NATCHEZ — Givonni Dent and Kent King never say a whole lot, Trinity Episcopal head coach David King said.

Instead, they let their play on the field do the talking.

Both Kent King and Dent’s hard work and lead-by-example attitude helped drive the Saints to a perfect 15-0 season and a second straight MAIS Class A state championship.

Because of their leadership and on-field performance, Dent and King were selected as The Natchez Democrat’s 2010 All-Metro Co-Players of the Year.

“They were both good leaders who played hard,” David King said. “They were really quiet, but they were out there working every day.”

As a quarterback, Dent finished 91-of-167 passing in passing with 1,627 yards and 22 touchdowns and just two interceptions. He also ran for 661 yards and eight touchdowns.

Kent King played primarily as a running back, and tallied 226 carries caries for 1,792 yards and 28 touchdowns. As a receiver, he pulled in 21 catches for 273 yards and two touchdowns.

Dent said it felt good to be selected as co-player of the year along with his teammate.

“We made a big difference,” Dent said. “We were seniors, and this was our last year, so it was important for us.”

King said it was a great honor to be selected, and representing Trinity is something he’s proud to do.

“It feels good to share it with (Dent),” King said. “We both practiced hard all year, and we tried to be good leaders. Our team had a successful season, and we couldn’t have done it without each other.”

Both Dent and King stressed how important teamwork was for Trinity’s season.

“(The team concept) is very important,” King said. “It’s good to have a team that gets along and sticks together. Teams that do that are usually the ones that are successful, and that was the case for us.”

Dent said individual accolades were not as important to him as the team doing well as a unit.

“I was just thinking about the future, knowing that if we work together, we’ll get a W out of it,” Dent said. “That’s all that’s important.”

And David King said he was pleased to hear two of this season’s biggest leaders always had the team in mind.

“We certainly preach (the team concept) every day, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from those two,” David King said.

When looking at Dent’s play, David King said there was an underappreciated aspect of his play. As a defensive back this season, Dent returned 12 interceptions for 331 yards and made 46 tackles.

“He may be the best defensive back I’ve ever seen on film,” David King said. “The things he could do, like break on the ball — the things you can’t coach — he was just so instinctive with that.

“As a quarterback, he actually wanted to play wide receiver, but we needed him at quarterback. That speaks to the kind of athlete he is. It was also a pleasure watching him mature, both in the huddle and in the classroom, these past two years. I have a great respect for what he accomplish in both areas.”

David King said his son was probably overlooked a bit because of the athletes he shared the field with.

“He shared the field with R.J. Fleming, Givonni Dent and Tip McKenzie, three of the most electric athletes we’ve seen,” David King said.

“I don’t think the fans could really appreciate what he meant to Trinity, but I know other players and coaches always said he was very competitive.”

David King also said a co-player of the year selection was a great way for his son to cap off his Trinity career.

“I really think he could’ve benefited from playing for someone else, but Trinity athletics is all he’s ever known,” David King said.