CHILLI RECEPTION

Trenton Teams Handed Losses On The Road Friday
When you play basketball long enough, you are bound to have some rough nights. Friday night in Chillicothe was a rough one for the Trenton High School varsity basketball teams.
Trenton went on the road and returned home with a pair of losses, dropping the girls game 64-24 and the boys game 75-33.
The Trenton girls gave Chillicothe a good run in last year’s district championship game, but the losses of Maci Moore, Lexi Whitaker and McKayla Blackburn were magnified in Friday night’s meeting.
Chillicothe, meanwhile, lost one key player off last year’s district championship squad, but one who was a non-factor in the championship game.
The Hornets’ speed and athleticism proved a tough task for the Bulldogs and the host school scored at will in the first half. Trenton, meanwhile was limited on the offensive end and Chillicothe took a commanding 40-10 lead in to half-time. Trenton competed better in the second half, but still lost ground, falling in the end by the 40-point margin.
“This was the first team we’ve seen this year that can play at such a high speed and at such a high level,” Trenton coach Kameron Cool said. “We were pretty overwhelmed in that first half, but I was proud of how hard the girls worked to make adjustments, especially in the second half.”
Trenton’s boys, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a 42-point decision. The Bulldogs trailed 18-5 one quarter in and 47-20 by halftime. Trenton would not reach double figures in any of the four frames and shot just 22 percent from the field against the Hornets’ defense.
“This is a game we just put in the rearview mirror and move forward,” boys’ coach Corbin Coe said. “Physically (Chillicothe) had their way with us tonight.
“The biggest positive for us was our limited amount of turnovers. That makes three-straight games where our turnover numbers have went down. That is huge for us moving forward.”
Trenton was paced by Brycin Loyd, who hit three of Trenton’s four three-pointers in the game to finish with nine points. Royce Jackson followed with six points and six rebounds and Chase Otto added six points as well. Gabe Novak had four points, Kayden Spencer and Gavin Roeder each had three and Dylan Spencer rounded out the team total with two.
While the loss was ugly, Trenton saw firsthand a program in Chillicothe that has reached the level the Bulldogs are striving to get to. The Hornets have established themselves as perennial Midland Empire Conference contenders under head coach Tim Cool.
“Chilli has had success over the past 10 years or so,” Coe said. “We are looking to turn Trenton boys basketball in to the type of program Chillicothe is currently.”
UP NEXT
Trenton opened Grand River Conference play tonight (Tuesday), traveling to Princeton for a varsity doubleheader with the Tigers. Action tips off at 6 o’clock with the girls contest and the boys game will follow.