From ball boy to record-setter, Trent Tompkins has done it all for Central

Trent Tompkins remembers running around the sidelines as a ball boy in 2010 for the Central High football team.

He went to every game and watched then-quarterback Michael Baker lead the Grizzlies to an 8-4 record.

Tompkins says he remembers always wanting to be a quarterback himself for the Grizzlies. He got his chance his sophomore season and has been a star ever since – even if he had to “calm himself down.”

“I try to take my mind off the game,” Tompkins says of preparing for games. “Try to keep my excitement down. I go to bed just visualizing making plays. Just calm myself down. If I get too excited (on game day) I get juiced. I just try to keep calm and collected.”

It has worked for the Grizzlies, who are 32-4 overall and 14-0 in the Tri-River Athletic Conference in nearly three full seasons under Tompkins.

The Bee’s top-ranked Grizzlies beat Clovis West 75-7 on Friday night. Tompkins left in the third quarter after going 15-for-21 for 302 yards and four touchdowns.

Tompkins says last year’s Central Section championship and state semifinal berth whetted his appetite: “I’m really focused on winning another section title.” he says. “And a state title.”

In 2015, Tompkins reached the varsity level his freshman year in time for the playoffs but didn’t play. He burst onto the scene in 2016 and the rest is history.

Tompkins will probably go past 10,000 career yards in the regular-season finale Oct. 25 against Clovis East – he’s at 9,848 after Friday, the third most in section history, according to section historian Bob Barnett. He has 117 career touchdowns – second most all-time.

Tompkins is tied with Sam Metcalf (Farmersville 2013) for most TDs in the regular season with 44.

The only knock on Tompkins appears to be his size, 5 feet 11 inches. He’ll play at the college level at a school to be determined, with offers so far from Nevada, UC Davis, Brown and St. Francis-Pennsylvania.

First, a thrilling finish.

“I’m taking it step-by-step. It’s been a long journey. It’s been crazy with the recruiting process and everything going on. Coaching changes my freshman year ... just watching Central at a young age and finally getting here is something I won’t forget.”

This story was originally published October 19, 2018 at 10:48 PM.