Rancho Cucamonga tailback Trey Wilson stiff arms opponents, adversity

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIFORNIA – Limitations. Obstacles. Adversity. They are as constant as the Santa Ana winds that tore through Wednesday night’s Rancho Cucamonga High football practice.

Cougars star running back Trey Wilson knows about them. He is the 5-foot-8, 168-pound dynamo who lost his sophomore and junior seasons to early season broken collarbones. But he’s healthy now and has rushed for 1,514 yards rushing and 17 touchdowns for the 10-1 Cougars.

“He’s doing awesome,” said Rancho Cucamonga assistant coach Marcus Soward said. “He’s probably the MVP of the league. He’s been phenomenal. He gets my vote.”

In this era of 3-star this, 4-star that, official visits, and fawning media reports, Wilson is anathema. He’s an undersized, twice-injured, no-star whiz of a ball carrier who has stiff-armed adversity, and won.

Bad break X2

Wilson busted a collarbone early in the 2022 season. Up in the stands, his mother Khalilah Wilson winced.

“They called me down to the sideline, Khalilah said. “We went to the emergency room and Trey asked for his phone so he could text someone and find out if we were still winning. Here he is with this devastating injury and all he can think about are his teammates and if we are winning.”

The injury was a setback for Wilson, but not a death knell.

“It was annoying that it happened both years,” he said. “The first time it was like, ‘Wow.’ And then the second time it was shocking. But I just came back and focused on eating healthy and getting enough vitamins and strengthening my bones. And I supported my teammates. I love the game and my teammates and knew I could potentially come back at the end of the season.”

Wilson did return for Game 10 last season and the playoffs and finished his junior year with 515 yards and two touchdowns in five games.

This year he wants more, as the Cougars prepare to host Murrieta Valley on Friday night in a CIF-Southern Section Division 2 quarterfinal game.

All for one

Rancho Cucamonga third-year coach Brian Hildebrand ignores the wind and the cold and patrols the field in a black pullover, short pants and no socks.

“All right, baby, this is the best drill ever,” he says to a knot of linemen. “Cyclone. Cyclone. Run it.”

Wilson takes a handoff from quarterback Jacob Chambers and zips through behemoths.

“Good, good,” Hildebrand says. “Hustle back. Do it again.”

Wilson is popular with big offensive linemen Justice Turner, Raymond Jacobs, Derrick Cooper, Malik White, and Gabriel Alvarado. He’s especially tight with Jacobs who boasted he could “leap over” Wilson. Jacobs then displayed his vertical leap, such as it is.

“Trey’s a great running back,” Jacobs said. “He can do whatever you need. He can go out for a pass, run the ball, and he’s got great vision. He’s small but he makes up for it with his speed.”

Wilson’s all-for-one mentality stems from home. He’s the oldest of four boys – twin sophomores Tyler and Tyree who also play Cougar football and 10-year-old Ty whose similar name adds to the fun and confusion.

“Trey and his brothers go at it,” said Tony Wilson, Trey’s father and a Cougar assistant. “It’s all day, even in the car. I’ve got to break it up. But then they get in the house and calm down and Trey will start making food for them. First, he terrorizes them, then he cooks for them. Chicken quesadillas are his specialty.”

Focus

Ohio State doesn’t have Wilson on the speed dial. That was reserved for CJ Stroud, the Houston Texans QB who once quarterbacked the Cougars. But Benedictine College, a small college in Atchison, Kansas, has offered Wilson a scholarship. More offers could come.

“My goals are to win CIF and state and to rush for 2,000 yards,” Wilson said. “And to stay healthy.”

John Murphy is sports editor of Century Group Media of Southern California. 

(All photos below by John Murphy)