Trapp game: Oakdale kicker carves out larger role

Trent Merzon tried to turn Lane Trapp into The Lonely Kicker, but the Oakdale senior wanted more for his senior year.

So Trapp was nothing if not persistent, bending Merzon’s ear at every chance.

“In the worst way, Lane wanted to be more than a kicker for us,” Merzon said. “He’s a very articulate kid, but I didn’t understand it. He has a dynamic leg and an ability to kick in college. I just didn’t know how we’d get him on the field.”

Trapp ranks among the Sac-Joaquin Section’s best kickers with seven field goals and a staggering touchback percentage.

However, his desire to be a more complete player manifested itself in a breakout performance last week against a bitter rival. Trapp was named a starting defensive back in the days leading up to Oakdale’s 45-14 victory over Manteca, a team with a big-armed quarterback and plenty of vertical threats. He delivered on Merzon’s confidence by forcing two first-half turnovers, both of which impacted the result.

Trapp had an interception, forced a fumble and, just for good measure, kicked a 28-yard field goal.

The fumble tilted the field in favor of the Mustangs, who have beaten their last seven opponents by 31 or more points. Trapp tracked down Manteca’s Dakarai Charles and punched the ball loose at the 3-yard line, saving a touchdown and preserving a 7-0 lead.

Oakdale recovered the ball at the 1. A few plays later, tailback Austin Burke raced 84 yards to make it 14-0 in the first quarter.

“I thought I could tackle him and maybe get a shot on the ball,” said Trapp, who also picked off Charles late in the second quarter. “Field goals are always cool because they’re so tough, but that forced fumble was the highlight of my night. It was one of those things that, in the moment, I didn’t know if it would work out.”

It did, setting the stage for what could be one of the biggest regular-season finales in recent memory.

Oakdale will travel to Central Catholic on Friday for what amounts to the Valley Oak League championship game. Both teams are 9-0 and climbing the state rankings. Central Catholic is ranked No. 2 in Cal-Hi Sports’ Division III poll, and Oakdale is expected vault Calabasas into the third position following its rampage of Manteca.

Call it the Trapp game.

Merzon said the decision to start Trapp at defensive back wasn’t made easily. He understands the value in his foot. Trapp has made all seven of his field-goal attempts this season, including a season-high three in a 58-20 victory over Weston Ranch. His season long is 49 yards, also against Weston Ranch.

There’s a secret to his success, he says. Trapp drowns out the peripheral noise by turning up his inner monologue. Only his inner monologue is a rock concert.

“You ever heard ‘Back in Black’ by AC/DC? I sing that in my head. I don’t talk to anybody. I have to get in my zone,” he said. “If it’s in my range, I know I can do it. I just have to calm down and not make the field goal anything more than it is.”

Trapp has also put 70 percent of his kickoffs in the end zone.

“We can’t lose him,” Merzon said matter-of-factly. “He’s such a huge weapon this time of the year.”

Friday’s game will feature two of the Stanislaus District’s best. Central Catholic senior Bryce Wade ranks second in the section in kick scoring with 54 points (51 extra points, three field goals), according to MaxPreps.

Orestimba’s Jesus Garcia is tops in the section with 65 points. Bryan Willhide of Del Oro leads all kickers with 10 field goals.

“Special teams can be huge,” Central Catholic coach Roger Canepa said. “We got a great kicker. They got a great kicker.”

Trapp’s reputation and ability have been forged on the practice field. The former soccer player has trained with Modesto Junior College kicking coach Paul Assad and attended a camp at Sacramento State. He was called up to the varsity team as a sophomore and immediately assumed kicking duties for a team that reached the second round of the Division III playoffs.

Last season, as he began to spend more time with the wide receivers and defensive backs, Merzon turned to C.J. Blackmon to handle the kicking duties.

This season, Trapp has proved he can handle the workload.

“I’m pretty confident,” he said. “I think that’s the most important thing, knowing you can do it.”

He’s made a believer out of Merzon, who extols the virtues of his dynamic senior, one of two converted soccer players (Burke is the other) to play major roles in the program’s pursuit of its 11th championship in 14 years.

“Absolutely spun the game. It’s beautiful for me, because when you see a kid that truly wants to be on the field and finally gets that opportunity, it’s exciting,” Merzon said. “He epitomizes who we want our Oakdale kids to be – hard-working, loyal and intelligent.”

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 4:48 PM with the headline "Trapp game: Oakdale kicker carves out larger role."