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Times have changed since Warren Trimble was an assistant at Bastrop High in the early 1990s.
Back in those days, the rickety old fieldhouse leaked and the Rams seldom won a game. The fans — the few who showed up — generally left after the halftime show.
Things have changed so much since then that the sidelines have been reversed. What was once the home side is now the visitors side. As the head coach of the visiting Richwood Rams, Trimble will stand on the same sideline that he once prowled for the Bastrop Rams when the two teams collide Friday at 7 p.m.
These days, fans pack a pristine Ram Stadium. And the band is no longer the main attraction.
Riding a 45-game winning streak — the third-longest high school stretch in the entire nation — Bastrop is ranked No. 4 in the country by Rivals.com.
Nearly two decades ago, such a turnaround seemed impossible.
Richwood’s second head coach since the school was resurrected in 2001, Trimble is striving to restore the school’s football glory.
“Hopefully, we can duplicate what Brad (Bradshaw) is doing at Bastrop,” Trimble said. “That’s our goal — to get everybody’s hearts and minds working together.
“I’m real proud of what coach Bradshaw has accomplished at Bastrop. That’s the kind of dream I was looking for and am still looking for. It’s the same vision wherever you go. Kids are kids. We’re trying to teach young men to be men.”
Richwood (0-2) features a trio of bonafide playmakers in quarterback Greg Johnson and wide receivers Richard Wilson and Cedric Goins. On the defensive side, end Rashad Givens earned Class 3A All-State accolades in 2007.
Bastrop (1-0) has three returning All-State players of its own in wide receiver turned quarterback Rueben Randle, defensive tackle Josh Downs and linebacker Tai (Speedy) Alford.
* Prairie View (0-4, 0-1) at Trinity Episcopal (4-0, 1-0), 7 p.m. — The Spartans seek to slow down a Trinity juggernaut, which has won its previous four games by an average margin of 29.5 points per game.
To do so, the Spartans must find a way to contain Saints’ running back/quarterback R.J. Fleming.
“They spread you out and try to get you isolated,” said Prairie View coach Mike Hinton. “They like to throw the ball deep. If they can’t get anything going in the passing game, they just put R.J. in the shotgun, go five wide and let him go where he wants to go.”
Prairie View has a prolific tailback of its own in Allen Spires, the MPSA’s 2007 rushing leader. Spires has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the Spartans’ first four games this season.
Among the Spartans’ other players to watch are wide receiver Robby Jones and linebacker Cody King.
Times have changed since Warren Trimble was an assistant at Bastrop High in the early 1990s.
Back in those days, the rickety old fieldhouse leaked and the Rams seldom won a game. The fans — the few who showed up — generally left after the halftime show.
Things have changed so much since then that the sidelines have been reversed. What was once the home side is now the visitors side. As the head coach of the visiting Richwood Rams, Trimble will stand on the same sideline that he once prowled for the Bastrop Rams when the two teams collide Friday at 7 p.m.
These days, fans pack a pristine Ram Stadium. And the band is no longer the main attraction.
Riding a 45-game winning streak — the third-longest high school stretch in the entire nation — Bastrop is ranked No. 4 in the country by Rivals.com.
Nearly two decades ago, such a turnaround seemed impossible.
Richwood’s second head coach since the school was resurrected in 2001, Trimble is striving to restore the school’s football glory.
“Hopefully, we can duplicate what Brad (Bradshaw) is doing at Bastrop,” Trimble said. “That’s our goal — to get everybody’s hearts and minds working together.
“I’m real proud of what coach Bradshaw has accomplished at Bastrop. That’s the kind of dream I was looking for and am still looking for. It’s the same vision wherever you go. Kids are kids. We’re trying to teach young men to be men.”
Richwood (0-2) features a trio of bonafide playmakers in quarterback Greg Johnson and wide receivers Richard Wilson and Cedric Goins. On the defensive side, end Rashad Givens earned Class 3A All-State accolades in 2007.
Bastrop (1-0) has three returning All-State players of its own in wide receiver turned quarterback Rueben Randle, defensive tackle Josh Downs and linebacker Tai (Speedy) Alford.
* Prairie View (0-4, 0-1) at Trinity Episcopal (4-0, 1-0), 7 p.m. — The Spartans seek to slow down a Trinity juggernaut, which has won its previous four games by an average margin of 29.5 points per game.
To do so, the Spartans must find a way to contain Saints’ running back/quarterback R.J. Fleming.
“They spread you out and try to get you isolated,” said Prairie View coach Mike Hinton. “They like to throw the ball deep. If they can’t get anything going in the passing game, they just put R.J. in the shotgun, go five wide and let him go where he wants to go.”
Prairie View has a prolific tailback of its own in Allen Spires, the MPSA’s 2007 rushing leader. Spires has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the Spartans’ first four games this season.
Among the Spartans’ other players to watch are wide receiver Robby Jones and linebacker Cody King.
