ELDRED – “What can I say about Trai? When I got the head coaching job at Eldred, he was in 8th grade. Within the first 5 minutes of JV/Varsity practice, I knew he was ready for Varsity,” shared head basketball coach Bill Furler. To watch him grow from an eighth grader to a senior has been amazing. It will always break my heart that he didn’t get the chance to break the school record. He is a great young man, with a great family.” 

Eldred’s Trai Kaufmann steps into our Player Spotlight. The multi-sport athlete made his mark on the court, showcasing his speed and finesse. The 6’3” guard averaged 19.8 pts per game to finish his high school career with 1,255 points, 91 points shy of Eldred’s boys all-time scoring record. Kaufmann holds several accolades which include being a five-time Section IX all-star, Class D Player of the Year, OCIAA All-Division V & VI Team Player of the Year for 2026 and BCANY all-star for Class C/D for the 2025 and 2026 season just to name a few of his outstanding accomplishments. During the fall season Kaufmann plays cornerback for varsity football, contributing to the teams Class D 8-Man championship title and their regional championship appearance in November. Kaufmann will wear a different uniform come this spring season as he joins Eldred’s varsity baseball team for the first time since playing t-ball. 

After an emotional end to this basketball season Coach Furler said, “We definitely shed some tears together. What he and his teammates accomplished the last 2 years together, I will remember forever. No matter what he does in his life, he will be great at doing it!”

Sean McAveney, is Trai’s varsity football coach. He shared his thoughts on Trai. “Trai has been a part of the Eldred Varsity Football program for 5 years.  I have had the pleasure of being his head coach for the last 4 seasons.  Trai has a unique combination of size, speed, strength and toughness that has made him a focal point of our offensive and defensive scheme. In the past 4 seasons, Trai has caught 60 passes for almost 1,300 yards and 20 TD’s.  Defensively, his toughness and relentless energy helped him account for 180 tackles, highlighted by his senior season’s 84 tackles and 14TFL.  Trai is a very bright student and a great member of the Eldred Community.  

After graduation in June, Kaufmann plans to attend welding school.