In a marriage that came together after a recent text of inquiry by Chillicothe head coach Tim Rulo, the Trenton Bulldogs traveled down Highway 65 to play the historic rival Hornets at Jerry Litton Memorial Stadium on Friday afternoon. By the planning of the athletic directors, there was no publicity for the event prior to the jamboree, as all fans, including relatives of the players, were not allowed into the stadium as a result of COVID-19 spread concerns. Only media, bus drivers, and the chain crew were on hand to witness the event.
The scrimmage started under blazing hot sunshine at 4 o’clock, and while they were generally outplayed by the bigger and more experienced Chillicothe side, Trenton did show some positive moments in an hour of play that got plenty of reps for varsity and junior varsity players alike.
The only touchdown scored by the Bulldogs came on a passing play from the JV, as Colin Taylor hit Gabe Novak from the 5 yard line, a scoring pass set up on a 30 yard run by Novak, who had a strong first showing for coach Kevin Hixson.
Chillicothe’s offense dealt with good line play from the Bulldog front that made moving the ball difficult, and when the Hornets would break a run, more often than not it was called back by penalty. Hornet scoring plays included a pass from Gage Leamer to Braxten Johnson, and a run by Tucker Wagers. Junior Demarcus Kelow had a long scoring run called back by penalty, but caught the eye of Hixson, as Trenton focuses on next week’s season opener against Brookfield, with the visitors featuring a very similar style of fullback to Kelow. Sophomore Coleman Griffin got the start at quarterback Friday night for THS:
Coming off a 2-8 season in 2019, in Hixson’s first season, the coach spent much of his postgame chat with the Bulldogs working on the mental side of “believing” rather than “hoping” for success for Trenton this fall:
Overall, the veteran coach was pleased with the early returns of the youthful Bulldogs on both sides of the ball:
One of the leaders for the team on both sides of the football will be senior tight end and defensive end Royce Jackson:
Trenton will host the Brookfield Bulldogs next Friday night at C.F. Russell Stadium in the season opener, scheduled for broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7, with Chillicothe opening the campaign against the Marshall Owls at Litton Memorial Stadium.
