Tweet
2015-06-05 12:00:00 http://www.texasfootball.com/highsch...ws/view/181229
Euless Trinity readies for 2015 with new coach Chris Jensen.
By Christian Clark
TexasFootball.com Contributor
How do you fill the void when a legend leaves?
That is the question the Trinity football program, which lost longtime head coach Steve Lineweaver to retirement in December, faces heading into the 2015 season. In 15 seasons with the Trojans, Lineweaver captured three state championships (2005, ‘07 and ‘09), and led them to a fourth state championship appearance in 2010. He compiled a 175-29 overall record, and helped give Trinity its reputation as a smash-mouth running football team along the way.
So how will Trinity adapt in the post-Lineweaver era? So far it appears that the Trojans will try to keep things, well, relatively the same.
In February, the school elevated offensive coordinator Chris Jensen to head coach.
Jensen came to Trinity alongside Lineweaver in 2000, and the two had worked together for a total of 22 seasons in multiple schools districts before Lineweaver stepped down.
Jensen had a big hand in turning the Trojans’ offense into the power-running attack. As head coach, Jensen said that the Trojans will tweak their offense to include more passing, but won’t deviate from the power-I running formation that’s reaped them so much success in the last decade and a half.
“We’re not going to change much,” Jensen said. “We’re one of the rare teams that runs the tight end out there. It’s kind of crazy that that was the offense and the spread was kind of unique. Now it’s the other way around. The spread is kind of what’s working. People seem to think it’s working for them and the I is kind of unique.”
To replace Jensen as offensive coordinator, Trinity brought in Gerald Brixey, who was previously the OC at Lewisville. Brixey has a background with Katy, the Houston-area state power after whom Trinity mimicked its power running game beginning in 2001.
“It will be the same, but he does a lot more with so to speak,” Jensen said. “The base is the same, but he’s going to have his own personality to it. I can say that.”
The Trojans will count on a pair of seniors in tailback Ja’ron Wilson and quarterback Tyler Natee to lead them them offensively. Together, they make up two of the team’s three returning starters on that side of the ball.
Wilson, who’s started since he was a sophomore, led Trinity with 1,791 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground last season. He was also a receiving threat, finishing with 227 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Natee returns to call the signals. Last season was his first ever as a starting quarterback. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder previously played fullback prior to making the switch.
Defensively, Trinity returns just two starters — defensive lineman Chris Daniels and outside linebacker Justus Gregg.
Gregg, who led Trinity with 118 tackles last season, said that while he sees some differences between the more “intense” Lineweaver and a more “relaxed” Jensen, he and his teammates are squarely behind their new coach.
“Is he coach Lineweaver? No,” Gregg said. “But he is coach Jensen and I feel like everybody respects him and I feel like he’s going to do a good job this year.”
Jensen and his team will be tested right off the bat in 2015. Trinity’s non-district schedule, just as it was during Lineweaver’s tenure as head coach, is daunting with a nationally televised opener against California power De La Salle and games against Rockwall, Lancaster and North Shore.
Things will be different as the Trojans trudge through those first four games and into a challenging District 7-6A slate without Lineweaver. But at the same time, many things will remain the same.
“The kids, they’re going to miss coach Lineweaver,” Jensen said. “But they’re so excited about carrying on the tradition of playing some pretty good football.”
Euless Trinity readies for 2015 with new coach Chris Jensen.
By Christian Clark
TexasFootball.com Contributor
How do you fill the void when a legend leaves?
That is the question the Trinity football program, which lost longtime head coach Steve Lineweaver to retirement in December, faces heading into the 2015 season. In 15 seasons with the Trojans, Lineweaver captured three state championships (2005, ‘07 and ‘09), and led them to a fourth state championship appearance in 2010. He compiled a 175-29 overall record, and helped give Trinity its reputation as a smash-mouth running football team along the way.
So how will Trinity adapt in the post-Lineweaver era? So far it appears that the Trojans will try to keep things, well, relatively the same.
In February, the school elevated offensive coordinator Chris Jensen to head coach.
Jensen came to Trinity alongside Lineweaver in 2000, and the two had worked together for a total of 22 seasons in multiple schools districts before Lineweaver stepped down.
Jensen had a big hand in turning the Trojans’ offense into the power-running attack. As head coach, Jensen said that the Trojans will tweak their offense to include more passing, but won’t deviate from the power-I running formation that’s reaped them so much success in the last decade and a half.
“We’re not going to change much,” Jensen said. “We’re one of the rare teams that runs the tight end out there. It’s kind of crazy that that was the offense and the spread was kind of unique. Now it’s the other way around. The spread is kind of what’s working. People seem to think it’s working for them and the I is kind of unique.”
To replace Jensen as offensive coordinator, Trinity brought in Gerald Brixey, who was previously the OC at Lewisville. Brixey has a background with Katy, the Houston-area state power after whom Trinity mimicked its power running game beginning in 2001.
“It will be the same, but he does a lot more with so to speak,” Jensen said. “The base is the same, but he’s going to have his own personality to it. I can say that.”
The Trojans will count on a pair of seniors in tailback Ja’ron Wilson and quarterback Tyler Natee to lead them them offensively. Together, they make up two of the team’s three returning starters on that side of the ball.
Wilson, who’s started since he was a sophomore, led Trinity with 1,791 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground last season. He was also a receiving threat, finishing with 227 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
Natee returns to call the signals. Last season was his first ever as a starting quarterback. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder previously played fullback prior to making the switch.
Defensively, Trinity returns just two starters — defensive lineman Chris Daniels and outside linebacker Justus Gregg.
Gregg, who led Trinity with 118 tackles last season, said that while he sees some differences between the more “intense” Lineweaver and a more “relaxed” Jensen, he and his teammates are squarely behind their new coach.
“Is he coach Lineweaver? No,” Gregg said. “But he is coach Jensen and I feel like everybody respects him and I feel like he’s going to do a good job this year.”
Jensen and his team will be tested right off the bat in 2015. Trinity’s non-district schedule, just as it was during Lineweaver’s tenure as head coach, is daunting with a nationally televised opener against California power De La Salle and games against Rockwall, Lancaster and North Shore.
Things will be different as the Trojans trudge through those first four games and into a challenging District 7-6A slate without Lineweaver. But at the same time, many things will remain the same.
“The kids, they’re going to miss coach Lineweaver,” Jensen said. “But they’re so excited about carrying on the tradition of playing some pretty good football.”
Comment