Wars were once fought in the trenches... they were the first line of defense long before technology became the tool of warring factions. The trenches in football is the first line of defense... or offense. Any coach will tell you the importance of winning the battle in the trenches.
There is no hole for the running back to bust a run nor is there a pocket for the QB to sit back and find his mark. Games are won and lost in the trenches while the skill players make the headlines and highlights.
Spring brings 7 on 7's and showcase events but this past Saturday the Touchdown Club of Richmond put on the second edition of the Trench Wars at JR Tucker. A competition that highlights those fighting in the trenches. A quarter of the teams in the Central Region came out Saturday afternoon to flex their muscle and boy did they.
One highlight was former Atlee Raider and Hog Academy founder Alec Eberle in a pickup with the truck in neutral while one lineman from each team pushed it 30 yards. With coaches, teammates and those who showed up to watch cheering them on, they put on quite a show. A couple of lineman literally coming out of their shoes and not missing a beat continuing to push the truck even in their socks.
Who won that challenge? The victor might surprise you, it was the Deep Run Wildcats with the best time followed by Highland Springs & Mechanicsville.
In between the truck pull and the tug-of-war that capped off the event there were several more challenges.
Prowler Relay- A timed event that saw the player pulling a sled forward 20 yards with a rope and then the player pushing the sled back to the start line. This continued through each player with the best time winning the event which in this case was Mechanicsville.
Bench Press- Three players from each team were given the chance to bench press either 225 lbs. or 185 lbs. as many times as they can before they fail. This was a challenge that many embraced and were hung to jump on. Midlothian set the bar high from the start with 18 reps at 225 lbs. That feat was accomplished by the 2025 center Brady Alexander. Later, Highland Springs Demari Lassiter accepted the challenge and came close to matching if not topping but he came up one short at 17. Midlothian #1 was the victor in this one.
5-Man Sled Push- Title says it all... 5 linemen drove the sled for a collective team time. The victor in this event was Mechanicsville.
Tire Flip- Every player flipped a tire 15 yards to a waiting teammate who flipped it back 15 yards in a relay format. The victor in this one was Midlothian #2
Cone Relay- A timed relay that saw each player do an agility drill placing tennis balls on the cone with the next running removing the ball the returning them to a buck. The victor in this one was Atlee.
Spud Relay- Each player carried a blocking dummy 20 yards transferring to the next teammate straight down the field for 100 yards in total. The last runner after crossing the finish line would turn around and repeat for a total distance of 200 yards, 40 years per runner. If the player dropped the dummy, they would have to go back and start at their 20. Deep Run came away with the win in this challenge.
2-Man Sled Relay- Each school was represented by 3 groups of 2 players. The two players would drive a blocking sled 15 yards total around 2 cones and drive it through the gates before passing off to a pair of teammates who repeated. The victor of this challenge was Midlothian #1.
The night concluded with the tug-of-war which was double elimination with Atlee topping Mechanicsville in the final.
Atlee might have won the Tug-of-War but it was Mechanicsville who won the Trench Wars making it back-to-back.
A new event on the football landscape, the event brought out the competition between the teams for sure. From the challenge to top one another to a little trash talking amongst some teams, it was a hit that is sure to grow not just in number of teams participating but in challenges for linemen to test their might.
