LaFayette head coach Tab Gable said his team gained some confidence after their season-opening 22-20 win in Summerville.
“Last week was definitely a plus and it helped us answer some questions we had about our personnel and what we needed to work on,” he said. “They really came together in that fourth quarter and gave us something to build on.”
The Ramblers’ opponent this Friday snapped a string of four consecutive losing seasons last fall as they posted a 6-5 mark, losing to Lincoln County, 14-0, in the first round of the Class A state playoffs.
Now in his third season at the helm, Trion head coach David Humphreys is hoping to keep last year’s momentum going.
The Bulldogs saw a good chunk of last year’s offensive yardage depart with the graduation of running back Ryan Wilson, but they return seven offensive starters from last year’s squad, including senior quarterback Hayden Tucker, senior lineman Colt Moore, and Tanner Heyer, a senior receiver with 4.4 speed.
Among the eight returning starters on defense include senior linemen Dewayne Daggett and Nick Coker, and senior linebacker Austin McGraw. Tucker will also line up at linebacker while Heyer, junior Blake Bethune, and senior Cody Simpson will lead the secondary.
Simpson led Trion with five interceptions in 2009 and is pulling double duty as the Bulldogs’ No. 1 tailback this fall. Bethune is also seeing his share of carries in the backfield.
“Trion is a much better, more mature team than last year,” added Gable, who will be coaching against his old team for just the third time ever and the first time in 25 years. “They are very patient on offense. They have a plan and stick with it, which is a sign of a good football team, and I haven’t seen a bad player on defense. They’re sound and they are going to play hard.”
Trion was beaten by Armuchee last week, 28-16. The Bulldogs gained 190 yards — 145 coming on the ground — while giving up 249 yards on the ground and 96 through the air.
Simpson scored Trion’s only offensive touchdown on first-quarter run. The rest of the Bulldogs’ points came on a safety following a blocked punt and a 62-yard punt return.
The were flagged 11 times for 107 yards and were forced to punt six times against the Indians while losing one fumble.
The rivalry dates back to the 1930’s with the Bulldogs holding a 33-21 edge. Trion had won seven meetings in a row until last year when the Ramblers rolled to a 34-20 win.
LaFayette hasn’t swept Chattooga and Trion in the same season since 1993. That year, the Ramblers opened with a 17-13 win over the Bulldogs, and beat Chattooga, 31-29, two weeks later to begin the season 3-0.
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