FRESH BATCH

Young Players Pushing For Playing Time At Camp

Nine months ago, the Trenton Middle School football team wrapped up its 2019 campaign with a loss. The defeat, disappointing as it was, was only the second for a team that finished the year with a successful 4-2 showing.
Nearly a year later, the key cogs to the TMS team’s success are in the midst of their first high school football camp. Early returns on this year’s freshman class have been pretty positive as the group looks to make the leap from the middle school to high school level.
“We are hoping that some of these underclassmen can maybe get a little bit of knowledge and maybe get on the field and get some playing time,” Trenton’s second-year head coach Kevin Hixson said. “We have a couple of young guys who are pretty fast and have pretty good speed to them. It’s just getting their feet wet and making that transition from junior high to high school football.”
There are plenty of opportunities to be had at camp which, after a rainout on Monday, officially opened on Tuesday. Trenton’s coaching staff is digging deep into the roster as it seeks replacements for graduates Jaren Whitney and Mark Trump. Whitney was a 1,000-yard rusher during Trenton’s 2-8 season last year and Trump ran for well over 900 yards himself.
That is the challenge facing Trenton this season. The Bulldogs are desperate to snap a downward trend that saw them win four games in 2017, three in 2018 and just the two in 2019. But to do so they will have to forge ahead with an entirely new backfield. Quarterback Sam Schilling graduated with Whitney and Trump as well and the Bulldogs also sent offensive linemen Noah Lewis, Jerrick Stotts and Carson Burchett across the graduation stage.
“Losing Jaren and Mark both in the same year is kind of tough,” Hixson said. “We know we have a couple of holes to fill but, hopefully, we can be stronger in some areas to make up the difference because Jaren Whitney was the only kid in this area that rushed for 1,000 yards. Even though our record wasn’t great, we had some guys who were getting some things done on the field. We have some big shoes to fill but, hopefully, we can coach them up and get that done.”
This week’s camp, Trenton’s last organized team activity before fall sports practices begin on Aug. 10, represents a final chance for the younger players to take another step forward and leave the coaching staff with a lasting impression to sit on over the MSHSAA-imposed “dead period,” which covers next week. Trenton is scheduled to open the 2020 season on Friday, Aug. 28, hosting Brookfield at home at C.F. Russell Stadium.
“There possibly could be (some freshmen starting in week 1),” Hixson said. “A couple of these guys, you know, it’s your freshman year and you are coming in, you’re 6-4 and 230 – you probably have a shot of getting out there on the varsity field. We aren’t going to put (any player) out there until we are sure they are ready, but they have come to every workout this summer and did a great job. I’m expecting big things out of some of them. Now, whether or not they are ready to go when the season rolls around, we will see. I’m excited about some young kids, though, I just don’t want to push them too early.”
Trenton had around 36 student-athletes out on the first day of camp with a few missing due to family vacations and illness. Hixson expects to have a final roster of around 40 when the season begins.