Trinity alum

While I expect a solid Trinity win, some of the predictions of an early running clock are a little over the top. Trinity is a really good football team, but X is not a pushover. I think this game may tell us a lot about how the new regime at X is settling in.

Very shortsighted. One of the reasons I keep my CJ subscription is high school sports coverage. The CH used to be more of a statewide paper. Any way the CJ can pick up some of the slack? Sorry to suggest adding to your workload.

Obviously RPI doesn't mean much in baseball, but the low weight given to out of state games tends to skew the results. I understand that the state doesn't want to do the work to track the records of out of state teams, so I have a simpler solution. Just don't count out of state games. Pretend they never happened.

If they aren't going to make any effort to determine the strength of out of state opponents, then I suggest they remove out of state opponents from the analysis.

I have not seen SW play, so I can't offer too much. This is a very good Trinity team. The defense is very good and the offense is better. What you can know about SW is that they are a focused team. You can't be undefeated without it. That means that the coaches have done a very good job of preparing them each week. So I look for a much better game than the one against X.

To paraphrase a former coach, don’t care if it’s played at 2:00 am on a muddy lot, we’ll be there.

There is a creation myth regarding the United States that the country was built by rugged individuals acting on their own. The reality is that while individual action has been important, the real reason for the success of the US is that our founders bequeathed to us the enlightenment. The enlightenment taught us the importance of individual rights, but also the need to be governed by facts, science and reason. We used facts, science and reason to see the wisdom of collective action. Our country has prospered through that collective action. We built roads together. We built bridges together. Perhaps most importantly we built universal education together. Because "I don't want to" may be the most disheartening reason I can think of. We all do things we don't want to every day for no better reason than it benefits ourselves, our families and our communities. I may want to drive 100 mph down the interstate, but I don't because we have collectively decided that it is best for the community if I don't. Not only have we decided collectively that it is best that I not drive 100 mph, we have decided to use our collective police powers to enforce that decision. I feel the same way about measures to protect the public health. Once we decide the best course of action for our communities, then use our police powers to enforce it.

I think that testing by itself is not going to be enough. You also have to contact trace and then isolate those that have been exposed until after the incubation period. In one sense that is what the current stay at home period is doing. Since we can't determine who has been exposed we tell everyone to act as if they have been exposed. When that number gets low enough, we can begin to test, trace and isolate the people that are identified. It isn't perfect, but until we get viable treatments or cures it will be the best we have.

Let's look at this. In February, we had 15 cases, on the way to zero. We didn't test. We didn't contact trace. We waited for it to go away. The only way to open schools, business, sports or anything else is to first reduce the number of cases to a manageable number and then test and contact trace all cases as soon as they are identified. That will require a testing program that is three to five times what we are doing now and that we reduce the number of cases to a fraction of what we now have. If we do those things we can begin to open things up.

I think that it is just as impressive that under Coach Beatty, Trinity has not lost to any team that they beat during the regular season. To me, that says that when the game is decided by coaching, Coach Beatty wins.

Jason Frakes of the CJ put out a tweet yesterday noting that under Bob Beatty Trinity is 6-4 in playoff games against teams they lost to in the regular season. They beat X in 2005, 2007, 2008, and 2014 and beat Male in 2014 and 2019, all after losing to them in the regular season. X swept in 2009 and Male swept three times. Trinity has not lost under Beatty to a team they beat in the regular season.

I think you mean four in eleven years. The first two were in 2009.

I agree but, part of coaching is planning ahead. Their passing game was based on throwing jump balls and letting their big receivers go get them. Their running game was based on overpowering people. Trinity took those things away. They didn't have anything else to go to. Coach Beatty breaks the season into thirds. The first third is to play a tough schedule that can expose your weaknesses. The second third is to find solutions for the weaknesses. The third is to refine, get better and bring home the hardware. Playing against teams that you can beat easily just doesn't teach you much.

I will remain an X skeptic until something happens to change my mind. I know that there will come a day when X is a factor in the title, but I'll acknowledge it after it happens. Right now I'm just not convinced that football means as much at X as it does at Trinity.

I think that this may have been one of Bob Beatty's best coached games. The kids came in very focused with specific jobs to do. The penalties were a problem in the first half, but that is what happens when you are playing superior athletes. They solved that problem in the second half and it was over. They had a game plan that took advantage of Trinity's strength and took away what Male did best. Male did not have an answer. There was a lot of talk before the game about which team had the coaching advantage. The answer to that one was self evident.

I’m not sure why this is even a discussion. For anyone in their sixties, retirement is at least a thought. He is obviously still on his game.

It will be time for Coach Beatty to leave when he decided it is time. He just put a sound beating on a very well coached team that had better talent. He still has it.

This Daddy’s money not only paid for mine to go to Trinity, it also pays for them to go to Male. You’re welcome.

Hard to wait until tomorrow. Go Rocks.

I see that all three writers for the Courier Journal have picked Male. We’ll see.

Male has been showcasing their running game the past few weeks. I look for that to change against Trinity. For me, the key to the game will be the ability of the Trinity defensive backs to maintain coverage on the tall Male receivers and look back to find the ball. Male had a lot of "jump ball" completions in the first game that could have been interceptions or knock downs if the coverage had looked back to find the ball. Trinity has made great use of the two running back system, sharing the carries between West and Tucker. That wasn't available the first game. Having two backs lets them go full speed on every play without wearing down. McElroy has gotten better as a passer as the year has progressed. He is underrated as a runner, mostly because he seldom does it. That may change in this game. It should be a great game.

Taken by round, I would guess that Southern is a little better than Marshal, Fern Creek and Ballard close, St X over Oldham and North Hardin over Tates Creek. Neither road was that hard, but edge to Male.

I thought I would revisit this. Class 6A has the four highest possible seeds in the semifinals. I believe that Trinity has a better team than NH, but I can’t argue with the two 13-0 teams hosting. If the system is going to continue I would like to see a little more credit for a hard schedule, but at least in 6A it looks like they got it right.

My mistake.