Not this year: Euless Trinity pummels Hurst L.D. Bell, builds momentum ahead of playoffs

The number of days may not have resonated with many Euless Trinity football players, but the memory of a rare loss to Hurst L.D. Bell did.

The No. 18-ranked team in the state 6A poll, the Trojans closed the regular season with a 62-13 win over Bell Thursday night at Pennington Field.

The win was the sixth in a row to close to the regular season but more important for the Trojans, it was a win against a longtime rival.

And it came 371 days since the Blue Raiders won 24-21 on Nov. 2 last year.

Counting that win, Bell is now 1-25 against Euless in the past 26 games.

“Last year, we didn’t come out prepared, and I think that loss left a big mark, especially on the team and the coaches,” Trinity linebacker Gordon Mohetau said. “You know I got to give them props. They got it, and they came ready, and we didn’t last year. Coach T (defensive coordinator Gary Tuell) said this is just Week 10, nothing new. This is just another game and get ready for playoffs. We had that mindset and came out and executed.”

Last year was the second year in a row the winning score was only three points — Trinity won 27-24 in 2022 in overtime.

This marked the 56th meeting between the rivals, and Euless is now 39-15-2 in the game.

Pennington Field was packed for this showdown. The stadium is the home team for both teams, with LD Bell in the east end zone and Trinity in the west end zone.

The student section for Trinity was full from the front row to the top row. The visitor section, for Bell, was nearly at capacity as well.

This game didn’t mean much to either team in terms of the outcome.

Euless has already secured a spot in the playoffs, and Bell came up short after going 7-3 last year.

Bell closed the year with three straight losses, going 3-7 overall and 1-7 in District 4-6A.

The first half was chipping with multiple face mask calls, blocks in the backs and unsportsmanlike penalties on both squads. Twice during the game, a Trinity helmet bounced on the turf followed by a flag.

The Blue Raiders were playing as the underdog, and with nothing to lose, they were hoping to hand their rival a second straight loss.

“You can tell by the atmosphere tonight this was a special game for both sides,” Bell coach TJ Dibble said. “You know there’s extra electricity in the air no matter the record. Trinity’s having an amazing season, and they are prime to make a deep playoff run.

“We haven’t had the kind of season we anticipated or wanted, but when you get a game like this, it is a true rivalry. Last year, we got the monkey off our back and won for the first time in 25 years, and tonight, we got their best shot. They were obviously the better team tonight.”

Trinity (9-1, 7-1) finished second in the district standings with the win, coming in behind Southlake Carroll, which won the district title.

Both teams scored on its first possession, but after Trinity scored three consecutive touchdowns to take a 28-3 lead. At halftime, Trinity led 28-6.

Late in the second quarter, the Blue Raiders had a chance to trim into the lead. A 19-yard run by wide receiver Caleb Walton a reverse moved the ball to the Trinity 13-yard line.

Then, Bell got called for hands to the face on a wide receiver to move it back 15 yards and then a 10-yard loss on a sack followed. A taunting call kept Bell’s drive alive and AJ Rosen booted his second field goal of the game with 10 seconds left in the second quarter.

Running back JT Harris had touchdown runs of 4 and 74 yards in the first half for the Trojans. Euless got a 1-yard touchdown by quarterback TJ Tupou and Josh Bell had a 3-yard run late in the second.

“For the offense, it means a lot to set the tone by running the ball,” Trinity offensive lineman Phillip Tuipulotu said. “It makes it easier for us (as linemen) when we have good running backs that can break not one but not even two, sometimes five tackles.”

Trinity scored twice in 59 seconds in the third quarter to expand the lead to 42-6.

Tupou ran for a 29-yard score, and then defensive back Kaden Donaldson picked up a fumble and ran it back 35 yards for a score — moments before rain started to come down.

By the fourth quarter, Trinity scored three times, while Bell had added a late touchdown. One of the highlights for Bell in the second half was an 81-yard punt by Rosen, with the wind at his back, in the third quarter.

During halftime, the results of the Black and Blue Showdown, a friendly competition between Trinity and Bell were announced with Bell winning. A total of 52,143 food items were donated to the 6Stones food pantry, in addition, $13,555 in cash donations were raised.

“I graduated from L.D. Bell, my kids go to school in H-E-B, and my wife works in H-E-B,” Dibble said. “It’s a special place because of the people. I don’t care if you go to Bell or Trinity. At the end of the day, there are a lot of positive things happening on both ends of town.”