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Trotwood remains hopeful despite losing players

Few who started title game are scheduled to return, but don’t count out another state trip.

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By Marc F. Pendleton, Staff Writer 9:50 PM Saturday, December 3, 2011

With a lineup full of proven talent, Trotwood-Madison coaches were loud and proud during their high school football state championship run. A 15-week title train ride was the recurring theme.

And the Rams backed up that bravado, finishing 15-0 after Friday night’s 42-28 defeat of Avon for the Division II title at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

That earned the Rams the only thing that eluded them last year when they suffered their only loss in the 2010 state title game.

T-M was a championship mixture of strong-willed determination and gut-check reality, capable of being their best and overcoming their worst.

That’s the blueprint that has been cast for Trotwood-Madison football. Can the Rams possibly return to Stark County for their third straight Week 15 game?

“I’m not going to tell them that we’re going to go 15-0,” T-M coach Maurice Douglass said.

“But the one thing that we’re going to try and do is win the GWOC North, and if we can do that, we’ll be in the playoffs. And if we’re in the playoffs, anything can happen.”

That seldom heard cautionary tone is the result of just six returning players who started against Avon. But there is quality.

The only returnee from the offensive line is sophomore center Clem Vinegar.

Junior tight end/linebacker Michael McCray can pick his major college football power to play for. Same with junior cornerback Cameron Burrows.

The running backs are set with junior Isreal Green and sophomore Ashton Jackson. Green surpassed 2,000 yards and unloaded a record-setting six touchdowns and 326 yards rushing on Avon.

Jackson added 1,081 yards rushing and 17 scores.

A replacement must emerge for super senior quarterback Michael Simpson, Ohio’s D-II offensive player of the year after transferring from Chaminade Julienne.

That would be freshman Andre Foster. Douglass says he “can throw it from here to Alabama.”

Douglass already has dropped the swagger. He sounded like so many other coaches late Friday.

“We had a bull’s-eye on us going into the season,” he said. “That means we’re going to have another bull’s-eye on us next year.

“With the guys that we have coming back, if we work the way that we have, we’re going to have a chance to come back. That’s all that you can ask for.”

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