Sep 20, 2024
PRINCETON JCT. — Crayton Laws sure is glad Keyshawn Warthen is on his team. That’s because tackling the Trenton High football team’s senior quarterback is proving to be nearly impossible. Warthen went off for 332 total yards, ran for five touchdowns — three of them from over 50 yards out — and the Tornadoes blanked West Windsor-Plainsboro, 40-0, on Friday night for their third straight win and first shutout in four years. “Keyshawn is having an amazing year,” said Laws, a senior two-way lineman. “I’m enjoying myself blocking for him. Since freshmen year, this has been our dream.” The Tornadoes (3-1) haven’t finished over .500 in a full season since going 6-4 in 2017 — they were 3-2 in the Covid-abbreviated 2020 year — but are starting to get on a roll thanks to Warthen and a defense that has allowed just 21 points over the last three weeks. Trenton shut out an opponent for the first time since a 16-0 victory over Hopewell Valley on Nov. 7, 2020. The defense held West Windsor (0-4) to 126 total yards of offense and forced two turnovers before both teams subbed in backups for the fourth quarter. The front four dominated the line of scrimmage and linebackers Mario Stewart and Edward Hill filled in the gaps to blow up the various jet sweeps and mis-direction plays the United squad tried. “They are becoming more comfortable, the newer guys are stepping up and they are learning as they go,” coach Chris Franco said. “Our defense was good at the beginning and keeps getting better every week. That’ what we keep asking of them. Warthen, who was the star in last week’s overtime victory against Hamilton West, was unstoppable on Friday night. He either weaved his way through would-be tacklers or simply ran past them on his way to touchdown runs of 55, 57 and 51 yards. He also had much simpler scoring bursts of 15 yards and one yard. Add in his fumble recovery in the first quarter that set up a Jonel Lince 18-yard touchdown sprint on the very next play and an acrobatic interception in the third and you are starting to run out of superlatives for the superstar Tornado. “When the ball is in his hands,” Franco said, “he has a chance to go every time.” Trenton has already matched its win total from last season following a winless 0-10 campaign the year before that. “We have a lot of young guys who are ready to work,” Warthen said. “They are listening to us and doing well.” There’s still plenty of work to be done. The Tornadoes were outside the playoff picture in the first UPR  that came out this week (23rd in South Group V), but every remaining game on the schedule is one they can win. The more they win, the more they believe. “Our morale has been up, we’re enjoying ourselves on the field, playing amazing, playing hard,” Laws said. “It’s just great.” Trenton (3-1) 13 13 14 0 — 40 WW-P (0-4) 0 0 0 0 — 0 TCHS- Warthen 55 run (kick blocked) TCHS- Lince 18 run (Godoy kick) TCHS- Warthen 15 run (kick no good) TCHS- Warthen 57 run (Godoy kick) TCHS- Warthen 1 run (Godoy kick) TCHS- Warthen 51 run (Godoy kick)
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