Top 25 Early Contenders high school football team preview: No. 18 Trinity Christian Academy

Like the talent base, the playoff divisions in Florida run far and wide. From 1A to 8A, there are eight state championship games every year in the Florida High School Athletic Association.

So picking out a squad in the smallish 3A division as one of the top 25 teams nationally might seem a stretch.

Trinity Christian Academy, the No. 18 team in the MaxPreps Early Contenders series, definitely stretches all boundaries.

The Conquerors are befitting of their name, having won three straight 3A state titles by a combined score of 91-17. They've gone 38-3 in that span and the 2014 team saw 15 players sign college scholarships, 12 at the FBS level.

"It's not going to happen again in my lifetime," Trinity Christian Academy coach Verlon Dorminey told Florida Times-Union prep sports editor Justin Barney at the time of the signings. "We've got some great young talent, just not as many."

That great young talent has grown up and after a 14-0 season in 2015, Trinity Christian Academy is the overwhelming favorite to win a fourth-straight title.

See the Trinity Christian Academy Early Contenders photo shoot

But Barney thinks they could compete for titles at almost any level, noting a 42-14 win last year over West Orange, an 8A playoff semifinalist last year.

"Trinity may be in 3A, but I honestly and realistically think that it could win a state championship playing up two or three classifications," said Barney, in the Union-Tribune chain since 1998. "What makes them so special is their ability to get some of the best kids in the area in terms of talent. They've had a stream of transfers the last four years and putting some of these guys into a program that already has talent has been the perfect mix."

The Players
The perfect mix starts this season with top 100 recruits and wide receivers Shaun Wade (Ohio State commit) and D.J. Matthews (Florida State).

Wade (6-foot-3, 177 pounds) will be a lockdown cornerback in college and is the No. 13 senior recruit in the country according to the 247Sports Composite, while Matthews (5-11, 165), is ranked No. 60.

Neither had big offensive numbers last year because Dorminey has always been partial to refining the running game. Lately, with the backing of former Trinity, college and NFL players Gus Scott and Gerald Ross on staff, the Conquerors have gone to a more balanced attack.

They rushed for 229 yards per game and passed for 198 last year. Matthews led the team with 34 catches for 630 yards and seven touchdowns while Wade had 17-343-2. Those numbers could easily double with the addition of a transfer quarterback from Kentucky, Legend Brumbaugh. The 6-3, 205-pound senior recently received an offer from Texas A&M.

"He's legit," Barney said. "He'll afford them more options because he's an exceptional runner, something that teams have not had to account for with Trinity in probably 10 years — a passing and running quarterback."

With running back Rasheed Martin, who has seven offers including North Carolina and Cincinnati, Brumbaugh won't have to put the ball up much. Then again, they do also have another top receiver in Derrick Smith, who has 16 college offers, including Miami, Virginia Tech and Mississippi State.

The team's only question mark is on the line, which is a concern for Dorminey.

The defense should be stout, especially in the secondary with Wade, safety Chamarri Conner (6-1, 175) and cornerback Tyreke Johnson (6-2, 175). Linebackers T.J. Robinson (6-0, 210), Central Michigan commit Brian Roberts (6-1, 195) and Eriq Gilyard (6-0, 225) are all college-bound players.

The best of the bunch is Wade. He has 30 offers but seems locked into Ohio State. Barney thinks he might be better than current LSU defensive back Kevin Toliver II, another Trinity product.

"Wade is a stud," Barney said. "It's tough to gauge just how good he is at the high school level because teams don't go at him often and Trinity's secondary is stacked to the hilt.

"He'll be special in college."

The Keys
Florida has new transfer rules and kids can largely go from school to school and play right away. Trinity has gained a few, but lost three starters during the spring, so depth may be a concern.

Then again, it's very likely the Conquerors will gain some transfers after July 1.

No matter what, they'll see just where they stand Oct. 21 with a home game against No. 4 IMG Academy, a virtual high school all-star team. The development of Brumbaugh and both sides of the line will be vital if Trinity Christian can play with IMG.

If anyone can get Trinity Christian to play at that level it is Dorminey, who went 3-7 each of his first two seasons starting in 1991. Since then, he's gone 262-49, focusing not on wins and losses but character, something he had to develop at an early age.

See more videos of the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors

He lost his younger brother riding together in a bicycle accident as teens. Later in life, with a young family himself and making good money in the car business, he opted to take a big pay cut and coach.

He told Times-Union columnist Gene Frenette: "I felt I needed to be more of an impact in kids' lives. I wasn't doing that in the car business. ... I feel like we're doing a great job of directing young men. I know what we're doing is with the right heart behind it. ... This is not just about football."