By Chad Hensley
NKyTribune sports reporter
Scott football players are hungry for more than what has been accomplished over the last four losing seasons and first-year head coach Dustin Trimnell found a way to fuel their appetite.
When Trimnell met with his players in the spring, he unveiled EAT, an acronym for Effort, Attitude and Toughness.
“EAT is really the foundation of everything we’re trying to build,” said Trimnell, who has previous assistant coaching experience at Dayton, Bellevue, and NewCath. “From the first day I met our team, I wanted them to understand that there are three things nobody can take away from you: your effort, your attitude and your toughness. Those are choices every player gets to make every single day, whether we’re in the weight room, at practice, in the classroom, or on Friday nights.”
The Eagles needed an attitude adjustment after compiling an 11-30 record over the last four seasons with only one playoff appearance. And Trimnell said the players “have really embraced” the EAT idea.
“The reason I believe in it so much is because those three things don’t require talent, they require commitment.” he said. “Every kid in our program can choose to give great effort, bring a positive attitude, and play with toughness. When you get an entire team making those choices every day, that’s when your culture starts to change.”
Scott has five returning starters on both sides of the ball from last year’s 3-7 team. The veterans include junior running back Lucas Tomlin and senior wide receiver Justin Hardy.
Tomlin led the Eagles with 441 yards rushing on 93 carries while scoring five touchdowns. Hardy was the team’s leading pass receiver with 40 catches for 539 yards and three touchdowns.
“Lucas and Justin are two guys we’re really excited about, but not just because of what they can do on Friday nights,” coach Trimnell said. “They’re the type of kids you want leading your football team. They show up, they work and they care about the guys around them. That’s what stands out to me the most.”
Finding a replacement for quarterback Trey Cook, who ranked third in the state with 251 passing yards per game last season, was one of the new coach’s main objectives during the offseason. The leading candidate for the job is Nash Overholser, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior.
“He’s put in a tremendous amount of work learning our offense, spending extra time studying, asking questions, and making sure he understands not only what we’re doing but why we’re doing it,” Trimnell said. “That’s helped him grow throughout the offseason, and I think it’s a big reason he’s put himself in the position he’s in today.”
As far as an offensive scheme goes, Trimnell wants to run multiple sets so their opponents have to defend the whole field.
The Eagles will need a capable offensive line to do that and the top players up front appear to be seniors Zach Bohling and Kylan Sturgeon, juniors Malachi Snapp, Wyatt Szito and Octavio Gomez and sophomore Nathan Cottengim.
“If the opponents want to load the box, we want to be able to throw it,” Trimnell said. “If they want to spread out, we want to be able to run it. More than anything, we want to put our kids in positions to be successful.”
On defense, Scott allowed 38.6 points and 325 yards per game last season. The Eagles expect to do better with their top three tacklers returning in outside linebacker Jonah Rector and defensive backs Colton Turner and Hardy. That trio made a combined total of 137 stops, including four quarterback sacks.
“Justin, Colton, and Jonah have all proven they can make plays, but what excites me most is the leadership they’ve shown since we’ve gotten here,” Trimnell said. “They’ve bought into what we’re trying to build and they’ve set a great example by the way they practice and compete every day. Those three guys play with a physical edge, and that’s something we want our entire defense to be known for.”
Should the Eagles carve out some wins in the first half of the season, Trimnell and his staff will make sure the EAT mentality is in full force for Class 5A district seeding games against Dixie Heights, Boone County, Cooper and Conner. Scott has gone 2-12 against district opponents over the last three years and not qualified for the playoffs.
“We know the expectations from the outside may not be high after the last few seasons, but inside our building we expect to compete every Friday night and earn everything that comes our way,” Trimnell said. “Our goal isn’t just to have a better season, it’s to change the trajectory of Scott football.”
SCOTT EAGLES
2025 SEASON: 3-7 record, did not qualify for Class 5A playoffs.
STARTERS RETURNING: 5 offense, 5 defense.
DISTRICT: Class 5A, District 5 with Dixie Heights, Boone County, Conner, Cooper.
HEAD COACH: Dustin Trimnell (first season as head coach).
2026 SCHEDULE
Aug. 21 – CAMPBELL COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Aug. 28 – at Bullitt Central, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 4 – CLAY COUNTY, 7:30 p.m
Sept. 11 – at Grant County, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 – at Bourbon County, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 25 – at Dixie Heights, 7 p.m.
Oct. 8 – BOONE COUNTY, 7 p.m.
Oct. 16 – at Cooper, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 23 – CONNER, 7 p.m.
Oct. 30 – HOLMES, 7 p.m.