Winless Trenton, Polo Set To Match-Up In Week 8 Showdown
R-T Photo/Seth Herrold
Mark Trump takes a handoff from Sam Schilling during Trenton’s week 7 match-up with South Harrison. The Bulldogs will be back at home this week, playing host to the Polo Panthers.
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Someone is going to walk off the field on Friday night with a much needed win. The Trenton Bulldogs hope it’s them.
“I told our kids I’m probably more nervous about this game than I have been about any other game this year,” Trenton Head Coach Kevin Hixson said. “This is a game everybody expects you to win. We’ve beaten them every year since we got in this conference, but it’s not going to be that easy. They have some players and some guys who can play hard and, if we don’t go out and play for 48 minutes and finish drives, they can sneak up and beat you.”
Finishing has been the biggest point of emphasis in practice this week. The Bulldogs want to finish plays in all three phases of the game – finish tackles, finish the game in the fourth quarter and, most importantly, finish those drives that have stalled all too often inside opponents’ 30-yard line.
Last week against South Harrison, Trenton twice failed to get into the end zone after reaching the 25-yard line on back-to-back drives in the second half. It was an issue against Lexington, Gallatin and almost every other team Trenton has lost to this season.
“We have got to finish,” Hixson said. “We have got to quit getting down there, almost close enough, and not finishing.”
What Trenton has had going for it in recent weeks is its defense. The Bulldogs were scored on four times last week, but South Harrison had short fields on two of the scores. In general, the team tied for first in the Grand River Conference struggled to move the ball on Trenton’s defense.
Polo’ s offensive futility has been at the forefront of the Panthers’ struggles. Five times this season Polo has been shut out and the Panthers have not scored a single point in their last four contests. Trenton will look to keep Polo’s offense in its current funk, but will have to remain disciplined as the Panthers like to use a lot of misdirection to try and find creative ways to move the ball.
“We need to go out and play defense as physically as we have been doing,” Hixson said. “We will figure out some of (Polo’s) stuff and we will be prepared defensively.”
It will be senior night for the Bulldogs with senior members of the team being honored prior to kickoff.
A pre-game tailgate will be held at Eastside park prior to tonight’s game. The event will be sponsored by the Trenton Middle School Choir.
Trenton Projected Starters
Offense
#13 QB – Sam Schilling, Sr. 6-1 185
#21 FB – Mark Trump, Sr. 5-11 185
#23 RB – Jaren Whitney, Sr. 5-11 170
#18 WB – Quincy Griffin, Jr. 5-10 150
#57 OT – Jerrick Stotts, Sr. 5-9 250
#75 OG – Carson Burchett, Sr. 6-3 270
#50 C – Noah Lewis, Sr. 6-0 170
#55 OG – Kael Brock, Jr. 6-1 215
#67 OT – Jake McNabb, Jr. 6-0 280
#17 WR – Dalton Burchett, Sr. 6-3 190
#87 WR – Royce Jackson, Jr. 6-3 180
Defense
#87 DE – Royce Jackson, Jr. 6-3 180
#75 DT – Carson Burchett, Sr. 6-3 270
#57 DT – Jerrick Stotts, Sr. 5-9 250
#17 DE – Dalton Burchett, Sr. 6-3 190
#50 LB – Noah Lewis, Sr. 6-0 170
#10 LB – Sam Gibson, Fr. 5-10 175
#21 LB – Payden McCullough, Jr. 5-5 155
#16 SS – Coleman Griffin, Fr. 5-8 145
#22 CB – Tyler Siemer, So. 6-0 180
#18 CB – Quincy Griffin, Jr. 5-10 150
#23 FS – Jaren Whitney, Sr. 5-11 170