Tigers draw tough test in playoffs’ first round
Trinity is undefeated.
It won its conference title. And it broke a 10-year playoff drought.
The Tigers’ reward for all of that? A first-round NCAA Division III playoff game against No. 2 Mary Hardin-baylor .
The playoff matchup between Trinity (9-0) and Mary Hardinbaylor (10-0) kicks off at noon Saturday at Crusader Stadium in Belton.
“We set this as a goal to win conference,” Trinity coach Jerheme Urban said. “We wanted to make sure that we respected all of our opponents and took one game at a time throughout the year, and being undefeated is a very, very difficult thing to do at any level.
“So, I was very proud of our guys not only winning conference, but remaining focused in their preparation to perform week in and week out.”
Still, Mary Hardin-baylor figures to have some advantages coming into the playoff game. First, it will be playing in front of its home crowd, and second, it is much more experienced when it comes to playing in the postseason.
Since starting the football program at Mary Hardin-baylor 24 years ago, coach Pete Fredenburg has guided the Cru to 17 playoff appearances, including eight trips to the semifinals and four to the Division III championship game, which Mary Hardin-baylor won in 2018 and 2016 (vacated due to rules violations).
In comparison, none of the Tigers’ players have even played in a college postseason game.
But Trinity, ranked 14th in the
American Football Coaches Association poll, has some momentum on its side coming into the playoff contest. The Tigers wrapped up the Southern Athletic Association title by blowing out Rhodes College, 55-21, last Saturday at Trinity Stadium.
“We are very confident in our leaders,” Urban added. “We’re very confident in the fact that we played in multiple big games this year that helped harden us mentally for a 60-minute battle. I
know we’re going to go out and play our best football.”
The Cru crushed Mcmurry, 77-3, in Abilene last Saturday to clinch the American Southwest Conference title, their 17th conference title.
Junior linebacker Caleb Harmel said he is excited about the opportunity to play against Mary Hardin-baylor.
“Mary Hardin-baylor is one of the top teams in Division III,” Harmel said. “They’ve been that
for a while, and it’s going to be a good test. I’m really excited to see where we rank up against them, how we stack up against them.”
Trinity is averaging just over 47 points and 456 yards per game, ranking 23rd in total offense in Division III. Leading the offense is junior quarterback Tucker Horn, who has thrown for 2,283 yards and 33 touchdowns while completing 71 percent of his throws. He’s tied for fifth in the nation in touchdown passes.
Complementing Horn is a staple of talented receivers, including Austin Bertness (421 yards, eight touchdowns), Ryan Merrifield (419 yards, seven touchdowns) and Chris Stewart (314 yards, seven touchdowns).
Stewart is also a threat on special teams, ranking fifth nationally in punt returns and tied for third in punt returns for touchdowns (two).
Defensively, Trinity ranks second in total defense and is tied for ninth in scoring defense in Division III, holding opponents to an average of just under 11 points and 187 yards per game. Harmel is the team leader in total tackles with 54, followed by fellow linebacker James Ogunrin with 46. Anchoring the interior of the Tigers’ defensive line are senior linemen Campbell Miller and Matthew Willis.
Urban said Mary Hardin-baylor is a team that has great size, speed and talent on both offense and defense. The standout on the Cru’s defense is All-american safety Jefferson Fritz. Offensively, receivers K.J. Miller and Brandon Jordan have paced Mary Hardin-baylor by combing for 1,155 receiving yards and 17 scores.
Over the last 20 years, the Cru advanced to the second round 18 times. Only twice have they lost in the first round — in 2001 and 2002 to Trinity.
“We just can’t back down from the challenge,” Horn said. “We know they’re a great team, but we have to have some confidence about ourselves to get the job done. As long as we focus on our technique and what our coaches are laying out for us, we will give ourselves an opportunity to be in the football game.”