HEADLINE MAKERS

Twice as Nice

Football (and Basketball and Baseball) are Family

A three-sport varsity athlete, Carter Schuma doesn’t see any of it as work

Carter Schuma ’23 hadn’t put on a set of pads much less stepped on a football field since his freshman year. But after some convincing from head coach Sam Mickens, he decided to give it one last go. Schuma, now a Randolph-Macon College baseball commit, had all of the athletic and mental tangibles to be a great football player, but there was plenty of work to be done to get him in the right shape.

Following a full summer of baseball action, Schuma practiced with the Titans for the football team’s first official workout in August. The first game was in three weeks’ time and Schuma had yet to learn the playbook. By the third game of the season against Norfolk Academy, the senior tight end was ready.

“Coming back, he really had to make up ground and I think what really endeared the guys to him was that he put in a ton of work in a short amount of time,” Mickens said. “It allowed him to become one of the integral chess pieces of our offense.”

A football season ending in a state championship title didn’t leave Schuma with much time to rest as he quickly turned his attention to basketball where he contributed as a forward, relentlessly attacking the rim. Now as the weather heats up and the days get longer, Schuma’s focus has since shifted to baseball. In his junior campaign, Schuma hit to a tune of .262 with 3 HRs while striking out 36 batters in 30.0 innings pitched. This season, he expects more from himself and is a go-to leader in the baseball clubhouse.

In a time where sport-specialization- the idea of focusing on year-around training for one sport- has become the norm for many athletes, Schuma’s journey encapsulates what Trinity teaches: discover your path by jumping headfirst into something new. “I love the culture of being a part of teams,” Schuma said. “It becomes a family.”

Football ‘runs it back’ to the state title game and repeats

For the second time in Trinity’s history, the varsity football team repeated as state champions en route to their second consecutive title in the Division I ranks. On top of that, they achieved what no other team had done before them and took the prep league crown as they finished without a blemish on their 11-0 (5-0 Prep) record. In total, 22 athletes earned a record haul of honors at season’s end, including player of the year recipient Mario Thompson ’23.

High-water Mark

Boys soccer makes their mark during their state championship chase

Boys soccer burst onto the scene and made a run all the way to the state championship game across the river at City Stadium, home of the Richmond Kickers. Along the way, they won the Woodberry Invitational and defeated rival Collegiate twice, showing all in the Prep League that this team was there to compete. Senior Colin Flood ’23 finished the season tied for most points in the league with 56 (22 G, 12 A), averaging 1.75 points scored per contest. Flood was the leading goal-scorer in Prep League action with seven goals.

Head Ball Coach

Football coach Sam Mickens takes home high honors after a record-setting season

After leading the Titans to their first back-toback state titles since the 2014 and 2015 seasons and their first prep league title in school history, Sam Mickens was named All-Metro Coach of the Year. After his 15th year coaching the Titans, he is sending nine seniors to play at the next level which is the largest signing class since he’s been leading the program.