Mark Scott regaled a memorable play this fall in a game versus Don Bosco where one of his Trojan football players tracked down a ball carrier, forced the turnover and then proceeded to make another tackle as the opposition fell on the pigskin to retain possession.
That desire to never back down – regardless of the circumstance – perhaps best personified the kind of season it was for the Turkey Valley football squad.
In 2024, the ball didn’t exactly bounce the Trojans’ way, but that didn’t stop coach Scott’s playmakers from having an impact – win or lose.
That player Scott was referring to was sophomore two-way starter Jordan Kriener – who was recently selected to his second all-district squad in as many years on the varsity level.
Watch out for Kriener and the rest of his teammates, because if TV can avoid the injury bug – the year 2025 could definitely be a landmark season for the Trojans, who sported no seniors on their roster this fall.
TV was awarded with five spots on the 8-Man, All-District 3 squad – one on the first team, three on the second squad and an honorable-mention pick as well.
TV managed one first team selection in junior J.D. Kruse, who was a second team selection last year.
Kruse lit up the scoreboard this fall with eight receiving touchdowns to go along with three interceptions on defense. The wideout also brought back three touchdowns on special teams – two in the punt return game and one via a kickoff.
“He can play multiple positions, obviously, and in 8-Man that’s crucial – especially when you have injuries like we did this year and have to move people around,” said Scott.
Kruse hauled in 23 passes for 474 yards and that stat line was accentuated by an impressive 20.6 yards-per-catch average. Kruse registered 976 all-purpose yards.
Kruse was also the real deal in the secondary at what Scott refers to as an “invert” defensive position, similar to a strong safety. Kruse was one of the district’s best enforcers on the defensive side of the ball with a team-leading 61.5 tackles. Forty-seven of those tackles were of the solo variety, which was third best in his district.
“He plays hard, and he works hard in practice and he works hard in the weight room,” said Scott. “He does all the things you want him to do.”
Cracking the second team for TV was Kriener, sophomore Kaden Schmidt and junior Logan Busta.
Busta was a repeat selection on the all-district team as he made the second team list a year ago.
Busta – Scott’s second year starting quarterback and solid cornerback in the secondary – produced many highlights this year for the Trojan faithful.
He passed for 677 yards to go along with eight touchdowns versus four interceptions. It was his ability to improvise out of the pocket that made him doubly dangerous for defenses to stop. Busta rushed for 484 yards and scored seven times on the ground.
“He’s actually dangerous when he takes off running,” said Scott. “He does a good job of getting yards when he does take off.”
Busta tallied 22 tackles and picked off one pass this season.
“He’s still young, too. He’s growing,” said Scott. “He’s got a couple years underneath his belt now.”
One star for TV that definitely showcased his talent was Schmidt. In his first year in a starting varsity role, he led the Trojans in rushing with 611 yards. He averaged a stellar 8.5 yards per crack and found the end zone 11 times. He also caught six balls for 96 yards.
“He sees the field well and he does a good job of seeing his blockers and cutting behind them – using the guys in front of him that are doing their jobs,” said Scott.
Schmidt recorded 34.5 tackles (24 solo) at his linebacker position.
“I think he’s starting to realize that he needs to do some of the things that we need him to do to get better – to be as good as he possibly could be,” said Scott.
For Kriener – who played alongside his twin brother Mitchell for much of the season prior to the latter Kriener getting hurt – was a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball. Kriener was a starting guard on the offensive line and played defensive end, as well as linebacker.
Kriener came up with 57.5 tackles, 40 of them solo.
In the Bosco game, which the No. 4 Dons won handily, 62-0, Kriener exemplified what he’s all about. Scott explained some more about Kriener’s engine that rarely shuts down or takes a break from grinding its way out on the gridiron.
“He made a play in the Bosco game. He ran the kid down, punched the ball out and caused a fumble. One of their kids picked it up and he got up and tackled that kid, too,” said Scott. “That’s the kind of hustle he has. He’s an effort guy. He’s not faster than a lot of guys, but he doesn’t quit. He keeps coming and keeps coming.”
Hunter Kruse, a junior starting center and nose guard, made it back-to-back honorable mention selections for the Trojans. He cracked the squad last year as a sophomore and racked up 34.5 tackles (20 solo). His three tackles for loss led the Trojans.
“He’s a hard worker, too. He’s very intelligent, which is a big thing,” said Scott, who wrapped up his 22nd season as TV head coach. “A lot of years he probably would have been first or second team, but we played some pretty good teams this year in our district.”
Also receiving academic all-district were Jordan Kriener, Mitchell Kriener, Hunter Kruse, Tucker Tlusty, Cale Langreck and Traejin Keel.
Submit A Comment
Fill out the form to submit a comment. All comments require approval by our staff before it is displayed on the website.