Burton back to the scene of his prime

He knew all about the tradition. He knew all about the history.

He knew all about the power and potential of the team standing on the other sideline.

But Trey Burton also knew he had to win a football game.

That mattered more than anything.

“To be honest with you, I was just thinking about winning a district championship.”

It was two years ago when Trey Burton became Trey Burton. It was Oct. 26, 2007. Burton’s Venice Indians, a year removed from a 1-9 season, marched into Manatee, owner of an undefeated record, and beat the Hurricanes by two touchdowns.

An arduous task for anyone. A nearly impossible task for a sophomore.

But Burton was no ordinary sophomore. And tonight, he returns to Manatee for the first time since that impressive performance, leading Venice into a game against the Hurricanes with the Class 5A-District 10 title hanging in the balance.

Everyone knows Trey Burton now. He’s going to the University of Florida next season after committing to the Gators as a junior. He can run. He can pass. He can single-handedly take over a ballgame.

But not everyone knew Trey Burton two years ago. Who was he? What could he do? How would he handle the mystique of Hawkins Stadium, where lists of Manatee’s championships bookend Joe Kinnan Field?

“I just think we were focused,” Burton said, “and wanted to win so bad. Manatee is always good every year. To beat them was awesome.”

Things began changing after that game, for Burton and his teammates. They were confident, and their quarterback, who got a taste of life under center when he started Venice’s regular-season finale against Naples in 2006, was comfortable.

“We were 1-9 the year before that. Everyone was surprised we won one game (in 2007),” Burton said. “I think everybody started believing in us.”

Hawkins Stadium has housed its share of good quarterbacks over the years — perhaps you’ve heard of Tommie Frazier, or Tracy Sanders, Manatee’s current defensive backs coach who quarterbacked the Canes to their first state championship in 1983.

And then there’s Brion Carnes, in his fourth and final year before taking his game to USF.

“He’s got a rocket arm,” Burton said of Carnes.

So Burton isn’t the only good quarterback to play on that field, nor will he be the only good quarterback on the field tonight.

But it was after that fall night in October when Venice really started believing in Trey Burton.

Most importantly, that was the night Trey Burton really started believing in Trey Burton.