It is a battle the Trenton High School football team has waged for a while now. Exemplified against the Princeton Tigers in a game that took two days to complete, it’s a battle the Trenton Bulldogs are still losing.
Trenton turned the ball over three times and had a punt travel less than 10 yards for the third week in a row. It all added up to a 21-7 loss to the visiting Princeton Tigers at C.F. Russell Stadium.
The turnovers and poor special teams play have cost Trenton wins two weeks in a row now.
“We work on (turnovers) in practice all the time and we constantly talk about it,” Hixson said. “We are not a good enough football team to turn the ball over a couple of times and expect to win. It’s something we are just going to have to work on and address every week.”
This one was especially tough to handle after Trenton slept on a 7-0 lead on Friday night. The Bulldogs physically overmatched Princeton in the first quarter and into the second quarter before a lightning delay stopped play. The delay drug on with ensuing lightning strikes in the area and, just before 8:30, it was announced play would not resume until 10 a.m. the following day.
The break put a stop to Trenton’s momentum, created by some strong running by Jaren Whitney. Trenton’s leading rusher was at it again on Friday night. After fumbling the ball away on the Bulldogs’ opening drive, Whitney responded with a 28-yard run that helped set up his nine-yard touchdown run with 41 seconds left in the opening frame.
However, that would be the Bulldogs’ only score of the game.
Trenton’s defense forced punts on each of Princeton’s opening two drives and then held on a fourth-down conversion attempt on the third punt Trenton was moving the ball again when the delay began.
Saturday was a disaster.
Trenton’s offense could never find its footing from Friday night. The punting mishap led to Princeton evening the score before halftime at 7-7. Trenton fumbled the ball once, allowing Princeton a 16-yard field to work with. That led to Princeton’s second touchdown of the game, but a missed extra-point kick gave Trenton life.
The Bulldogs embarked on their most successful drive of the Saturday portion of the game. Marching down the field to at least tie or potentially take the lead, Trenton had the ball inside the Princeton 30 when yet another fumble befell the Bulldogs.
This turnover, one that killed such a promising drive, was detrimental.
The Bulldogs were not the same after the turnover. Princeton suddenly found lanes to run in that hadn’t been there all game. The Tigers took full advantage, turning a turnover into points again, only this time on a much longer field. The score put the game away and sent Trenton to its fifth-straight defeat to open the season.
Up until the last Princeton touchdown drive, the Bulldogs defense was nails. Even with the final score tacked on, Trenton limited Princeton to just 170 yards of total offense. The Tigers completed just one-of-eight pass attempts, but Trenton missed a few opportunities dropping would be interceptions on both Friday and Saturday.
“Defensively we are kind of gelling and kind of understanding,” Hixson said. “Offensively we are getting it together, but you can’t turn the ball over inside your own 20-yard line. When you have those turnovers it kind of takes the wind out of your sails a little bit.”
Trenton now turns its attention to defending Grand River Conference champion Milan. The Bulldogs will hit the road to face the Wildcats this Friday at 7 p.m. in ‘The Pit.’

STATISTICS
INDIVIDUAL SCORING
First Quarter
T – Jaren Whitney 9-yard run (Sam Schilling kick).
Second Quarter
P – Eli Henke 14-yard run (Mario Vargas kick).
Third Quarter
P – Austin Kelly 1-yard run (kick failed).
Fourth Quarter
P – Henke 10-yard run (Kelly pass to Justin Rhoades).

TEAM STATISTICS
THS PHS
Rushes-Yards 41-146 40-149
Passing Yards 43 21
Comp-Att-Int 4-7-0 1-7-0
Total Yards 189 170
First Downs 8 9
Penalties-Yds 5-30 6-28
Fumbles-Lost 4-3 0-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING – Trenton, Jaren Whitney, 22-85; Mark Trump, 14-45; Sam Schilling, 5-16. Princeton, Eli Henke, 10-60; Ben Berwanger, 12-51; Justin Rhoades, 9-14; Ethan Glenn, 5-12; Austin Kelly, 3-6; Riley Rhoades, 1-6.
PASSING – Trenton, Schilling, 4-7-0, 43 yards. Princeton, Kelly, 1-7-0, 21 yards.
RECEIVING – Trenton, Whitney, 1-28; Dalton Burchett, 3-15. Princeton, team, 1-21.
DEFENSE – Trenton, Whitney, 16 tackles; Noah Lewis, 11 tackles; Dalton Burchett, 9 tackles; Mark Trump, 7 tackles; Payden McCullough, 5 tackles, 1 sack; Royce Jackson, 5 tackles; Jerrick Stotts, 5 tackles; Tyler Siemer, 4 tackles; Coleman Griffin, 3 tackles; Schilling 2 tackles; Riley Raymo, 2 tackles; Canyon VonBurg, 2 tackles; Quincy Griffin, 2 tackles; Carson Burchett, 1 tackle. Princeton, Camden Hartley, 12 tackles; Henke, 11 tackles; Justin Rhoades, 9 tackles; Brayden Summers, 7 tackles; Owen Schreffler, 5 tackles, 1 fumble recovery; Ashton Berndt, 5 tackles, 1 fumble recovery; Nick Grooms, 5 tackles; Kelly, 4 tackles; Austin Rhoades, 3 tackles, 1 fumble recovery; Berwanger, 2 tackles; Blaze Siemer, 2 tackles; Andrew Birge, 1 tackle; Riley Rhoades, 1 tackle; Cameron Griffen, 1 tackle.