HICO, W.Va. — In 2018, Midland Trail won twelve games and advanced to the Class A semifinals. After another playoff appearance last fall, head coach Frank Isaacs believes the 2020 edition of Patriot football could break new ground.
“I have seen enough to know we are going to be pretty special,” Isaacs said. “This might very well be the best football team Midland Trail has had. And that is saying something because a couple years ago, we had a pretty good football team.”
Several underclassmen were pressed into the lineup early in 2019, due to numerous injuries to starters. Isaacs hopes that experience and an offseason to grow make a difference.
“Those kids were forced to step into positions that they probably weren’t mentally ready, but they were definitely not physically ready. You have some kids right now that are physically ready. You can look and we have a couple kids that have gained forty pounds in the offseason.”
Senior Christopher Vines is back for his second season as the Trail starting quarterback. He will be joined in the backfield by a group that features many different types of ball carriers.
“We’ve got a lot of speed. Even in the past, we had one or two kids that could run. We had some big bruisers. We have some bruisers and we have some really fast kids right now. They may not be the biggest, but man they can fly. Aden Isaacs is a kid that has gained forty pounds in the offseason. Aaron Sisler is going to play at multiple positions. Then we have the little scat back Robbie Ruffner.
Up front, an experienced line will be anchored by senior Cy Persinger.
“Cy has started for three years. He is going to be a leader. He has put in the work too. He is a lot stronger than last year. It is the one thing he knew, he identified he was going to develop.”
Elevated expectations for the Patriots will be matched by an upgraded schedule. Seven of their ten opponents posted winning records last season.
“Greenbrier West, Tolsia, Buffalo, then you add James Monroe who is in the mix in single-A now. And we still have the mainstay in Nicholas County, that is a double-A. Those are schools that are going to be pretty good.
“I know for a fact that they are talented. But when they have heart and they are fighting for each other, that’s when you know you have something to work with and you can have a really, really good year.”