Player Profile/Injury Report: Michael Czarnecki

Star football players like 's Michael Czarnecki are more accustomed to scoring touchdowns and making tackles. But a collarbone injury in the second game of the season against Carlson has reduced the senior captain's role to getting water for his teammates and being an encourager from the sideline.

"It's tough. Especially when I know I can help," Czarnecki said before his team took the field Friday night at Southgate Anderson. "We got to win three games to get into the playoffs and we're going to need some guys to step up."

Czarnecki, a three-year starter for his father, Bob, and one of two returning all-downriver players for the Trojans, was the leading scorer and rusher for the Trojans before the injury. Add that to his talents in the return game, losing Czarnecki was a critical blow to the Trojans. A blow that has left the Trenton offense, primarily the run game that compiled -17 rushing yards last week against Allen Park, a bit wounded.

But Czarnecki is trying to help as best he can.

"At first, I was very vocal and still trying be the leader from the sideline," he said. "But what I've started doing in the last couple of weeks is kind of taking a backseat and forcing other people to step up and lead. I'm hoping that doing this will get us as many leaders as possible by the time I come back."

Speaking of coming back, that seems to be the question everyone has for Czarnecki when they walked by him before the game.

"I'm not ready to say yet. The doctors are saying by the playoffs, if we make it. I'm hoping for other things. But I'm kind of keeping that secret right now," he said.