Trinity alum

He arrived in 1999 with Coach Wright, but he had a period of three or four years in the middle where he left to be a head coach in Indiana.

I don't know if Lafayette will make a game of it, but I do know that Trinity is no more of a favorite than Louisville was. Wood gives them a chance on offense. Emotion can go a long way on defense. I expect Trinity to play a very sharp game and win.

I've known some of the assistant coaches over the years and have developed a theory. First, it is a lot of hard work. Second, the assistant coaches are very good. I don't know if there is a better OC in high school ball anywhere than Andrew Coverdale. Perhaps the most important factor is that Coach Beatty is able to convince teenage boys and middle aged coaches to put in all of that work. His ability as a long term motivator, as opposed to a rah, rah up for the big game motivator may be the biggest factor. With all of the success, a lot of very good ball players now want to come to Trinity. Obviously that helps, but he has beaten more talented teams. There is also the support of the school administration and the entire school family. That is also a big deal. Over the past fifty years Trinity has been this states best program. Coach Beatty has made it even better.

I think they are vulnerable to a very strong passing game. I think it is harder to do than that sounds. Look at the first X interception. Ridder was being chased and throwing off balance. To have a strong passing game the team will have to protect the quarterback. That is the problem. If I were scouting Trinity, I would forget runs up the middle, there is nothing there. Designed runs to the outside are also very tough. A run/pass option wide is possible with a quarterback like Ridder, but the problem is stringing together seven or eight plays to get a drive. The other very real problem is that most teams will need to score on almost every possession if they plan to beat Trinity, because Trinity will score on most possessions. I thought the Trinity QB was a little hard on himself in the paper, but there were a few drives stopped by self inflicted wounds. It is tough to count on that. In short, if I am scouting Trinity, I'd start with a couple of Tylenol and a couple of shots of Jim Beam. Then I'd pull out every trick play, fake punt and onside kick I could think of and hope for the best.

Any update on Ridder's condition? I hope the knee injury is not serious.

Trinity will score a lot of points. Lafayette will score more than seven, but not enough.

I thought it would be close and it was. I thought Trinity relaxed a little early at 24-7, but win and advance.

Those "type" of transfers? If by type you mean students that want the finest high school educational experience available, we'll take all we can get.

It isn't a jab. It's an excuse. If I ran a Hall of Fame coach off and then didn't do as well, I'd be looking for an excuse too.

Gates and ticket sales open at 9:00. Practice at 10:00.

I would hope they do better. I think this is the best chance X has had since 09.

From what I've seen so far Louisville doesn't have any D-backs that can stay with Moore. BUT, there are other ways to shut him down. Keep him off his routes near the line of scrimmage. Keep pressure on Blackburn. Give help deep. Don't get me wrong. I expect to win, but I don't expect it to be easy. X intercepted Male three times. That is scary. Male couldn't run the ball. That's scary. I'd rather be us than them, but this will be a hard game.

Very unlikely. X is playing good defense. Their offense is capable of breaking a play at any time. Scoring 35 would be hard. Pitching a shutout even harder.

This game is absolutely scary. X is playing very good defense. They also have seven years of frustration to motivate them. Trinity must prepare for this game with confidence, but also with the knowledge that it could go either way.

Well, I would ask president elect Clinton about that. I expect a Trinity win, but it is the state quarterfinals. Anything can happen.

I don't believe I said it wasn't a huge game. It will clearly be the top game in town. Just not championship caliber.

Trinity has made the playoffs every year from 1972 to present.

Sorry, but this year, any game that doesn't include Trinity isn't the caliber of a state championship. I suggest getting there early and don't sit on the visitor's side. You can't see anything from there.

The winner of this game goes to Trinity, if Trinity beats Eastern.

No, no and no. Marshall Stadium would be a great place for the game if PJCS isn't available. Unlike some venues, there are great facilities for both the home team and guests.

He has no plans to elaborate. Can't, won't.

I don't think you will see a big difference in Trinity's offensive production. If someone is capable of shutting down Trinity's run and short passing game, this kid may stretch the field and make a big difference in that game. That said, I don't expect anyone to do a very good job of slowing down the run or short pass.

I'll check my memory when I get a chance, but I believe that under Beatty, Trinity has never lost the second game in a season when they won the first. They have lost twice to the same team three times. Male twice and X once.

Coach, every team plays what they get. That sounds like making excuses. You play what you get but you make what you get better.

I thought that the quotes in the Sunday paper were far worse. He said that they couldn't win if the running back only got three carries in a half. Um, who calls the plays?