By Ken Hansard
While Trenton Yates, senior point guard for Carthage, still regards the Tigers as underdogs, the rest of the state might not for much longer. After finishing last season at 15-11, the Tigers have jumped out to a 7-2 start to begin this season, a record that includes wins over Harrison High and Bergman High, two highly ranked teams out of Arkansas to help Carthage to win the Harrison, Arkansas Tournament Championship in December.
Still, that underdog mentality has helped motivate Yates and a strong cast of seniors to maintain a competitive edge, “I just always look forward to upsetting teams, because we are mostly seen as underdogs. We don’t have much size, so it always seem we are at a disadvantage.”
As the point guard for the Tigers, it is Yates’ job to make sure that he and his teammates understand that pace is a key factor in their success, “My role is being the leader on the court, and I am responsible for setting the tempo that we play at.”
Even though Trenton has been an integral part of the Tigers’ strategy in the past, he realized that there were areas of his game that needed to improve if he and his teammates are going to reach the level of success that they hope for, “I was a little weak driving to the rim, but during the offseason I stressed driving more and building my confidence. My goal for this season is to shoot the ball more. In past seasons, I was seen more as a role player and didn’t shoot much.”
While Yates understands the importance of his contributions on the offensive end, he sees himself as more of a facilitator and a defensive stopper, “I’m kind of proud of my number of steals this season, because it feels like I’m all over the court, and it feels good when that pays off. Our defense helps us to create tempo and leads to good offense.”
Trenton is a three-sport athlete who also plays football and participates in track and field. He is a two-time state qualifier in the triple jump.
Trenton says that his plan for the future includes someday having a beautiful family. He would also love to eventually start a career in investment strategies.
