Trent Clark has spent the past year making sure he would be ready when football season returned. Whether it was competing on the basketball court, excelling on the track or attending prospect camps, the Kingman standout has approached the offseason with one goal in mind — becoming a more complete player.
Now, after a productive summer, Clark is eager to see how that work translates on Friday nights.
“I am most excited about seeing new competition by playing different schools than in previous seasons and seeing our offseason work pay off,” Clark said.
Kingman will enter the season with fresh challenges on its schedule, and Clark believes the added competition will provide an opportunity for the Eagles to measure themselves against new opponents.
Clark stayed busy long after the football season ended. He transitioned into basketball before turning his attention to track and field, where he qualified for the KSHSAA Class 3A state meet in the 100-meter hurdles and earned a third-place finish in the 300 hurdles. He also sharpened his football skills by attending two prospect camps with Sharp Performance and another at Hutchinson Community College while continuing Kingman’s summer strength and conditioning program.
“After football season I played basketball and ran track,” Clark said. “I qualified for the KSHSAA 3A 100-meter hurdles and placed third in the 300 hurdles. I also attended two prospect camps with Sharp Performance and one with Hutch CC, and I’m currently doing our summer weights program plus team football camps.”
The three-sport athlete believes his success in track has translated directly to the football field, helping him become more explosive while continuing to build strength in the weight room.
“I want to continue getting stronger and faster,” Clark said. “Stronger for my role on defense and faster for my role on offense. I’ve been working on these goals by remaining active in the offseason with being a three-sport athlete, improving my track stats and doing our summer weights and conditioning program.”
Clark is coming off an impressive junior campaign in which he earned second-team Central Prairie League honors at receiver. He hauled in 21 receptions for 384 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 42.7 receiving yards per game. He also proved to be a dangerous return specialist with 819 kickoff return yards on 25 returns and added 105 punt return yards on seven attempts.
Defensively, Clark contributed 24 tackles, an interception, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup, showcasing his versatility on both sides of the ball.
This season, Clark hopes to expand his role even further. Along with increasing his production as a receiver, he wants to become a bigger weapon in the kicking game.
“I want to increase my field goal range by five to 10 yards and increase my average receiving yards with speed and route running,” Clark said.
While Clark has set ambitious individual goals, his focus remains on helping Kingman return to postseason success.
“I want to see our team qualify for the playoffs and compete for a state championship for the first time in a few years,” Clark said. “I want our team to improve week after week and leave it all on the field.”
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