J.
Suter Kegg's - Tapping the Keg
Cumberland
Evening Times - November 25, 1975
DON'T
LET THOSE 32 touchdowns and 200 points for
the season fool you. Steven Garfield Trimble is not
perfect. He can make mistakes. Being human, he is capable
of fumbling. Matter of fact, he did fumble once this
year. But only once - and that is astounding when considered
he carried the ball from scrimmage an even 300 times
during Fort Hill High School's 12-0 season.
That
fumble came in the fourth quarter of the state semi-finals
two Saturdays ago against Northwood and it upset the
Sentinel sprinter. "We were driving on Northwood
and when I was going through a hole in the line someone
yanked my arm and the ball popped loose." explained
the young speed demon who rewrote the Cumberrland record
book this year.
But
Trimble didn't have too much time to think about the
miscue. He was too busy concentrating on his defensive
duties in the secondary. Besides, he'll be remembered
better for what he did later in that game - scoring
the winning touchdown in the second overtime stanza.
And
that's another thing! Trimble, defending state hurdle
champion, has the ability to score from any spot on
the field but of his 32 touchdowns, the one that gave
him his greatest thrill came from only a foot away.
That was what the Sentinels needed to get the ball across
the goal on fourth down to send them into the state
finals last Saturday against Frederick Douglass.
Big
Lyle Peck, a virtual beacon all season long for Trimble,
led the way. His six-foot-four, 210-pound frame cleared
the path and Steve shot through the opening for the
sudden-death TD.
Peck,
who refers to the 5-11, 180-pound Trimble as "My
main man," enjoyed his role as blocking back even
though the glory went to Trimble. "It really didn't
make any difference to me," says Peck. "I
know Steve is a better runner than I am and I think
I got more satisfaction out of the coach (Charley Lattimer)
telling me I made a good block."
In
discussing the big overtime TD against Northwood, Peck
said he got orders from the bench to "Get number
9!" That happened to be the outside linebacker.
Peck got him with no trouble, plus a Northwood lineman
for good measure, and Trimble, as Lyle puts it, "slipped
through sideways. I was on the ground when he went in
and all I could think about then was that we won. I
got up and gave Steve a big bear hug."
Trimble,
a phlegmatic performer in a sport known for its emotion,
merely smiles when Peck relates the details of Steve's
"greatest thrill." Trimble is shy, almost
to the point of being stone faced, but wears his honors
well. He is unselfish, softspoken and extremely well
mannered.
BREAKING
A CITY touchdown (23) record set 27 years ago
by Allegany's Earle (Lefty) Bruce doesn't seem to mean
much to Trimble. At least, not on the surface. But inside
of him, he admits, there is a warm feeling about it
all.
"The
record is fine but the state championship and the 12-0
season we had as a team mean more," confesses Steve.
Judging by the serious manner in which he expresses
the sentiments, you have to accept them.
"Ever
since I started to play football (he began his career
with the VFW Patriots of the Cumberland Area Youth League
as a fifth grader), I've wanted to be on a state championship
team." he says. "This is a dream come true
for me and even if I hadn't scored a point, I would
have been thrilled to be on a team that won all 12 of
its games."
Trimble's
poise under pressure has meant much in making him a
star. This, plus his God-given talents as a runner.
Ed Dawson, veteran assistant coach at Fort Hill, likes
to think of Steve as the O.J. Simpson of high school
football. "He runs like O.J., accelerates like
O.J., breaks the big play when you need it and is cool
under fire," says Dawson.
Steve
denies that he has tried to copy Simpson's running style
although he admits that "O.J. is probably my favorite
player."
Trimble,
who appears to be a sure bet for All-State, confides
the honor would be nice, "but I haven't thought
much about it. Besides, a lot of guys on this team belong
on it."
In
the opinion of the "PT '75" duo (Peck and
Trimble), the team's esprit de corps played a major
role in Fort Hill's record-breaking success of 12-0.
"We're all friends and hang close together,"
notes Trimble. "We all believe in helping each
other."
The
turnabout of Trimble as a non-fumbler in 1975 has been
almost unbelievable. Last year, for instance, he was
benched on occasion by Lattimer for coughing up the
ball. "I really can't explain it," Steve said.
"I think I might have kept both hands on the ball
a little longer this year and I guess that means I was
concentrating more." It wasn't until he broke into
the open that he became a one-armed carrier.
It
will be some time before it is known whether or not
the PT combo will be broken up. Peck admits he would
like to continue his football career at the University
of Maryland next fall but Trimble isn't sure. Right
now, he prefers not going to a big school even though
Maryland, Penn State and West Virginia are among the
"football factories" that have eyes for him.
Regardless
of what schools they pick, each will probably wind up
in the same positions they played at Fort Hill. Peck,
who should become even bigger and stronger, appears
to have the ideal physique for a college fullback or
linebacker. The personable big guy just loves hitting
people on the football field.
But
Peck doesn't step out remembering only blocking and
tackling as his highlights at Fort Hill. He won't forget
that 92-yard run he made in the state championship game
last Saturday at Oxon Hill. That's probably the second-longest
run from scrimmage in the history of football at Fort
Hill and prior to that Penn Avenue High. The longest
was the 95-yarder by Mark Manges against Beall at Frostburg.
"I
liked that," smiled Peck. "Metz (Bruce) and
Bierman (Mark) threw good blocks to get me open. I felt
someone behind me at midfield (it was Eddie Bunting
who trailed by only three yards) and I thought I better
turn it on."
And
turn it on he did! He was 20 yards ahead of Bunting
when he crossed the goal. After putting the ball down,
Bunting came into the end zone and stuck out his hand.
"He said to me, 'Nice run,' and I told him, 'Thanks,
man!'"
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