In the grand scheme of things, the football season for Midland Trail last year was a good one.
Factor in a first year head coach along with a first year starting quarterback and six wins over a rugged schedule was clearly a successful campaign.
Unfortunately for Patriot fans, six wins were not quite good enough to punch a ticket to the postseason playoffs.
“I thought we did fairly well in all honesty, considering the level of competition that we play,” Midland Trail head coach Jeremy Moore said. “I don’t like moral victories, but every team that we lost to hosted a first round playoff game last year.
The four setbacks for Trail in 2022 came against Class AA foes Clay County and Nicholas County, along with Class A titans James Monroe and Greenbrier West.
The Mavericks finished No. 1 overall in Class A and won their way to Wheeling before dropping the championship game to Williamstown. The Cavaliers were No. 8 in Class A and lost to James Monroe in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.
“If we are going to get that playoff T-shirt here, we are going to earn it,” Moore said. “As long as I am here and I have a say-so in it, we are going to play good teams.”
Further complicating matters for the Patriots a season ago were issues across the offensive line which was hampered by inexperience and injuries.
“We just couldn’t develop a consistent running game. When you can’t do that, teams know that. They just sit on everything you do,” Moore said. “By the time the Clay game ended (to open the season), we had one junior, three freshman and a first year junior up front. It was frustrating, especially for me being an offensive line coach.”
The struggles in the run game forced more balls into the air and left starting quarterback Jaden Gladwell under heavy pressure from opposing defenses.
“I hate throwing the ball with a passion. Everybody here has made fun of me and I have had to eat a lot of crow about “Air Raid” and stuff like that,” Moore said, laughing. “It was just what I thought we had to do to win. I wasn’t bailing on the run game, but when you are averaging two yards per carry, you can’t do that three times and punt.”
Having now weathered those battles in the trenches, Moore is banking on an improved offensive line that will lead to more explosions out of the backfield.
“The goal is to be balanced. You look at James Monroe who could run it down your throat, but their passing game was legit,” Moore explained. “You had to honor that. Teams that consistently do that like Doddridge County, Williamstown and St. Mary’s, they are always up there (in the state rankings). They are run heavy, but their passing games are nothing to snarl your nose about. If we want to get where we need to be, we have to be like that.”
Improvements up front are only part of the adjustments from last year. Moore is also working to give his players a better overall understanding of the direction he, and his staff, are taking the team.
“I learned you can’t paint yourself into a corner with what you want to do,” Moore said. “You have to take the talent that you have and figure out a way to develop it. That is really what we have tried to do this year. I spent so much time last year trying to install a different system than what we had before, that I never really developed the kids into learning why we were doing certain things.”
“This summer we have really focused on explaining why we run this and why we throw that,” Moore went on to say. “That way they play a little faster and partially see the game through our eyes. If we can get 11 guys to see that and be on the same page, we will have something special.”
If the Patriots are to reach their goals this year, they will need to be firing on all cylinders because the schedule once again is no cake walk.
“The standard here is to make the playoffs and nothing less is acceptable,” Moore said. “We had opportunities to beat really good teams last year, but we just didn’t capitalize. I played for coach (Frank) Spangler at Fayetteville and he would play anybody, anywhere,” Moore said. “We played Moorefield during their (championship) run and I want to play good teams. If we are to build a program here that will stand the test of time, we have to do that. We are not going to shy away from anybody.”
The 2023 schedule will include the four teams that bested Trail last year and the Patriots will also make a trip up north to play Wheeling Central Catholic.
“We had a team drop us kind of late in the game,” Moore said. “I am on a group chat with coaches and (Wheeling Central head) coach (Mike) Young was looking for games. I told the administration that I want to play one really good team up north each year. I know it is a hike, but I want to play the perennial teams.”
Along with playing quality teams, Moore wants his players to get a feel for the possible travel that can come at playoff time.
“If we make the playoffs, we will be battle tested and ready,” Moore said. “If we can get in, we will make a run at it because with that schedule, there are no extra bye weeks or recovery weeks. We are not going to cower down to anybody. We are going to give teams our best shot and see where we fall.”
Midland Trail opens the season Aug. 25 on the road at Clay County before back-to-back home games against Tolsia and county rival Meadow Bridge the next two weeks.
