Beulah opened its season with 29-0 loss to Class A Hazen in the Coal Bowl last weekend.
With that loss, it may look like Beulah could have trouble competing in Class AA this season.
But Randy Gordon's not buying it.
The Dickinson Trinity football coach said he's expecting a tough game when the Titans visit Beulah on Friday. The game is slated to start at 7 p.m.
"They're a good, solid team," Gordon said. "In watching the (Hazen-Beulah) film, Beulah did a lot of good things, but Hazen's speed got to them. Beulah made some crucial turnovers. It probably could have been a lot closer game."
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While Beulah is looking for its first win on the season, the Titans are coming off theirs. Trinity downed Killdeer 41-8 to win its season opener for the first time in three years.
"Winning that first game is important to everybody," Gordon said.
The Titans are even back in the poll, coming in at the No. 3 spot behind top-ranked Wahpeton and Devils Lake.
"If the kids want to use that as a motivator, that's fine," Gordon said of the poll. "We don't dwell on it. If it's a motivator for some kids, that's good."
Gordon is more interested in business at hand -- beating Beulah and improving to 2-0.
To do that, Gordon said the Titans are going to have to stop Beulah's new Wing-T offense.
"Before, they were more of an I-back team," Gordon said. "We'll have to deal with it differently. The Wing-T is hard to stop if you do it well."
Trinity will get another chance to take its own offensive attack out for a spin after a 401-yard performance against Killdeer. Senior signal-caller Aaron Grinsteinner finished 9 of 11 for 126 yards and three touchdowns passes, two of which went to wide receiver Robbie Morey. In addition to that, the Titans racked up 275 yards on the ground, led by senior Kohl Koppinger's 17-carry, 113-yard performance that included a TD run.
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"We got the ball, kept it on the ground and drove and scored," Gordon said. "I think that was a good sign. That gives them confidence in their offense."
Gordon said he's expecting the same-old defense from Beulah, which has been its backbone for many years.
Trinity's defense comes in on a strong note, holding Killdeer without a first down until the 3-minute mark of the third quarter. The Titans gave up just 22 yards in the first half, holding Killdeer to 146 yards in the game, though 75 of them came on Chaston Lee's TD run in the fourth.
Gordon attributed early success to the drive shown by the upperclassmen.
"These seniors, they're on mission," Gordon said. "They've got a mission, things they want to achieve. These kids are pretty highly motivated. They're doing a good job of getting the younger kids to follow, understanding that they can't do it alone."
