Class A Div. II Blog: Trion football sets expectations high for 2025 after busy offseason

The Trion Bulldogs are a young team that is replacing 18 starters from last year’s team, but head coach Sean Patrick is confident that his team has prepared for the challenge ahead and is eager to see them continue the proud tradition of Trion football. This senior class has already won 30 games since entering the halls as freshmen with an overall record of 30-7 heading into this season and aiming to reach the 40-win total for the last four years is a goal that the Bulldogs will aim for as they also look to push deeper into the playoffs. Myself and Hayden Gilbert caught up with coach Patrick and nine of his players at Georgia High School Media Day last week and talked about the team’s mindset heading into to 2025.

Talk about the consistency over the last several seasons and the state of the program heading into your sixth season as head coach

Coach Patrick: “The last four years, we’ve won 40 games and so we are excited about that and this group is ready to keep this thing going. We’ve had faces change over the last couple of years and people that have come and gone from graduation and the results have stayed the same. So we’ve been able to put a good product on the field and we’ve been able to win a lot of games and we don’t expect anything different this year.”

How does the experience of this year’s team compare to previous seasons at Trion?

Coach Patrick: “We lost a lot of experience last year. We lost 18 starters and so this year’s group will be a bit more inexperienced than last year’s group but they have worked really hard. I’ve got seven seniors and two juniors and they’ve done a phenomenal job in leading our program and from year’s past, there has been expectations set with how we do things and these guys have all done a good job learning that and modeling that for the younger classes and we are eager to get back to work and get back on the field. We don’t expect our results to be any different. We expect to go out there and win and do our thing and be in the mix for a state title.”

What has gone into replacing so many positions this offseason and how would you say that process has gone for your team?

Coach Patrick: “It’s always tough to replace players that have played a lot of snaps for you but that is part of our profession. We aren’t in the league and we aren’t going to have kids that play 15 years for us and so our staff has done a really good job at prepping these kids and these guys have all been in our program for four years. So they have learned how we do things and now it is there term. I really think there is excitement that comes from having a more inexperienced group, because when you have guys that are experienced sometimes complacency can set in and these guys are hungry and they are out there to prove to people that have doubted them. And I think that has put a chip on their shoulder and last year maybe that wasn’t the case as much. This group is excited and eager and again we aren’t expecting the results to change.”

Losing 18 starters is a lot at a small school and there are going to be guys that will be playing both sides of the ball, so how have you guys addressed that challenge?

Coach Patrick: “I will credit our kids. They work and they have done a lot this offseason to prepare their bodies for those roles. These guys have done that and we get a lot of reps and our coaching staff does a good job at putting them in positions to be successful. I think reps, and not necessarily talking, is the mother of experience and so we practice a lot and spend a lot of time on our craft.”

What did you see from Christian Henderson last year in the running back position?

Coach Patrick: Christian is a good player and is probably our most experienced kid coming back. He is a really good player that battled some injuries last year and got his groove back late in the year and it was really fun to see what he was able to do. He has played a ton for us and he will move positions defensively for us this year and go to linebacker and then he will carry the load for us at running back. He has kind of done it all for us and we will lean on him a lot this year. He is a hard worker and he is a great leader.”

KEY PLAYERS

In addition to Coach Patrick and Henderson, the Bulldogs brought with them junior starting quarterback Linc Allen, junior linebacker/tight end Coleman Lee, senior wide receiver and strong safety Clayton Loughridge, senior wide receiver and cornerback Bryson Roberts, senior tackle and defensive end Brandon Chandler, senior center and defensive tackle Mac Lee, Senior outside linebacker and quarterback Gavin Stivers and senior running back and strong safety Curt Hambright.

The Bulldogs will scrimmage Heard County for the second year in a row and will open up the season at Gordon Lee on Aug. 15 in a rematch of last year’s 30-6 victory.

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