In 1930 Jacksonville-Trimble High School became the location for the auto mechanics program that was previously housed in Hollister High School.  This transfer meant that the Auto Mechanics teacher, William Mayo Anderson who came to Trimble Township in 1928, would be working at JT which had more students.  William Anderson was a graduate of the University of Kentucky where he was a member of the football team.  It was in 1933 that Anderson created the JT football program.  Their first game was against Glouster which was beginning their ascent as a program, and the 55-0 result was probably expected.  Jacksonville-Trimble would use the “Trimble Athletic Field” for their games which was likely located off of Walnut Street, across the railroad tracks from the brick plant. Later an agreement was made with Glouster and also Chauncey High Schools to use their stadiums for home contests. Coach Anderson was able to quickly organize a successful program at JT who joined the Little Five Conference with Chauncey, The Plains, McArthur and Butchel in 1935.  The 1936 season ended with Glouster and JT having a joint football banquet to celebrate both schools winning their conference championship.  Both teams would win three consecutive conference championships in the mid to late 1930s.  It should also be noted that in some early articles for the JT football program they were described as wearing Blue and White as school colors.  In 1938 JT defeated Glouster for the first time, and the article describes the Blue and White of JT, however a few weeks later in a basketball preview JT are called the Red and White Cardinals.  Towards the end of the 1930s Coach Anderson would moonlight as the head coach for a semi-pro team that would play against teams from the Zanesville and Columbus area.  This connection would lead to JT playing schools outside of the general vicinity like Pataskala and Columbus St. Charles (1940 season).

Home games were played at the Trimble Athletic Field. 

The Hamden game had to start promptly at 2pm due to the train schedule

Team Members: Thomas Smathers, Floyd McCune, Delbert Tinkham, Gerald Skinner, Ben Addington, Charles Frazee, Lou Schoenian, Cedric Morrison, Elijah Smith, John Anderson, Leo Oskey, Eddie Hill, Glen Chalfant, Don Matyskalla, Ernest Meeks, Jimmie Davis

Managers: Clarence Davis, Edward Oskey, Foster Skinner, William Ridge

Leo Oskey and Gerald Skinner were the captains

1934 Coach W.M. Anderson

9/14/1934 Glouster Away L 0 54

9/21/1934 Middleport Away L 0 62

9/29/1934 Chauncey Home L 0 20

10/5/1934 The Plains Away L 0 12

10/19/1934 Buchtel Home L 0 24

11/16/1934 Nelsonville Away L 0 64

Letterwinners: Ernest Meeks, Floyd McClelland, Max Antle, Otis Johnson, James Frazee, Virgil Mates, Addington, Edward Hall, Krimmer, Forgoress, Cedric Morrison, Walden Deal, Gerald McClelland, Edgar Kinder, John Roman, Edward Oskey, Edwin Kasler, Chester Antle, Frank Forges

The Little Five Conference is formed

The picture is from the game against The Plains High School, 10/4/1935.  Most likely, JT is on defense on the right side of the picture, at the time JT had white numbers the end closest to the camera has black numbers which was the style of The Plains uniforms. (this image was from The Plains yearbook)

Starters: Nelson, McClelland, Doughty, Johnson, Chalfant, Mates, Frazee, Antle, Hall, Oskey, Forgorese

Little Five Champions

Team Members: Virgil Mates, John Doughty, Leo Matyskella, John Roman, Ernest Chalfant, Dave Judson, Floyd Nelson, Harry Vaughn, Junior Johnson, Eddie Oskey, Densil Anderson, Max Antle, Frank Forgoress, Vern Hall, Floyd Skinner, Eugene Kinder, Charles Wenger, Ellis Earich Steve Forgoress

Manager: James Mandrell

Max Antle was the Captain

If you look in the background of the picture you will see the kilns of the Trimble Brick Plant.

Little Five Champions

The 86 points scored on Butchel is the most points scored in a single game by any Trimble Township team. 

The Butchel game was also the first Homecoming game for J-T.

Starters: F. Nelson, Hall, Vaughn, S. Forgoress, Matyskella, K. Nelson, Judson, Johnson, F. Forgoress, Skinner, Antle

1938 JT Coach W.M. Anderson

9/23/1938 Chauncey Home W 12 6

9/29/1938 Murray City Away W 49 0

10/7/1938 The Plains Home W 13 0

10/14/1938 Rutland Away L 13 19

10/21/1938 McArthur Home W 13 7

10/28/1938 Butchel Away W 7 6

11/3/1938 Glouster Away W 19 0

Little Five Co-Champions

Starters: Rawlings, Nelson, Poches, Forgess, Wagner, Mandrell, Burgess, Oskey, Matyskella, Nelson, Johnson, Substitutes: Earich, Lantz, Mandrell

1939 JT Coach W.M. Anderson

9/15/1939 Philo Away L 6 19

9/22/1939 Pataskala Home W 19 12

9/29/1939 Chauncey Home L 13 18

10/6/1939 The Plains Away L 6 7

10/13/1939 Rutland Home W 8 6

10/20/1939 Glouster Home W 18 0

10/27/1939 Butchel Home W 47 0

11/3/1939 McArthur Away W 39 0

11/10/1939 Chauncey Away L 0 19

Little Five becomes the Little Seven during basketball

Starters: Lantz, Nelson, Brown, Earich, Pachas, Sharp, Burdiss, Gaskalla, Safreed, Nelson, Johnson

Keith Nelson scored 98 points in the season, making him the 12th highest scoring player in the state.