The Empire Strikes Back?

[DevilMayCare]

The big school division was given a rare reprieve from Trinity's relentless pursuit of championship hardware last year. Rebuilding years are few and far between for the Rocks, but last year qualifies. They still reached the semifinals, but were handily dispatched by Male, capping T's first losing season since 1995. You have to go back nearly that far to find a time when Trinity went more than one year between state championships. You read that right… the Shamrocks haven't gone more than one season without a title in over twenty years. 

In order to keep that absurd statistic alive, they'll have to rebound from a sub .500 mark to hoist the trophy again. History suggests they'll do just that, but don't expect a season without trials and tribulations. Their record may again be dotted with a few losses because, to put it mildly, the schedule is a bruiser. They'll face ¾ of the vaunted Greater Catholic League of Cincinnati and a few other midwestern powerhouses. In state, St. X will field a championship defense, Male is always lurking, and a host of others are grinding away in hopes of disrupting Louisville's stranglehold on the 6A title. But T fans can rest assured, knowing the Shamrocks have walked through fire to prepare them for another run in November. The question is, will that run end in disappointment for the second year in a row, or will the Rocks roll back into the winner's circle, where their season has ended 15 of the last 21 years?

The road ahead is long, but if the scrimmage performance against Ohio power Springfield is any indication, 6A's reprieve could be short lived. 

[theguru]

 

[Tigerpride94]

I think the champion this year will be either St. X or Trinity. I think Male lost so much from last year so will be tough for them to knock off St. X or Trinity. St. X/Trinity game this year will be a good one. We will know more about St. X after the Frederick Douglass scrimmage.

[Colonels_Wear_Blue]

When in doubt, assume that the 393 foot tall, fire-breathing reptile brought forth by nuclear radiation is probably gonna win.

[Unrivaled97]

Male will be down, but still a very formidable team and top 5 in 6A.  St. X has a great defense back, but will need to replace a lot on offense.  Trinity was young last year, but should be more seasoned this year, but still maybe a year away.  I say Trinity wins the runner-up trophy and either St. X or a dark horse wins the 6A title this year.  It happens about once every 15-20 years so maybe this year is it.

 

 

[LongTimeReader]

While last year was a struggle for the Rocks last year, the biggest benefit was they were able to get a lot of young players live varsity reps against top competition. There is no spring practice, summer practice, or 7 on 7s that can compensate for live varsity experience. Trinity's junior class is supposed to be really good and if they continue to progress throughout the season there is no reason not to think they won't be one of the teams playing in December. 

Like others, I see it coming down to the Catholic rivalry of St. X and Trinity. Both will have very good defensive units; which offense can find that consistent playmaker will be key as the season progresses. Can Male be a factor? Sure they can, they can reload with the best of them. But they're the team that is replacing the most production on both sides of the ball than the other two top 6A teams.