Kansas Pregame 8-Man Top 8: Trent Long

Kansas Pregame polled 8-Man coaches earlier this month who voted for the top four seniors they coached against this season. Kansas Pregame staffers then used those votes to develop a Top 8 list of seniors for each division. Check out another Top 8 capsule below, and find the complete list of Top 8 selections, and the honorable mention list, here for 8-Man I and here for 8-Man II.

Clifton-Clyde senior Trent Long will go down as one of the most productive football players in program history. The senior currently holds the record for passing yards in a game (283), yards in a season (1,386), yards in a career (1,951), completions in a season (92), completions in a career (139), single game passing TDs (4), single season passing TDs (23), career passing TDs (31) and is tied for the most rushing yards in a game (385).

While Long’s impact would eventually be massive, he had some developing to do entering high school.

“Trent was fortunate to come into high school at a time when our football team was having great success, and our program was full of great role models, dedicated lifters, and strong leaders,” head coach Russ Steinbrock said. “As a freshman we could see Trent had talent but just needed time to mature and develop in the weight room. He quickly gravitated to those hard-working upperclassmen.”

After not seeing much of the varsity field as a freshman, Long became a key player as a sophomore at running back and linebacker for the Eagles. On offense he rushed for 348 yards and six TDs on 46 carries, while defensively he recorded 74 tackles and three interceptions.

Long earned All-League honorable mention at linebacker, while Clifton-Clyde went 7-2 overall with a 3-0 mark in the Twin Valley League and a district title.

According to his coaches, the transition from under to upperclassman saw a change in Long’s abilities.

“During his sophomore year of track, we saw his speed and quickness take a big jump,” Steinbrock said. “Going into his junior year was when we could see it all starting to come together. Trent also has a great understanding of the game, which has allowed us to expand what we do offensively to best utilize Trent’s skills and incorporate more of the talent we have around him.”

The 2022 season saw Long do just about everything for the Eagles, throwing for 481 yards and seven TDs, carrying the ball 113 times for 850 yards and 17 TDs, while also finishing as the team’s second leading tackler with 55.

Clifton-Clyde’s season came to an end with a surprising first round loss to Quinter in the playoffs, when their junior game changer suffered an injury and had to leave the contest.

“Trent has played a huge part in our success over the last two or three seasons, but it was (2022), as a junior, when I found out just how important Trent was to our team,” Steinbrock said. “Football is a team sport, but it can quickly become obvious how the presence of one player, or lack of, can affect a team’s performance. It was the first round of the playoffs. We were the one seed facing a talented four seed. We were very confident going into that game that we could win. We had a great game plan, and everything was going exactly according to that plan, up until Trent suffered a game-ending injury.”

Not having Long proved to be too much for the Eagles, as prior to the injury they’d scored on the first three possessions. They were unable to find the end zone again without him.

“We ended up losing that game in the fourth quarter,” Steinbrock said. “At the time of the injury, I knew we would miss his playmaking ability, but I had underestimated how much we would miss his leadership and in my opinion that was the difference in the game.”

Clifton-Clyde again finished 7-2 on the season with a district title, Long earned All-League for his efforts.

Entering his senior season, Long took another step forward despite his impressive junior campaign. 

The talented all-around athlete dominated with 133 carries for 1,128 yards and 19 TDs – an 8.5 yards-per-carry average – and was 92 of 176 passing for 1,386 yards and 23 TDs. He also added four receptions for 39 yards and two more scores.

“Trent’s biggest strength as a football player is his playmaking ability,” Steinbrock said. “I can’t tell you how many times I have seen him take a play that was going nowhere and turn it into something big. He can beat you with his feet and burn you with his arm. Trent has great vision on the field. He understands the game and he has an innate way of manipulating defenders into making bad decisions. He’s a playmaker!”

Defensively he was just as important with 95 tackles, two sacks, and two fumble recoveries.

The Eagles had another excellent season as district champs, finishing 7-3 after a second round loss to then-defending state champs and now 8-Man I runner-up Wichita County.

In addition to his Top 8 nod, Long also was named All-State by multiple media outlets, and was All-League and All-District on both sides of the ball.

Long is undecided on his plans after graduation, but hasn’t counted out football at the next level.

“Trent is not the most vocal of leaders, but he has a very competitive spirit and an internal drive to win,” Steinbrock said. “People around him quickly pick up on that from watching his effort and desire during games. As he grew as a player, he also grew as a leader. Going into his sophomore season I started to see the upperclassmen taking notice of his talents and his work ethic. At that point, his confidence grew, and each year he took on more of the leadership role.”