Sports
Three-Point Stance: Trimble Is Ready For More
By: Kelsi Steele
Posted on:
Editor’s Note: Three-Point Stance is Gridiron Glory’s written preview series leading up to its 15th season on WOUB. Gridiron is visiting training camps for all 32 teams in the coverage area as they prepare for the 2013 football season. The series continues in the TVC-Hocking, where eight teams look to dethrone a defending state champ.
There is no question the Trimble Tomcats are a force to be reckoned with. The Tomcats return from a 9-1 season last year- a record that most teams would die for. But for this feisty squad, it’s not enough. The Tomcats are on the prowl and hungrier than ever going into this 2013 season.
1. An Arsenal of Weapons
Coach Phil Faires’ squad returns a solid number of kids on the offensive side of the ball this season. Along with 2012 Gridiron Glory POY candidate Konner Standley to rely on at QB, the Tomcats have a wide variety of weapons at the skill positions in Jacob Koons, Bryce Smathers, Justin Jenkins, Austin Downs, Terry Simerly and Jimmy Ward.
“We’ve got a lot of guys we can get the ball to,” Faires said. And on top of that, Faires believes Wyatt Bragg will contribute a great amount with the ball. “He’s lost some weight, we can split him out now. He’s got great hands.”
To make matters worse for Trimble opponents, the offensive line is more than prepared as they have eight kids who are comfortable rotating on the line.
“We can make teams prepare for a lot of formations,” Faires said “We’re not just lining them up, we’ve got some plays we feel confident in.”
2. Experience at Defense
On the other side of the ball, the Tomcats are equally as confident. Last year, the squad made its name in the TVC-Hocking as a defensive powerhouse, allowing only 5.3 points a game and holding opponents scoreless for a six-week stretch in the heart of the season. This season fans in Glouster can expect nothing less.
“Our defensive line will stay about the same,” Faires explained. “They’ve got to control the line of scrimmage. We’re only losing one player, I think we’ll do it again this year.”
Koons, last season’s TVC-Hocking co-Defensive Player of the Year, will again hold down the defense at linebacker in his final season as a Tomcat.
3. Hold the Rope
Coach Faires’ motto this season may sound a little unusual to most, but for him it’s an effort to reach beyond the field. “Hold the rope” is what the Trimble Tomcats are preaching day by day, and for Faires, the saying is quite fitting. “Hold the rope is not just true in football, but in life,” he said. “Who do you want there having your back?”
According to Faires, the leadership is there and the strength is there. Every game is about getting better for the Tomcats, and every Friday is their chance to clinch an undefeated season. “I think they’ve worked hard, and we’ve got a lot of people that are buying into us this year.”
Coach Faires and the Trimble Tomcats dive into the season Saturday, Aug. 31 in a home tilt with TVC-Ohio giant Nelsonville-York.
Follow @gridironglory on Twitter and Instagram and Like the Gridiron Glory Facebook page for continued coverage throughout the preseason. Gridiron Glory returns Friday, Aug. 23 at 11:30 p.m. on WOUB.