Trojans prepare for football season

Posted August 10, 2009 at 11:21 am and filed under GMHS, Sports.

By Chris Edwards
Citizen Journalist

The Trojans kicked off the 2009 football season Saturday, Aug. 1 at Garner Magnet High School, with more than 100 students trying out for either JV or varsity.

Watch an audio slideshow of the Trojan football tryouts

Head Coach Nelson Smith said he had 36 freshmen, 35 sophomores, 26 juniors and 21 seniors who were on hand for tryouts.

Garner High School Head Coach Nelson Smith talks to prospective football players during tryouts Saturday, Aug. 1. BARRY MOORE, GCNT

Garner High School Head Coach Nelson Smith talks to prospective football players during tryouts Saturday, Aug. 1. BARRY MOORE, GCNT

The Trojans will play yet another competitive 2009 schedule as they face seven teams that went to the playoffs last year. The nonconference portion of Garner’s schedule will be Millbrook, Broughton, Middle Creek and Riverside. Three out of the four are teams Garner has faced in the previous couple of years, with the only exception being Broughton, which took Wakefield’s place on the Trojans schedule.

The season will begin Friday, Aug. 21 when the Trojans travel to Millbrook High School to take on the Wildcats in a 7 p.m. kickoff. The game between the two schools will be just another chapter in the storied rivalry the two schools have. The last meeting between the two was last season in the state playoffs, a game which the Trojans won at home in double overtime 33-30.

Garner will then travel to Broughton High School the next week before opening the home portion of their schedule Friday, Sept. 4 when Garner hosts Middle Creek out of the Tri-9 Conference. Other key home games for the Trojans this year will be against West Johnston Sept. 18, Knightdale (homecoming) Oct. 2 and Southeast Raleigh Oct. 23.

Southeast Raleigh is coming off a 11-3 season in 2008 and are the favorites to repeat as conference champions again. The Bulldogs return with a bevy of talent, including Kendall Moore who will play both sides of the ball. The 6-feet-3-inches, 220-lb. senior has already committed to Notre Dame for next fall.

Southeast Raleigh also returns their starting quarterback in Gabe Henderson who has passed for more than 2,000 yards last season and verbally committed to Kent State.

While many are predicting the Bulldogs will win, the Trojans know how to win and have experienced success for many years. Garner has what most schools do not: a great head coach and a staff who make it all work.

The Greater Neuse River Conference will be shaken up this fall with a realignment taking place. Former Greater Neuse River Conference member, Holly Springs will leave the conference and join the Tri-9, while former Cape Fear Valley 3A Conference school Harnett Central, will join the Greater Neuse.

Though new to the conference, Harnett Central probably won‘t be pushed around. Harnett Central went 11-0 in the regular season and went to the second round of the 3A playoffs in 2008. Harnett Central also returns its starting quarterback Brian Taylor, who passed for more than 1,000 yards last year. Harnett Central could be a challenge for one of the top spots in the conference.

The 2009 fall season looks like it will be a competitive season for the Trojans. For fans who are unable to travel with the Trojans, they can listen to every football game each Friday night at garnertrojans.com

In the coming issues, The Garner Citizen will continue to preview the upcoming season, looking at a few of the returning players to this year’s team and providing an in-depth breakdown of the Greater Neuse River Conference.

See the 2009 football schedule at the Trojan Club’s Web site

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