A Jenks (Okla.) football season that began with coach Allan Trimble announcing on April 12 that he would be stepping down to battle ALS can end Friday night with an Oklahoma Class 6A state title.
Arkansas offensive line pledge Brady Latham (6-5, 290) will lead Jenks (11-1) into battle against unbeaten Broken Arrow (12-0) Friday night at 7:05 p.m. at Tulsa’s H.W. Chapman Stadium.
It will be a rematch of Broken Arrow’s 28-13 win earlier this season and the first time the two have met with a state title on the line since 2015 when Jenks won 35-14 to claim its fourth straight state title.
“It is something that I have always dreamed about,” Latham said. “Growing up in Jenks, everybody that plays football wants to make it to the state championship, and that is a realistic goal. It is all I have dreamed about since mighty mite football, and it is hard to believe that it is here.”
Jenks got into the title game in dramatic fashion by completing a 73-yard pass to archrival Union’s 2 with seven seconds left and then scoring on a one-yard run with no time left to win 27-24.
“That’s easily the most exciting game I have ever played in, especially with everything on the line on the last play,” Latham said.
Jenks will be trying to win another one for Trimble, whose program won 13 state championships and was 242-41 overall in his 22-year career at the school.
Trimble, 54, has been able to get out to some practice and games but turned the reins of the team over to defensive coordinator Keith Riggs on June 30.
Latham has much admiration for his former and new head coach.
“We all like Coach Riggs a lot and were really happy when he got the job,” Latham said. “He has done a really good job. He has taken a lot of the good stuff from Coach Trimble and has also added his own flair. We like him and all the new coaches, and it is a lot of fun.
“We see Coach Trimble a lot when he comes out to practice or we will see him at games,” Latham said. “It is always really good to see him. He is a strong guy that I look up to, and he is a real inspiration for me and a lot of the guys on the team.”
Broken Arrow jumped out to a 21-7 halftime over Jenks when the two teams met in Broken Arrow on Sept. 20.
“Broken Arrow is a really good team that had a lot of really great athletes,” Latham said. “The first game we had some really, really good moments and some not so good moments. I think for this next game we have to keep those good moments, build on them, keep that momentum going, bring it to them and just have fun.”
Latham, whose dad Bob was the starting center for Oklahoma in 1988, believes he has developed as the season has gone on.
“I think this year has been good for me personally,” Latham said. “I have got to face a lot of really talented guys, and I think that has made me really work hard and get better. I have quicker hands, quick feet, and it has made me made know that I really can’t just rely on my size, especially when I am going against really athletic guys.”
Arkansas offensive line coach Dustin Fry is scheduled to be at the Jenks-Broken Arrow game to see Latham and the Broken Arrow 2020 duo of offensive lineman Andrew Raym (6-5, 305) and cornerback Myles Slusher (6-0, 181).
“I am really excited about him coming to our game on Friday night,” Latham said. “It is going to be awesome. I talk to Coach Fry a lot and all the Arkansas coaches, and it is awesome.
“It is a really, really awesome opportunity to play for him and Arkansas, and I can’t wait for signing day (Dec. 19) and to get up to Arkansas.”
Arkansas struggled to a 2-10 record this under new coach Chad Morris but has a 2019 recruiting class of 24 commits that is ranked 11th nationally by Rivals and 16th by both ESPN and 24/7.
“I know that me and the other recruits all believe in Coach Morris and his staff,” Latham said. “We really believe what they told us and that we are going to help them get it turned around.”