdowns came in the district win over Lathrop on quarterback sneaks of two yards or less.
The Bulldogs and Lathrop will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday night at C.F. Russell Stadium in Trenton. A pre-game tailgate will be held at Eastside Park, presented by the Trenton High School Gifted Group. The tailgate will run from 5:30-7 p.m.