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Let’s go back, it’s the last game of the season in 2015—the Trenton Tigers and the Port St. Joe Tiger Sharks are set to play a 1A State Championship in the Citrus Bowl. This is a revenge game for the Port St. Joe Tiger Sharks. The only loss they suffered all season was at the very claws of the Trenton Tigers. Did I mention that the Tiger Sharks won it all in 2014?
Port St. Joe thought they started off the 2015 state championship game with the solution to the Trenton equation—get on the board early. Port St. Joe QB Ethan Sander connected to Aaron Paul, after an 89-yard run, to run in the first points on the board. But, Trenton responded. Trenton responded and dominated in the second quarter and ended Port St. Joe’s hopes at a back-to-back title win, Trenton won it all 56-21.
Fast forward to this season. Trenton High School welcomes new head coach Bill Wiles at the helm, and having lived in Gilchrest County, he knows how the town felt about previous coach Andrew Thomas. Thomas was named 2015 coach of the year in Class 1A by the Florida Dairy Farmers. He took his team 14-0 and won its second state title in three years. Thomas left the program to travel up north to Alabama to accept T.R. Miller High School’s athletic director and head football coach positions. New head coach Wiles comes in from Santa Fe high school and turned his program around in four seasons, reaching the semifinals for the first time in 21 years.
Trenton is sitting at 1-1 entering into Friday’s game. The team waved goodbye to a successful senior class, one that previous head coach Thomas claimed was the best he has ever had. However, Wiles likes the young team and looks forward to growing with them
Wiles’ reiterates that the Trenton Tiger’s identity isn’t going to change much though. Wiles only addition so far has been adding in a nice snap pass package to hopefully add to their lacking passing game.
Traveling to Port St. Joe, Trenton knows there is still ice in the veins for the Port St. Joe Tiger Sharks. They will be prepared to rise against last season’s adversity with the help from their fans, under their own lights. Senior QB for Port St. Joe returns this season, and has recorded 161 passing yards and 3 touchdowns thus far. Port St. Joe’s head coach John Palmer leads the team coming into his third year with the program, and sitting at 23-4 overall.
Trenton will most likely stick to their team’s makeup and try to get on the board first and put Port St. Joe away early on. There is already talk about this years game being a closer matchup, with the Sharks squeaking by with a win.
This is going to be a much closer game this year between Trenton and Port St. Joe. https://t.co/qXl79gOlup
— Florida HS Football (@FlaHSFootball) September 6, 2016
Kickoff from Port St. Joe this Friday at 7:30 p.m.
