Football teams losing a couple potential players, who choose to sit out the 2020 season due to COVID-9 concerns, has been relatively commonplace across the state. However, when a 2A team like the Trivum Prep, with already-low numbers of participation, every eligible player matters in a chase to maintain the team’s winning ways.
Though smaller in both stature and roster size - coach Michael Spencer estimates there are 33-34 kids on the team - than past Trivium groups, the Knights believe they can make up for the production of the past senior class that led to a region championship three-peat.
“This is kind of like a new era here, a whole new set of kids,” Spencer said.
Despite the lack of size and experience that past rosters had, Trivium's will rely heavily on its speed and athleticism.
With 2,000-yard rusher in 2020-grad David Marquez and the team’s biggest-ever offensive line, Trivium was a run-heavy, powerful offense in years past.
A group of fast receivers and sophomore quarterback Conner Aldridge are looking forward to a more spread-out and balanced offense this year, utilizing the speed to get into space and make defenders miss.
“That gives all of us chances to make plays. We still have a run game too, so it expands our whole offense,” said senior receiver August Hubbard.
And senior Josh DeGraves, also the top returning linebacker, looks to fill the void left by Marquez’s graduation as running back. As one of Trivium’s biggest players, regardless of position, with good speed, he will look to have some of the same high-production nights as his predecessor did.
“I’ve been preparing since freshman year to have this spot. He (Marquez) was great, but my goal is to be an even better running back,” DeGraves said.
Many of the offensive players, as is tradition in a small school, will start on defense, too. The big bodies in the trenches will have to push to get pressure from the line, while the smaller-but quicker secondary and linebacking core will be tasked with getting to the ball quickly and stopping plays before opponents can pick up steam running downhill.
Trivium has yet to lose a regular season game since week 1 of 2017, so expectations need to be sky-high if the current squad wants to keep up tradition. However, looking around at his motivated players, Spencer believes the team is in good shape.
“They know that the bar was set with that class, and they don’t want that to diminish, so I think they’re ready to do it,” Spencer said.
Trivium Prep will visit Scottsdale Christian on Oct. 2 to start the season.
