#RockNation

What do you think led to Highlands issues? To answer the question, I don't necessarily think Manual or Ballard have the staying power since much of their program seems to be focused on other sports/activities at the school. I think maybe that's why Male appears to be such an enigma within JCPS. For Highlands, was it just not a great hand-off situation to Weinrich? Did outside influences interfere? I love the program that was built there, but I was never sure that those facilities were going to be enough to keep the Bluebirds afloat after Coach Mueller left, passionate fanbase or not.

I think this is more of a comparison to what FTH has endured the last several years since Mueller left and whether or not Trinity will succumb to the same issues. I said before on here that I thought Wallace was the best public school coach we went against when I was at T. His teams were very disciplined and he is a tremendous leader of young men. That being said, I thought he had a monopoly on the talent in one of the fastest growing counties in the state and that perhaps skewed whether or not he was an elite coach. While I'm not ready to put him in class with Beatty, Mueller, Smith et al given offensive or defensive scheme, I would say it is not a reach to call him one of the best going right now and he could get there if X contends for the next several years.

I just think a lot of people are jumping to conclusions right now with Coach Cobb and the staff given outcomes of ball games and maybe don't see what is really at play here. It makes a very tough job even more difficult.

The Roberts kid is very, very good...Not quite what Moeller has (or the OL for that matter), but man he's a big dude that can run! He looked pretty solid last year against us but he has gotten better and will be a challenge to our front 7. We will definitely compete with these guys and I think yet another close game could be in the books. ☘️

Hearing with the KHSAA is this week I was told.

And as far as the talent implications go, assuming many of you think our better players came from the public leagues, please go speak to Brian Brohm, Travis Wright, Adam Barry, Alex Kupper, Scott Radcliff, Will Stein, Jacob Dingle, Jack Dingle, Nathan Dutton, Eric Senn, Vince Lococo, Bradley West, Nate McElroy, Nick Bohn, Isaac Martin, Timmy Smith, Brian Smith, Sam Robey, Joey Warburg, John Michael Heile et al just to name a few All-Staters...

I really do not think this is a "talent" question in the broad scope of things, for those questioning who is/is not coming to Trinity, especially given the breadth of football kids in the area. Two things stand out to me in terms of the landscape of how the Rocks will compete over the next several years: 1) Covid has played a major, major role in depleting the Catholic league (CSAA) in Louisville and so many of the key role players that came to us either played another sport during the time that league was shuttered or they just didn't play. Say all you want about "talent" but when kids are in their most formative years of being able to learn the fundamentals around line play, coverage drops, etc. and instead they're sitting at home isolated it will stunt any chance for growth and the kids who played in the Public/Optimist leagues will gain a major advantage. I have seen it firsthand going to practices and games at that level. It has killed Trinity in this regard and this will not be an easy fix. 2) Most importantly, things are really not as bad as they seem on Shelbyville Road. Sure, losing to Ballard is pretty tough to take and being 0-3 to the Louisville schools is a black eye for us, no doubt. St. Mary's will give us fits too on Friday, no doubt. But Cobb is really doing this with almost no depth at the key positions (largely due to point number 1) and major injury issues for key players. Not having the most important returning player in RB Steven Mack after week 1 has really proven difficult. QB Drew Allen is battling high ankle sprains in both legs. LBs Johnny Pirtle and Finn Laskowski are out for the year as well. #1 RB Luke Sasser went out this past week. With injuries like those, replacing those kids with players with little to no game experience, and then playing the schedule Trinity is playing, you're going to lose some games. Does it hurt to lose to rivals? Of course. Are Trinity kids falling further behind than their Louisville counterparts? I just don't see that. If the CSAA gets back on their feet, that will go along way in replenishing the ranks with more and better players. The coaching is still at an elite level and will be for a long, long time, because that is the Trinity way. Combined losses of 12 points to those schools can be overcome and the Rocks can still win it all this year. I do believe that.

The Male game was a hard watch...Not really sure what has happened to them and the run game, but credit to Ballard in stopping them for most of that game...Hopefully Drew has gotten healthy and can show a different look than what they're used to...Hawkins has an absolute cannon for an arm but needs time to get guys open...I look for Cobb and Fox to mix up the blitz packages and get after him like the playoff game last year...If Wickliffe (5 sacks in that one) and company get home in the backfield, it wont matter how much Trinity scores.

Drew definitely had more pep in his step this past week...Most people who have had them in the past know ankle/foot issues never heal right away...It is for sure something you will have to endure until the end of the season in some capacity...I thought he made a lot of great decisions and the O-Line blocked well enough to establish the run game and Drew, Luke and Clint all took advantage...I expect more of the same this week and hopefully to get DeSensi some more reps.

Chris Engstrand for the most part I believe.

First year as OC...He's been there off and on for around 7 or 8 years...Also spent some time at Ballard with Mike Jackson.

I'm just trying to bring a unique perspective. I think our radio broadcasts are pretty good, but I also feel like we have a really knowledgeable and passionate fan/alumni base and it is well received when we can bring some more facts and analysis especially given the strength of schedule.

Hey I tried!!!

I imagine this will be a close game like last year. McLaughlin hit a school record 53-yard field goal to win at Ballaban, so I know Coach Specht and the Bombers will have no shortage of inspiration to come into Marshall Stadium to return the favor. The interesting thing for me to watch is how the St. X defense reacts to the Trinity Offense. Rocks OC Sean Carrico was a tight end on the 4-peat Trinity teams from 05-08 that Bombers OC Andrew Coverdale called the plays for. I think many of us in the Trinity community owe a great deal to Coverdale for his incredible tutelage, masterful game planning and what he did for the program during the last two decades. That being said, I know Coach Cobb and the defense know Andrew and the Bombers well and a win like last year would go along way for this team's confidence. Should be a great matchup in St. Matthews yet again! ☘️

Coach Wayne West (RB), Coach Jon Hilbert (ST), Coach Will Higginson (DB), Coach Chad Carpenter (LB), Coach Oscar Brohm (Emeritus, QB), Head Coach Jay Cobb, Coach Mike Snyder (S/C), Austin Hock (Video), Coach Corey Carpenter (QB), Coach Devian Logan (DB), Coach Sean Carrico (OC, WR), Coach Tom Fox (OL), Coach Michael Fox (LB, DC), Coach Will Heineman (OL)

OL Cliff Dawson to Male...replaced with Robbie Bell (now at EKU) and then Will Heineman from UPike. WR coach may have left also. Defense added Michael Fox from Oldham County.

Agree with many points here, but I also think the lack of CSAA opportunities, plus the emergence of soccer, lacrosse and hoops I feel are larger influences as well. Manual, CAL, etc. have all gotten kids over the last 15 or so years but our programs have still managed to be successful.

A few thoughts: I don't think Coach Cobb has shied away from stating that this team isn't super talented or that they have depth concerns. Losing WR/RB/DB Steven Mack has proven devastating to this team. LBs Laskowski and Pirtle being out for the year as well as DLs Wilson and Washburn missing significant time has been easier to swallow for the defense. No depth on the offensive line is a problem also. The one thing that has stood out to me over the last few years though, is the concern with the CSAA feeder program being shuttered and then decimated after Covid. I believe they only had 4 teams a couple years ago and are maybe up to 8 teams, but that is a far cry from what other leagues can boast. I'm not sure how it is in Ohio, Indiana or anywhere else our other opponents hail from, but it really seems to have made a difference for the younger kids in the Trinity program not to play in the pivotal 7th and 8th grade years. The freshman team has seen it be a major problem in development the last two years, although the younger guys like Wilson, Jeremiah Lynn, Caleb Ricks, Will DeSensi, Nick Lococo, Claude Mahan, etc. have all made strides with the coaching at the Varsity level. Certainly, hats off to St. X and Male for their victories the last two weeks. The prevailing thought for me though is that this team could (and maybe should) actually be 5-1 with the Bombers coming in to town. We certainly had our chances, and that is major. I think that DeSensi will have a chance to get a few more reps at QB, but it must be stated this is not solely a QB issue. His development within this offense could be the key to turning the season around though. Either way, this team is still a contender and I'll guess Wallace and Wolfe do not want to watch another week's worth of our film later in the season!

Not sure about the freshman level as it seemed both sides had plenty of athletes and size, X just seemed to execute a game plan better and came in with a lot more energy last night. On the JV level, DeSensi makes that game a LOT different. He will be a good one for Trinity in the next few years (and maybe tonight!)

0% chance of that. The right guy was right here. That being said, Wallace was probably the best public school coach we went up against in KY. Him or Mueller, but I'd tip it to Wallace.

Game time decision for Allen, but I expect DeSensi to get some snaps.

Blame for what? A fluke loss? Come on man...

Really not sure where a lot of the Cobb slander is coming from here. Had to go into a rivalry game with a 3rd string QB (admittedly, a pretty decent one) against a very stout defensive secondary and then gets two really bad bounces that both end up in Male's hands and lead to touchdowns and the early deficit. For one, I'm not sure how many coaches can get their team back in the saddle to fight the second half but also to keep going to take the lead. The punt block at the end was really tough and will certainly be a teaching moment, but I don't get calling for the guy's head through 15 games. Do you really think JC was outcoached in this game? There were several, and I mean several questionable calls that went against Trinity (a fumble that was ruled down, roughing the kicker after a dropped snap, backside phantom hold on a 20 yard gain to name a few.) And then they stopped a fake punt inside their own 35 and two more third and fourth-and-short QB keepers around midfield when handing it to Swinney probably would have gotten the yardage. Should Trinity have won this game? Maybe. Will they learn from this and grow in games to come? Certainly. Is Jay deserving of all the blame for the outcome in this game? Not even close. Trinity will continue to get better and more healthy and when both of those two points collide, this will be the team to beat in 6A in 2022.

Can't say enough about the Rocks special teams. McLaughlin set a school record with 5 field goals and nailed some pressure-packed PATs to go along with all the touchbacks. Carter Schwartz hammered a 58 yard punt at a key point in the game and flipped the field. All of those allowed the Rocks to stay in the game and keep a victory in the windshield. Brady McEnaney should be garnering some All-State votes and he combines with fellow LB Cole Wickliffe to create a massive problem for run defenses. If the Defense can limit the big plays, this team is a true contender no matter what the offense does. On that side, Drew Allen continues to make strides at quarterback but the major question for a running quarterback is always "how long can he hold up?" He did a great job scrambling for a TD in the first OT and threw a perfect ball to 6'5 Noah Meyers in the second OT. Sophomore Jeremiah Lynn has begun to emerge as a game breaking threat at WR. The offensive line has also progressed and will be the catalyst all year for their successes. The hope has to be that at some point, Allen's leg can heal and he can start to drive the ball deep to his receivers. If not, defenses will continue to load the box and force Allen to scramble and make plays with his legs. LaSalle is a great program with 4 titles in the last decade. In the film I've seen, Coach McLaughlin doesn't have the same level of talent they've enjoyed in the last few years, but the team is well coached and plays hard. QB Mason Mattingly has a big arm and they have certified playmakers in WR Zander Bernecker and RB Jaylen Grant. It was hard to get a read on what they'll do defensively, as they have played two option teams and a Canadian team that they walloped. DBs Timiko Jackson and Koy Beasley are the playmakers in the secondary and LB Brady O'Connor is a solid defender. For my money, the biggest factor in this game is how well Trinity can establish the run and keep Allen upright to find his receivers. If the Rocks can go 3-1 through the first four games, I know Coach Jay Cobb would be ecstatic. Rivalry games with Male and Louisville St. X loom, as does a rematch with Cincinnati St. X (whom Trinity defeated at Ballaban Field in '21.) There is no time for a let down with this schedule, as we all know. I do feel like Coach Cobb has done a great job to this point and the kids are buying in to his ethos. Hopefully that will be enough for a W this Friday at Buddy LaRosa Field. ☘

Was on staff at that time and Brad got us to the 09 title game at WKU. Stats were pretty good (172/241, 2196, 15/7) and I can tell you he could make every single throw. Maybe the most skilled QB we had at T other than Brian at that time and maybe since. He gets a bad rap at T, but he was a great kid and is doing a fantastic job as WR coach of the Bengals right now!