The leader of “The Movement” is moving up to the Division I collegiate ranks.
University of Illinois head football coach Lovie Smith has hired Trinity High coach Cory Patterson to join his staff as the tight ends coach.
Patterson, 37, leaves behind an emerging powerhouse program that features some of the best talent in the state of Missouri. In his three seasons as head coach, Patterson has guided the Titans to a 27-5 record, which included a berth in the 2016-17 Class 2 Show-Me Bowl.
Patterson’s successor figures to inherit a boatload of returning talent, which includes Class of 2019 standouts in quarterback Isaiah Williams, receiver Marcus Washington and linebacker Shammond Cooper. All three have scores of scholarship offers from many of the top collegiate programs around the country. They will also be competing in the Under Armour All-American game in 2019.
Illinois is one of those many schools to have offered scholarships to Trinity’s talented trio, as well as a number of other players on the Titans’ roster, including offensive linemen Ira Henry and Jalen St. John and running back Teriyon Cooper. With Patterson joining the Illinois staff, Smith is hoping that those relationships will help bring some of that talent to Champaign. Former Trinity offensive lineman Larry Boyd just completed his freshman season at Illinois.
As for the future of Trinity, it will embark on a national schedule during the 2018 season, which includes games with Colquitt County (Georgia), Cincinnati Elder (Ohio) and a date with East St. Louis, Illinois on September 1 at the Gateway Scholars Classic, a game that will most certainly fill Clyde C. Jordan Stadium in East St. Louis.
Several area football players commit
A number of talented football players from the St. Louis metro area have recently given verbal commitments.
- CBC defensive back Lonell Boyd, Jr. has committed to Missouri State University.
- Linebacker Donnell Sharp of Cardinal Ritter College Prep has committed to Quincy University.
- Running back Canaan Brooks of Lutheran North has committed to the University of South Dakota.
- Receiver Josh White of Fort Zumwalt West has committed to Lindenwood University.
- Running back Darries Rainey of Trinity has committed to Quincy University
- Linebacker David Young of Kirkwood has committed to Lindenwood-Belleville.
- Running back Perez Hall, Jr. of East St. Louis has committed to Wayne State University.
- Receiver Barrion Clemons of Ritenour has committed to Iowa Western Community College.
