Rebuilding project underway at Trinity
Holly Tonini
Holly Tonini
Kaden Kolson
Kaden Kolsen just turned 16 and doesn’t have his driver’s license but he’ll be expected to drive the offense for Trinity High School’s football team this season.
Kolsen will be one of many young, talented players in the Hillers’ rebuilding process.
Trinity lost its best running back in Joey Koroly, its starting quarterback in Dylan Kern and its best lineman in Ben Phillis.
They were part of 15 seniors, most of them starters, from last year’s team. Heck, even the kicker graduated from last year’s 6-4 playoff team.
In Kolsen, a 6-2 sophomore who threw only four passes in varsity action last year, the Hillers have the prototypical player on this team: strong, talented but very raw. And very raw players are going to make mistakes.
Holly Tonini
Kolsen paid close attention to how Kern handled the offense because he knew this day might come.
“I play two sports, football and basketball, so right after basketball, my mindset was to prepare with my team and get ready for the upcoming season,” said Kolsen. “I knew we were losing a lot of seniors so I knew, despite being at a young age, I had to take on a leadership role.
“Dylan was a great mentor to learn from. He was not only a friend to me but helped me learn the plays and things I wasn’t familiar with at this level.”
With such a young team, the Hillers need leaders to emerge. Kolsen realizes that.
“This is a new team, a young team and it’s going to need self-discipline,” Kolsen said. “We have to learn the game from our coaches. I thought to myself, I have to work hard in the offseason to prepare for this season.”
Kolsen says he has been playing football since age 3. He has had bumps in the road, but many times overcame obstacles. Like the time he played on the old Trinity West youth team.
“We called a flea-flicker and I had no idea what that was,” Kolsen said with a smile.
He was shocked when the running back took the handoff, then turned and lateraled the football back to him.
“I had it in my hands and I’m thinking, ‘What do I do?'” he said. “Lo and behold, my receiver was wide open in the end zone and it ended up being a touchdown.”
Holly Tonini
Observer-Reporter
Head coach Jon Miller has taken to social media during the pandemic to help his players attract the attention of college coaches.
Trinity head coach Jon Miller is hoping the Hillers have some of that good fortune but realizes that it is a long and difficult process. And he knows what is most important for him and his coaching staff.
“Patience,” he said. “We have to have a lot of patience.”
Only two players return who played in serious game situations.
“One of the best things and most fun things coaches can do is teach,” Miller said. “When you have a more veteran group, you focus on the schemes and things like that. With these young guys, it’s getting back to teaching the fundamentals. Some don’t know how to (properly) get into their stance. So we are concentrating on teaching.”
Koroly was a rare talent, rushing for more than 4,000 career yards and ending his basketball career with more than 1,000 points. Miller is looking at a two-platoon system at running back with sophomore Micah Finley and freshman Drew Cain.
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Caleb Negley
“Someone told me that (Koroly) got the ball 95 percent of the time in our offense last year,” Miller said. “So you don’t really replace someone like that.
“Drew has more of the intangibles that Joey had as a freshman. Micah is more of a scat back.”
Phillis was the bright spot in a veteran group of linemen last year. Junior Austin Beels will be one of the two-way players: defensive end and offensive tackle. Another junior, Avery Kern, started when Will Edgar went down with an injury. Kern will play defensive tackle and guard. The rest will be decided in camp.
The secondary is arguably the strength of the defense. Junior Dalton Bedillion returns to start at cornerback and senior Cameron Moran started one game at safety.
So what will be a good season for this team?
“A good season, with all the young kids we have, is staying focused on each game,” Kolsen said. “We don’t have the great (producers) from last season. We need everyone to do their job.”