Trinity alum

AD Dennis Lampley was the big guy in the search. The first time the job was offerred to Coach Beatty, he turned it down because his daughter was entering her senior year of high school. The job was given to Coach Kevin Wright (also an excellent choice and the current coach at Carmel in Indianapolis). For family reasons, Coach Wright had to leave after one year. At the time, Coach Beatty was thinking of leaving coaching because he didn't feel the administration at his school was as serious about football as he was. Coach Lampley called and it has worked out well for everyone involved.

He coached at Blue Springs High School in suburban Kansas City. No ties to Trinity prior to being hired.

A few years ago I went to a Thanksgiving morning practice. During a water break I noticed that the team was laughing and joking, the assistant coaches were chatting and coach Beatty was standing off to the side looking like a volcano that was barely contained. As soon as the break ended they were all back at it with the focus and attention that he demands. When practice ended there were a lot of small kids that went out on the field. Coach Beatty was laughing and talking to those kids and others that were there as if he didn't have a worry in the world. I don't think anyone can appreciate the intensity and focus he demands from himself and all those around him without seeing it in person. I think you saw the results on Friday. Win or lose, I expect to see that same focus from the team the rest of the way.

What he says about adults is fine with me. When he heaps unfiltered blame on kids, I find it distateful in the extreme. I'd call out one of my fellow Trinity supporters the same way, likely faster. All of us that feel real passion for our teams need to remember that these are kids.

For a real opinion of how Coach Wolford did this year, I recall an article written by former SI writer Billy Reed for Louisville Catholic Sports. I think he nailed it. I don't think that coaching at Trinity or X is a part time job. A link is below. Catholic Sports Network Advertising

You assess kids without mercy. You assess coaches without mercy. You bully kids from the anonimity of a screen name. You really expect anyone to cut you any slack? All season you professed to have all the answers for what was needed in Tigertown. At the end of the season your prognostications were flat wrong.

Coach Wolford only made one mistake this season. He didn't hire Avid Tiger as offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator and chief of player selection. If he had done that, X would have had the greatest team in the history of high school football. I only hope that the powers on Poplar Level Road never figure out what a treasure they have. (And that AT never becomes a fan of any team I support).

59-3 Coach Beatty will work his magic. Will it be enough? We'll find out starting Friday.

Um, no. The reality is that I believe both games are tossups. I expect a Trinity win, but I won't consider it an upset if they don't. As far as X and Male, I don't much care. I will admit that an X loss will cause make me to go back and reread all of your posts from the past six months. That would make a greaT comedy routine.

I would laugh my rump off. I think that Trinity wins and X loses is at least as plausible as the other way around. I think both games are tossups.

With all of the respect you are due, you don't know your rump from a hot rock. Coach Lampley is a highly respected hall of fame athletic director that makes decisions on the basis of what is best for the young men playing sports at Trinity. If you want to look into how coaching decisions are made, stay closer to home.

This ranking shows why the 6A playoffs will be a lot of fun this year. SK and SC as the two best? Could be. H, T X, M? Any of the above could come out. Don't forget that most of the strength is on one side of the bracket. That means that the teams from that side only have to beat one of the big four one time. None of the big four are so strong that they can't lose a one game format. I still think that the winner will come from the super district, but it is not a done deal.

Heck, I'll drink bourbon and sing "My Old Kentucky Home" if the sun comes up, or sets or if it's dark out or light out.

If you open it up to same season, I suspect it happened several times in the 50s and 60s. I also suspect you could add Flaget and Manual to the list.

You can have them, wouldn't want them, wouldn't have them.

I hav e watched a lot of Trinity teams over the years and this one doesn't remind me of 2004 at all. I don't sense attitude problems from body language or sideline demeanor. I think this team reminds me more of the 94 team. That team lost a lot of games but I always had the feeling that they were on the vergew of putting it together. They did, but not before they had to go to overtime to beat Doss in the first round of the playoffs and a miracle comeback against Central in the second round. Starting with the last few minutes of the Central game they looked like a different team and were never in danger the rest of the way. I think that the biggest need for this team is for them to realize that Quick, Wright, Dawkins, White Hatcher et al are not going to take over the game and save the win. Someone has to step up and play that role. I believe it will happen.

I think 6A is more open than any year I can remember, and that includes 4A when that was the big school classification. There are at least a half dozen teams that could get hot and win it all without being a major surprise. With two weeks left Male is the hot team, but there is a lot of football left to be played. I think that Male, Trinity, X, Manual, Scott Co, SK or McCracken Co could win any individual game. The draw will be important. If I remember correctly, all but SK and McCracken are on the same side of the bracket. That is why I include SK and McCracken as potential winners. The team that comes out of the "tough" bracket may think they have it won when they get to the finals. Not true this year.

AT, Are you on Coach Wolfords Christmas card list?

I dispute the premise. It isn't an arms race. It is families deciding what is best for their son.

At my age if I grow up any more I'll be dead. We'll just have to disagree. In my opinion, kids are not fair game.

Didn't say that all is perfect at Trinity, but I will assure you of one thing, If anyone from Trinity gets on here and goes after an individual kid at Trinity the way the X-men have gone after Nagle, yes I will call them down for it. It isn't right to go after kids that way. I think that if anyone cares to research my posts they will find other times when I have said that it isn't right to go after kids as if they were pros or even college players.

If it makes you feel any better, even if he got the first down they still would have needed to score the touchdown, then they would have needed the two point conversion, then they would have needed to keep Trinity from scoring and finally they would have needed to win in overtime. Nah, wasn't going to happen. Better to end it right there and not let you guys get your hopes up too high.

I just remembered why I don't like X. That kid is one of yours. I would NEVER talk about one of my kids that way in a public forum and since all of the Trinity kids are part of the family I'd never talk about them that way in public. The attitude seems to me to be that the kid is only worthwhile if he can do something for X. Otherwise, trash him.

To me it is never right to single out high school kids for that much individual blame. Even in the account of the game he pointed out three fumbles with Nagle at QB, but two of them were by unnamed players. All of the offensive woes were not this kids fault.

Not really. Young Kragthorpe was going through a really tough time, but it was his Dad that was getting most of the hassle and he was feeling the pressure the whole family was under. He also had injury issues to deal with. I do think that off field pressure may have affected his performance on the field. I was happy to hear that he had a good senior year at his new school.