Bulldogs dominate line play in 29-8 win at Brookfield

The Trenton Bulldogs controlled both sides of the line of scrimmage on Friday night, racking up four rushing touchdowns offensively, and harassing Brookfield’s backfield throughout the season opener defensively, as THS picked up a 29-8 win at Burlington Field, heard locally on KTTN FM 92.3.

The veteran Bulldogs started fast, with senior fullback Sam Gibson moving the chains on the first two drives of the season, with junior halfback Gabe Novak scoring touchdowns on his first two carries from scrimmage, with the first a 19 yard scamper with 7:44 remaining in the opening quarter, and the second an 8 yard sprint with 3:07 to go in the quarter.  A 15 yard plunge by Gibson with 20 1/2 seconds remaining in the stanza gave Trenton a 19-0 lead, as the Bulldogs went 1 for 2 on PAT’s, with a failed two-point conversion.

The lead ballooned to 22-0 midway through the second quarter, with Gibson guiding a 30 yard field goal just over the south upright at Burlington Field.

One of the biggest concerns coming out of the game for Trenton was Brookfield’s ability to get receivers deep down the middle of the field, with THS concentrating on quick passing plays toward the line of scrimmage.  Although most of the opportunities for Brookfield to connect deep missed, the one hit for the hosts came with 5:36 to go in the first half, on a 70 yard strike from Parn to Staddie, with the two-point conversion by Baum leaving the halftime score at 22-8, as a late second quarter drive for Trenton stalled inside the Brookfield 25.

The storyline of stalled Trenton drives and missed Brookfield passing opportunities lingered into the second half, as Trenton continued to dominate the line of scrimmage, able to move the football, although not with the same sized gains as the first quarter.  A couple of red-zone penalties short-circuited Trenton scoring opportunities, leaving Brookfield down only two scores.

One of the biggest plays of the half occurred with 9:43 to go in the third quarter, as Brookfield, with momentum out of the locker room, moved the ball into the red zone on a long pass down the hashmarks.  However, the Trenton defense got to the Brookfield quarterback Parn on the next play, forcing a sack and a fumble recovered by the Trenton defense.  With 1:49 remaining in the game, the visitors picked up a well-earned 8 yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Coleman Griffin, with the Gibson PAT giving Trenton back its three-touchdown lead.  An interception by Mason Rongey with 58 seconds remaining clinched the win.

Trenton, 1-0 on the season, will host 1-0 Lathrop this Friday night (September 2nd) in the Bulldogs home opener on Hot Country Z 101.7, in a contest that could have major district ramifications two months down the line.  Brookfield will refocus on its biggest game of the regular season, with the Bulldogs playing in-county rival Marceline in the annual “Bell Game” at Chester Ray Stadium in Marceline at 7 o’clock on Friday night.

In unofficial stats compiled by KTTN, Trenton’s ground game saw Gibson rack up 154 yards on 24 carries, with Novak earning 12 carries for 130 yards, and Griffin 18 carries for 98 yards.

Other Friday night scores from August 26, 2022: 

Mid-Buchanan 49, Princeton 22

South Shelby 35, Milan 23

Putnam County 55, Highland 36

Gallatin 51, North Platte 16

East Buchanan 48, South Harrison 14

Polo 30, West Platte 26

Maysville 70, Plattsburg 6

Lathrop 39, Lexington 0 

Lafayette County 61, Penney 23

Lawson 20, Oak Grove 16

Chillicothe 42, Marshall 7 

Blair Oaks 54, Maryville 42

St. Pius X 21, Pembroke Hill 0 

Lincoln Prep 42, Cameron 0 

Savannah 47, California 34

Benton 49, Northeast 14

Center 54, Lafayette 6

Centralia 26, Mexico 21

Monroe City 48, Mark Twain 8 

Hallsville 58, Palmyra 20 

Macon 27, Kirksville 14

Clark County 56, Scotland County 0 

St. Vincent 42, Marceline 13 (Saturday) 

Harrisburg 22, Cabool 14

Grandview (Hillsboro) 33, Paris 13

Tolton Catholic 27, Salisbury 26

Fayette 14, Carrollton 6

North Callaway 28, Westran 0 

Knob Noster 26, Versailles 6

Richmond 61, New Madrid Central 26

Holden 26, Sherwood 20 

Bishop LeBlond 66, Pattonsburg 44

Schuyler County 65, Knox County 34

Braymer 70, Keytesville 12

Stewartsville-Osborn 26, Northwest Nodaway 6

Platte Valley 52, Mound City 28

Albany 62, Rich Hill 8

Stanberry 76, St. Joseph Christian 26

North Andrew 28, King City 14

Rock Port 74, DeKalb 20 

East Atchison 58, Southwest Livingston 0

Worth County 60, Nodaway Valley 12