HICO, W.Va. — Midland Trail has entered preseason training camp coming off the program’s most successful season since 2018. The Patriots went 10-2, and their tenth win was a Class AA first-round victory over Petersburg. The steady progression for Trail reached a high point in Jeremy Moore’s fourth season leading the squad.
“The success the team had and everything, it just went so smooth,” said Midland Trail senior WR/DB Brody Jones. “I just feel like it was the best year we could have had, other than the playoff loss.”
“It was great for the school, great for the kids and great for the community,” Moore said. “And mainly for the kids. Those kids had been through a lot of hardship and heartache around here. We’ve had a lot of bad things happen to that group and it solidified that group.”
A new challenge awaits the Patriots in 2026 after a senior class of 20 graduated in the offseason. New starters will be called upon at almost every position on the field.
“It is kind of bittersweet as a coach,” Moore said. “You obviously miss the kids from the year before. But you are excited for the new kids to have an opportunity to really showcase for themselves all their hard work. Midland Trail fans will have to get a copy of the roster because they won’t recognize anyone out there, per say, except for the parents.”
The Patriots made their way with a run-heavy offense last fall and new offensive linemen will look for similar success this year. Several running backs will be counted on to share the responsibilities in the backfield.
“I have one returning starter on offense. I have zero linemen returning,” Moore said. “Rykard Wood played a little bit last year. But up front, it is completely fresh. We have one returning starter on offense. Everything is brand new. It is not going to look like last year.
“We don’t have that one guy that is going to run the ball 40 times like we had last year. Aiden Weis, Hayden Carte and Brody Hensley have done a really good job of splitting reps and pushing each other to get better each day.”
One of the most experienced returners for the Patriots is senior defensive back Brody Jones. He will add more offensive responsibilities to his plate as well.
“He did great last year. He had six interceptions,” Moore said. “I think he was grossly overlooked as a DB. Last year, he just played defense. He is going to have to play both sides of the ball.”
Rayce Dickerson led the Trail offense from the quarterback spot as a sophomore but he will be unable to play this year. Dickerson was struck by a vehicle while he was riding on a dirt bike in March.
“He is going to try to come back for next season,” Moore said. “We have a freshman quarterback in Jeremy Shockey, who during the 7-on-7 period was phenomenal. I think we had eight or nine games and he threw three interceptions in 7-on-7. That’s really what we want. We want to protect the ball.”
Replicating last season’s success will be a challenge against a schedule that includes six opponents that qualified for postseason play. The Patriots welcome the opportunity to build on the progress made in 2025.
“The next step is just to continue winning and continue the brand,” Jones said. “We rep the ‘MT’ for a reason. That’s what our plan is to always do, is to win.”