NationalHSFootball.com – Dallas Jackson, NationalHSFootball.com
Euless (Texas) Trinity completed its out-of-district schedule by agreeing to play Elkton (Md.) Eastern Christian to open its 2014 season.
Sources close to the negotiations have told NationalHSFootball.com that the Texas 6A power will play the MIAA private school Week 1 — Friday, Aug. 29 — at Pennington Field in Texas.
The Haka has become a signature of the team.
Gray Muncy on Flickr.
Eastern Christian will be returning to Texas on Sept. 13 to play shared district foe, Coppell High.
Brian Hercules and his staff at Hercules Sports Management have been responsible for the Eastern Christian schedule to date and sources say that Hercules and HSM were behind the completion of this contract as well.
The game will match two well known teams.
Trinity has become a national power on the football field and was ranked as the No. 2 program in the HSFB100 Dynasty Rankings — which took into play on the field over the last six years.
Eastern Christian was made famous as Bear (Del.) Red Lion Christian when its then-seventh grade quarterback David Sills committed to USC. In last five years it has gone through some very public failures but has fought back to clean its reputation and fill its schedule.
Entering this year Trinity will again be part of the Preseason HSFB100. The program is generally subdued in boasting what it will be returning but with one of the largest varsity and junior varsity programs in the Metroplex area it will be well stocked.
The Trojans area a power-running attack that relies on its defense and physicality to win games and under head coach Steve Lineweaver has become one of the most successful teams in the nation at doing just that. Its highest ranked prospect will be offensive lineman, and Texas commit, Patrick Vahe. On the defensive line Eastern Christian will have to figure a way to account for defensive ends Tipa Galeai and Chris Daniels — who each have received lower level FBS scholarship offers entering the season.
Eastern Christian is a program that looks the part of a Preseason HSFB100 program with many talented players and coming off of a promising 9-3 season in 2013 it may crack the back end of the preseason evaluations. Its depth will be tested against Euless Trinity — and its other tough tests.
Honey Badger quarterback David Sills is still committed to USC. He is joined by defensive end Malachai Felder, running back Jahmee Ballard and offensive lineman Shamar Hardin as players who are locks for FBS-level programs.
Linebacker Dele Harding headlines the Class of 2016 and Stephan Zabie is drawing attention already for the Class of 2017.
Eastern Christian has been steadily increasing its out-of-state competition. This season it is contracted to play Jersey City (N.J.) St. Peter’s, Lakewood (Ohio) St. Edward, Baltimore (Md.) Calvert Hall, Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy, Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, Goose Creek (S.C.) High, Spartanburg (S.C.) High, Coppell, and Trinity. It is in talks to add one more major program.
Trinity had gone through several seasons of not playing a tough out-of-district schedule before it jumped into the mix with both feet. In the last five years it defeated Bentonville (Ark.) High, Tulsa (Okla.) Union, Springdale (Ark.) Shiloh Christian, South Jordan (Utah) Bingham but fell to Jenks (Okla.) High and Bellevue (Wash.) High.
With the increased competition within the district Trinity lessened the out-of-state load that the team took on this year but with Eastern and North Shore it does have two tough tests.
The Varsity Board: What do you think of Euless Trinity playing Eastern Christian?
