It has not been the start that teams envision when they set out on the three-month trek that is the high school football season. But if Friday night’s 44-21 loss to the Lexington Minutemen at historic C.F. Russell Stadium proved anything, it’s that the Trenton Bulldogs’ 2018 campaign is still salvageable.
Playing a state-ranked team for the second week in a row, Trenton still displayed some of the same errors that plagued the Bulldogs in a 55-7 week one loss to No. 7 Lathrop. But Trenton’s overall performance against No. 8 Lexington on Friday night was a massive stride in the right direction.
“We got better,” Trenton Head Coach Brandon Boswell said. “Intensity is number one and then our ability to move the football was another one.”
Trenton moved the ball effectively on offense for a majority of the game. A big opening kick return by the Minutemen and a fumble on Trenton’s opening possession – two things carried over from the week-one disaster – put the Bulldogs in a 14-0 hole early, but Trenton finally showed what it is capable of on its next two possessions. Trenton marched down the field on back-to-back long scoring drives, the first highlighted by a screen pass from Sam Schilling to Carson Radcliff to convert a fourth-and-five, the second by a 22-yard run by fullback Mark Trump. Both drives resulted in touchdowns, the second bringing Trenton to within a single score late in the first half, 20-14.
But while Trenton’s offense clicked, its defense labored. Lexington sailed down the field with just over a minute left in the opening half, capping the drive with its fourth touchdown of the game – one for each Minutemen possession to that point. Trenton went into halftime still feeling good, however. Trenton was set to open the second half by receiving the kickoff and trailed by just two scores at 28-14. Lexington, save for Trenton’s fumble on its opening possession, had not stopped Trenton’s offense yet.
Trenton got a 33-yard kickoff return by Matt Sibbit to open the second half, but Lexington’s defensive adjustments were working. Trump, who ran unchecked in the first half, scoring both of Trenton’s touchdowns on short runs, suddenly couldn’t find running lanes. The Bulldogs punted for the first time all night.
Lexington followed with a fumble and Trenton had to punt again. Trenton then had Lexington facing a third-and-seven and it appeared all the offense from the first half had been completely pulled out of the game. The Minutemen would get a 72-yard touchdown run from Alvaro Porras on the third-and-seven play. After Trenton’s second turnover of the night – another fumble – Lexington scored again to all but put the game away as Trenton found itself trailing 44-14 in the fourth quarter.
“We still had turnovers,” Boswell said. “That put us back some. We didn’t tackle well again and that is concerning, but I also understand that they are bigger than us. We just continue to preach the importance of the weight room to our kids because we saw a team in Lexington that has got that right the last five years or so.”
Trenton got one final score after an errant snap gave the Bulldogs the ball on the three-yard line and Trump quickly cashed in the opportunity with his third score of the night.
Trump was one of the biggest bright spots of the night for Trenton. He finished the game with 157 yards and three touchdowns on a career-high 30 carries. Lexington didn’t bring down the Trenton fullback with a single tackler all night, resorting to gang tackles to stop Trump.
“I’m still just trying to prove myself to the team and make things happen,” Trump said after his career night. “I’m just trying to make things happen. I thought we had a really good week of practice and we are really trying to turn things around.”
Boswell was impressed with Trump as well as the offensive line. Trenton rushed for 217 yards as a team on 48 carries. The four and a half yards per carry average allowed Trenton to hold the ball for long possessions and keep Lexington’s offense off the field for some solid stretches.
“Mark’s vision through the line is really good,” Boswell said. “What he has become has been really great to see. He puts his head down and he works. He is quiet and he just goes about his business.
“We ran counter dive and he cut it back right off the line and (Lexington’s) defense completely collapsed. That’s just a really good read and to be able to cut it back that quick is just really impressive. Hopefully he understands what our offensive line did tonight was really huge. Those guys were phenomenal, I thought, most of the game. Those guys should be very proud of what they did tonight.”
After two weeks of facing state-ranked Class 2 teams, Trenton will open Grand River Conference play in week three. Trenton won’t see a Class 2 school again until districts, however, the Bulldogs will open the GRC portion of the schedule with a road trip to Gallatin – the only team Trenton hasn’t beaten since joining the GRC.
“We start off with a team that we haven’t beat and we are at their place,” Boswell said. “This Trenton team, though, they have the talent and the drive – I saw it this week in practice because we pushed them. I think they are in agreement and everyone is on board with us getting in this week and putting in some really hard work to put us in a position to go win at Gallatin.”
Trenton will look to break the two-year losing streak to their fellow Bulldogs on Friday in Gallatin. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
JUNIOR VARSITY
Trenton’s junior varsity hosted Lexington on Monday night at C.F. Russell Stadium, falling 40-14.
Trenton’s two scores came on a 68-yard run by Tyler Siemer, which was followed up by a two-point run from Nate Burkeybile. Siemer added a 64-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter for the Bulldogs other score.
The 0-2 JV travels to Gallatin next Monday for a 6 p.m. match-up.
STATISTICS
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
First Quarter
L – Alvaro Porras 20-yard run (run failed).
L – Sean Emerson 17-yar run (Porras pass to Nick Johnson).
T – Mark Trump 1-yard run (Connor Crawford kick).
Second Quarter
L – Porras 27-yard run (run failed).
T – Trump 1-yard run (Crawford kick).
L – Emerson 2-yard run (Porras run).
Third Quarter
L – Porras 72-yard run (Brogan Gore run).
Fourth Quarter
L – Emerson 12-yard run (Porras run).
T – Trump 3-yard run (Crawford kick).
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TEAM STATISTICS
THS LHS
Rushes-Yards 48-217 44-351
Passing Yards 7 50
Comp-Att-Int 1-2-0 2-2-0
Total Yards 224 401
Penalties-Yards 0-0 3-25
Fumbles-Lost 2-2 3-2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – Trenton, Mark Trump 30-157; Carson Radcliff, 10-31; Sam Schilling, 8-29. Lexington, Alvaro Porras, 12-172; Sean Emerson, 17-96; Corbin Pohle, 6-42; Troy Terry, 6-26; Brogan Gore, 3-15.
PASSING – Trenton, Schilling, 1-2-0, 7 yards. Lexington, Porras, 2-2-0 50 yards.
RECEIVING – Trenton, Radcliff, 1-7. Lexington, Nick Johnson, 1-32; Bryce Lautenschlager, 1-18.
DEFENSE – Trenton, Jadan Whitney, 13 tackles; Jaren Whitney, 7 tackles, 1 fumble recovery; Matt Sibbit, 7 tackles; Carson Burchett, 6 tackles; Jerrick Stotts, 6 tackles; Noah Lewis, 6 tackles; Dalton Burchett, 5 tackles; Schilling, 5 tackles; Isaac Harris, 4 tackles; Hunter Trask, 3 tackles; Nick Wattenbarger, 2 tackles; Payden McCullough, 2 tackles; Radcliff, 2 tackles, 1 fumble recovery; Tyler Siemer, 2 tackles; Brian Ewing, 1 tackle.