Hillers determined to avoid repeat of 2013
Trinity High School Forrest Cullings hands off to running back Robert West during practice.
From left, Aaron Britton, Forrest Cullings and Robert West are expected to be key players for the Hillers this season.
Trinity players runs wind sprints at the end of a practice.
The 2013 season was a time of transition for Trinity as it did not return a player who gained 100 yards the year before, only had one returning lineman and was breaking in a new quarterback. The Hillers opened the season with a 46-0 loss to Elizabeth Forward and finished with a 1-8 overall record. Their average margin of defeat was almost 24 points.
The silver lining was the play of quarterback Forrest Cullings. A 6-3 dual-threat, Cullings kept Trinity’s offense alive when plays collapsed; often extending the play with his feet until he found an open receiver.
His highlight tape shows a presence in the pocket that did not reflect a lack of experience. Now a senior and with nine starts, Cullings is ready to lead the Hillers to their second playoff appearance under head coach Ryan Coyle.
“It feels great having a quarterback like that back there,” Coyle said. “He’s so cerebral that he doesn’t even really need me. He has all the intangibles necessary for success. He bailed us out of some tough situations last season.”
Studying the playbook with the same analytical framework he uses as a 4.5-grade-point-average student, Cullings feels much more comfortable commanding Trinity’s pro-style offense that will look to improve on last season, when it averaged less than 12 points per game.
“I got a lot of work with the offense against live defenses last year and that’s always a big help,” Cullings said. “Coming back, it’s easier and I can make reads a lot easier.”
Along with Cullings, Trinity returns senior running back Robert West (5-10, 201), who is a power back who often leads the Hillers’ I-formation. He scored one touchdown last year and will likely receive the bulk of the carries in 2014.
Seniors Nick Moretti and Zach Cain return with experience against some of Class AAA’s top defenses. While they lack top-end speed, the two are possession receivers that will be reliable options for Cullings, who is receiving interest from Ivy League schools.
“We’re very explosive up front and in the backfield,” Cullings said. “We have a lot of guys who got valuable experience last year and the year before. We’ll speed it up a lot this year.”
On the offensive line, Trinity lost senior Steven Iams, but does return two promising linemen who will help the Hillers compete in Class AAA’s Big Nine Conference. There are two sure things in the group. The leader is senior Aaron Britton, a 6-4, 230-pound tackle. The other is junior center Toby Cullings, Forrest’s brother.
Cullings is 6-0, 258 with a hulking frame and will double as the Hillers’ top defensive tackle. While Coyle likes the two building blocks, the other pieces have him concerned.
“We have some big linemen, but there are also some big linemen who need to be brought along,” Coyle said. “Size isn’t everything. Unfortunately, the question marks we have are those big linemen. Those are the two who make you feel good, but it’s not the majority. If it was the majority I would feel a lot better.”
On the other side of the ball, the strength of the Hillers’ defense is a seasoned secondary led by junior Sam Trapuzzano at safety. Trapuzzano will be commanding the defense with checks and play calls, while Moretti and Cain are lockdown corners.
West will be the starter at inside linebacker with a hard-nosed style of play and junior Josh Durig is an outside linebacker. Durig was one of Trinity’s biggest contributors during camp; making plays with such regularity that Coyle dubbed him, “the energizer bunny.”
No one has gotten a better look at the defense than Cullings, who has faced the group in drills throughout the summer.
“We have some ballhawks in the secondary and we have some linebackers who are very quick,” Cullings said. “They are explosive. They do very well and I think they’ll be able to hold off some offenses. It will make any quarterback better when you have guys with the same skill sets on the other side.”
Playing in a conference with perennial powers such as Thomas Jefferson, West Mifflin and Ringgold; Trinity certainly has its work cut out as it prepares for an opening matchup against Belle Vernon at home.
While question marks surround the Hillers’ roster, there is one certainty: Trinity’s players are determined to avoid a repeat of last season.
“This defense is getting after it all the time,” Britton said. “We aren’t going 1-8 this year. No way.”