The Trimble High School football team learned Thursday that its 2011 campaign will end with at least three losses, regardless of how it does next week against Federal Hocking.
On Sept. 16, the Tomcats (6-3) did not make the trip to Coal Grove for their fourth game of the season because of a meningitis outbreak in their opponent’s locker room.
Trimble could have faced the Hornets Sept. 26 but turned down the proposition, which would have sandwiched the Coal Grove (6-3) game between games with Tri-Valley Conference foes Miller and Waterford.
“Really, you’re talking three games in eight days is what they were talking about playing,” coach Phil Faires said.
At the time, Faires backed superintendent Kimberly Jones’ decision not to play the game. Regardless of the forfeit, Faires’ stance has not changed.
“We obviously thought that we had reason for not going,” Faires said. “(Jones) wouldn’t take a shot in the dark. We obviously thought we were in the right. No matter how it goes, everyone here thinks we made the right decision anyhow with the information we had.”
Because the Tomcats were not willing to accommodate the schedule change, they will have to live with an extra tally in the loss column unless they can gain traction in the appeal process, which Jones likely will initiate early this week, Faires said.
The Tomcats and Hornets do not have much of a recent history, as the teams’ meeting last season was the first in more than 10 years. Coal Grove was victorious by a 37-point spread.
“I’d say that (Coal Grove) would have had to be the favorite,” Faires said. “The teams they have had trouble with are bigger schools, and we’re a smaller school, so I think they think that they were going to run over us.”
But this season’s matchup was scheduled after Coal Grove’s first two losses of the season — the point in the year when the Tomcats were starting to pick up steam.
Issue aside, Faires still believes that the Tomcats have a realistic playoff shot.
“If the forfeit stands, I still think we have a pretty good chance of making the playoffs,” he said. “If things work out the way they should, with the teams winning that should win, I would say that we’d be in at seven or eight (in the regional rankings). It might make a difference of one or two spots, which you never know who you play, so it might be better.”
The Tomcats’ game against Federal Hocking is now a must-win. The Lancers improved their record to 4-5 last week with a 20-19 win against Eastern, a team that Trimble blanked 49-0 earlier this season.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
