By Justin Feil, Packet Media Group
Ed Trimpert and the Hillsborough High School football team enjoyed a special season last fall.
The senior quarterback and his senior teammates went out with a fitting ending as they helped to pace the Devil Dogs to a 44-24 win over the Leathernecks in the third annual Basilone Bowl.
“Obviously winning is always fun,” Trimpert said. “I’m very competitive. I tried to take the edge off a bit and enjoy it. Being out there with all my friends, guys like Jared (Senerchia) and (Andrew) Patrizio, it was great to go out and spend one last time with them on the field.”
Trimpert connected with Bridgewater-Raritan’s Jon Capra for a 4-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. It provided the winning points for the Devil Dogs, and it helped Trimpert secure the Most Valuable Player honors.
“It’s awesome to be named MVP of a game like that,” Trimpert said. “I thought a lot of our guys played well. I think other people might have played better than me, but I’m not going to deny the MVP award.”
Trimpert also connected on a 22-yard field goal and provided the extra points for the Devil Dogs in addition to playing quarterback. The kicks were likely his last as he is heading to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to play quarterback.
“I’ll be going to college with Matt Pellicane, who’s been playing with me the last four years,” Trimpert said. “It won’t be too difficult. I’ll miss playing with my boys. I’ve been playing with Scot (Levonaitis) since first grade. To not be throwing to him is tragic. I know everything I throw he’s going to catch.”
The Basilone Bowl gave him a chance to work with some new receivers. The all-star game brings together the top players from Somerset County to celebrate the contributions of and honor Gunnery Sgt. John Basilone, a Raritan native who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroism and actions during the Battle of the Guadalcanal in World War II. The Somerset County Football Coaches Association has worked with the Marine Corps Recruiting Station of New Jersey in each of the last three years to produce the event. Proceeds benefit the Basilone Memorial Foundation and the Fisher House Foundation, while the players get one more chance to suit up following the end of their high school career.
“It definitely felt good to put the pads on,” Trimpert said. “It was good to run. I got hit and got to hit some people. It didn’t feel out of place for me. I was ready to go.”
Trimpert had plenty of support on the field. The Raiders sent Senerchia, Brandon VanDoren, Levonaitis, Patrizio, Mike D’Alfonso, Kyle Bergen, Pellicane, John Mcdonald, Victor Del Rio and Isaac Reaves.
“It was fun,” Timpert said. “I didn’t take it too seriously. I was just trying to enjoy the last high school game with my friends.”
The game brings together players from across the county. The teams have less than one week to get everything in place.
“Practice was a lot of fun,” Trimpert said. “It’s pretty cool. I made some friends with guys on other teams like Bound Brook and Bridgewater. (Dan) Lienbach from Bound Brook, we used to play with him. And the coaches from Bridgewater and Manville, they were pretty good guys. It was nice to have another coaching staff around.”
It gave Trimpert another look, something he is preparing to take on next year. He’s in the midst of planning his first year at RPI already.
“It’s definitely a lot different,” Trimpert said. “Until now, I never had a physical playbook. I’ve been told the plays and learn as you go. I think it’ll be easier to pick up on the plays. I have a diagram to refer back on. I don’t think I’ll have any trouble remembering the playbook.”
Trimpert can only hope that things will go as smoothly at RPI as they did for the Devil Dogs. The Devil Dogs snapped a 17-17 tie from halftime with two quick scores. After Trimpert’s touchdown pass was answered by a Leathernecks score, the Devil Dogs were able to re-establish a two-touchdown lead after a key kickoff return by Reaves past midfield. Being able to share the win together with Hillsborough teammates meant a lot, and having so many participate added to Trimpert’s enjoyment. He felt that Hillsborough deserved its large contingent.
“I’m very confident in my team,” he said. “I know my team is very good. I know the caliber of players in our county. We did a good job of playing teams in our county. I knew we were a special team and had players considered among the best in the county.”
They worked together to produce one final win. The skill position players draw the attention, but Trimpert was quick to point out the key was the play of the linemen.
“I definitely think our offensive line played a big part in that,” Trimpert said. “They did a good job of keeping people away from our quarterbacks. And they opened up holes. The Bridgewater coach had me running some. It’s a lot more fun to run when you have somewhere to go.”
Trimpert could count the number of times he ran this season at HHS on one hand. He found his number called more often in the all-star game.
“He told me early on in practice I was going to run the ball a little,” Trimpert said. “I was personally happy to show the people on my team I can run and not just throw.”
Trimpert was ready for whatever he was asked to do. He’s been working on his speed and agility this summer along with regular lifting and studying the RPI playbook. In it he sees the potential to show off some of the skills he used in the Basilone Bowl at RPI.
“They want me to run the triple option,” he said. “I don’t know well that’s going to go. I know if I know the plays and the reads, I’ll be effective. Maybe I’ll get five or six yards, not 50-60 yards. It was good to know I can gain some yards with running the ball.”
Trimpert and his Raider teammates represented their team well, and success followed them. Now, as they go their separate ways, they are hoping that success travels with them again. Trimpert reports for preseason in mid-August.
“I’m not too anxious, but I’m pretty excited,” Trimpert said. “I’m hoping it gets here faster than I expect.”
