Since Trimble fell to Wahama in the second game of the season, coach Phil Faires has stressed the need to win out to have a chance at the postseason.
The team has responded.
Battling injuries every step of the way, Trimble has clawed its way to three straight wins after falling to 0-2 to start the season. The Tomcats have gotten stronger and more efficient heading into their matchup with Eastern High School at home tonight.
The slow start has not impeded the team’s playoff push, and the team expects its toughness to show through.
The Tomcats have not practiced in full gear this week, as they have nursed injuries and prepared mentally to put a winning product on the field down the stretch.
“We’re banged up and had to take it down a notch,” coach Phil Faires said.
“We’re in shape as well as we want to be. I don’t see that being a problem at this point.”
Most recently, Trimble lost senior lineman J.D. Chesser to a broken foot, which he suffered last week on what Faires called an “awful, sticky field.”
“Now with J.D. out, it makes each player that much more important,” he said.
Chris Spears, a fellow senior captain, likely will step up and take some of Chesser’s reps. Austin Spears, a sophomore, also will see increased reps.
The next step for the Tomcats is establishing a more versatile offense. The opposing defenses that have had success against Trimble have keyed in on stopping senior back Austin Keith and the Tomcats’ potent run game.
“We have to be at 60-40,” Faires said, in reference to his offense’s run-to-pass ratio. “To be successful in the playoffs, you have to throw the ball.”
The Tomcats will rely on senior quarterback Justin Jewell to spread the field and utilize the receiving corps, which is headed by sophomore Konnor Standley.
“We’re trying to get an identity. Offensively, we’ve been decent without Austin at full-go,” Faires said.
On the other side of the ball, the Tomcats should line up well with Eastern (2-4). The Eagles feature an I-formation similar to what Trimble has utilized this season.
The Tomcats will look to keep the Eagles’ wideouts at bay and force the Eagles to resort to the run game.
“They’ll try to spread it out to keep us from having too many in the box,” Faires said.
A win against the Eagles would put Trimble in a position to continue its postseason push next week, when the team heads to Belpre.
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