#RockNation

Is there an SK website for stats other than KHSAA?

I'm really interested to see how dynamic the SK offense is. On paper, they look pretty dangerous in the RPO game and Crone is certainly as good as we've seen in NKY in a while. I will try to post more once I see them on tape. 

As for Trinity, I agree that penalties are a major issue. The secondary was tagged several times for DPI when they had the CC quarterback on the run and just heaving it up for grabs. If they get that fixed, I'm not sure there is a team in 6A who can withstand the exotic blitz packages from Fox/Cobb and the D-Line play of Toney, Tronzo, Wilson, Mahan et al. 

Offensively, Allen is the guy and we go as he goes. I felt he has made more good decisions and he has gotten much healthier over the last several weeks. He is truly a gamechanger leading this team and if he can distribute the ball to Lynn, Meyers and Sasser this is the team to beat. Drew is the ultimate catalyst for this game, IMO.

 What can really help Trinity is perfect execution in special teams. McLaughlin is hands down the best kicker in the state, but he can miss a few kicks. I imagine he will be asked to kick anything inside 55 yards and we saw Friday night he can execute onside kicks in addition to kicking through the back of the end zone. Carter Schwartz (UK commit) is also the best punter in the state and can really flip the field. He can pin teams inside their own 10 yard line and make life difficult for offensive coordinators. Both of these young men can flip the field when called upon.

On 10/30/2022 at 6:26 PM, VF111 said:

It’s an important check for some schools.

For a team of young players with a future, it’s an important experience, and one more time to see live action.

It’s one last week of football for some seniors who play their hearts out for bad teams. 

Even for those teams headed to the inevitable running clock, it can be a good week of practice, team bonding, and closing up shop.

Its one final road trip (sometimes a long one) for teams to be together.

Obviously, there are a share of teams where they just want to be done, but for more teams than some think, it’s a good final week of HS football.  

 

This is a really good response, I think. Good or bad, the kids get to play one more meaningful game, win or lose, and in some cases, get to enjoy the bus ride and comraderie that goes with it. It is up to the coaches and administration to ensure that it is a meaningful and bonding experience for the kids and something they can fall back on in their lives. I remember there was a coach who was coming to play us from out in the state for a round 1 game and before their game, he drove to Cardinal Stadium and had his kids get off the bus and go take a look around. He said they had to actually see the place first if they were ever going to make it there. That kind of moment isn't for the Seniors, but it can be pretty impactful for the younger guys on the team.

On 10/31/2022 at 2:54 PM, theguru said:

I would say after the head varsity coach and coordinators, it is the next most important role in the football program. 

100% agree. The development of the freshmen in a post-Covid landscape is dire and is realistically more of a teacher role than coach. Many of these kids didn't play in those formative years due to the shuttering of the CSAA and with what Trinity tries to do offensively and defensively, they are no doubt behind the curve from a conceptual standpoint. Cobb is most certainly someone who values concept and technique over many other aspects of the game and that starts day one on the field, in the film rooms and in the weight room. It is probably the most valuable gift that Beatty brought to Trinity with his style all those years ago. 

Trinity Names New Head Freshman Football Coach | TrinityRocks

Nick is an outstanding person and should be a perfect fit for what the Rocks are trying to do going forward. He served as the Freshman OC and as an analyst under Beatty/Coverdale for a while before coaching in the public ranks. He has a solid grasp of modern football principles and concepts and will bring a teacher's mindset to the job. I'm not sure there was a better candidate in the area than Nick. ☘️ 

Definitely a make or break for a sport as big as football...Seems to be what has galvanized the program on Poplar Level Road...

1 hour ago, theguru said:

I will take a stab at this one, a legendary coach left and a new administrator had different ideas about who should be attending Highlands. 

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.

On 10/12/2022 at 6:24 AM, cincyswords said:

Reading this thread I get absolutely zero vibe on X and Coach Wallace.  Pretty much Mueller and Beatty and that is it.  😆  Then again maybe its hidden messages I just am not picking up on. 👍

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. 

16 hours ago, DevilMayCare said:

I do appreciate this post. Very informative. Thank you.

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.

4 hours ago, Hungover_in_Andover said:

Has the Trinity QB1 that was injured returned? Or is it still a backup helming the offense?

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.

19 hours ago, Tigers88 said:

Coach Carrico is a great guy. I wasn't aware he is now the OC. Who handled that for the Rock's last year?

 

 

Chris Engstrand for the most part I believe.

18 hours ago, LongTimeReader said:

How long has Carrico been coaching/OC at Trinity? I knew him growing up but didn't realize he was coaching at Trinity. 

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.

10 minutes ago, theguru said:

You're doing great.  Quality members/posts like yours are what we want at BGP.

 

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! ☘️

On 9/26/2022 at 2:29 PM, Jumper_Dad said:

You have a list of the current staff and positions?

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)

On 9/25/2022 at 9:35 AM, Jumper_Dad said:

Did they lose many coaches after Beatty retired?

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.

On 9/25/2022 at 10:02 AM, Tigerpride94 said:

There is only so much talent in the city and regional area, and it's being distributed more equally where Trinity used to get a bigger share. St. X, CAL, Manual seem to be getting more talent than they used to. St. X raised 50 million dollars and starting last year went to 100% demonstrated need of tuition assistance which will help St. X to continue to be successful. 40% of the 1200 enrollment is on tuition assistance. 

Trinity is still in the hunt this year and I think they will be the team to beat next year.

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!

12 hours ago, Paul Dean said:

I see that St X has squashed Trinity in both JV and Freshman games.  Does this mean the handwriting is on the wall for the future of this series?

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!)