Diogenes

Permit me to respectfully differ with you, BirdieCat. Speaking from an inside the program source, the recievers are not the "problem" (if there is a problem, since they are ranked either 1, 2, or 3 depending upon the poll you are partial to, and have faced a murderous schedule while dropping only one 11 minute game).Your observation concerning two dropped passes last week is accurate, but going in to the game aginst T, the starting QB was completing 68% of his passes, and he only threw a few in that truncated contest. This year's recieving corps is one of the swiftest and deepest in recent memory. We Catholics are the world's greatest worrywarts. When our friends from Trinity lost to MBA, a team described by one of its fans as "a young, green team, and there are no legitimate DI A prospects in this MBA senior class, and likely few, if any, in the underclassman ranks. Trust me when I say this is not a very athletic team" Trinity's posters had similar concerns: "He threw it to a wide open reciever (in the end zone) who tried to use his pads to catch the ball, it bounced off him an into the arms of a defender" or "Trinity was out-coached the 2nd half" or "We also had some suspect assignments on defense". Despite this, the Rocks have recovered nicely and will do well this season as will St. X. (BTW, I am probably the king of the worrywarts).

An interesting aspect to the top 10 is strength of schedule. All ten had schedules ranked among the 25 most difficult, led by X (1), Cov Cath (2), Manual (3), Highlands (4) and Bowling Green (5).

Good question. I have spent more time than I care to think about looking up old Lit ratings on microfilm at the main public library in Louisville, but it is a tedious and time consuming task. Does anyone know if there exists a computer searchable database on the Lit ratings going back beyond 1988? (The Courier digitized in 1988, so that much is on CD and searchable at the main public library in Louisville).

I would include Tim Dougherty (X) and Karl-Heinz Williams & Ryan Tydlaka (T) in the mix. The former and latter had tremendous leg strength: Heinz Williams posessed extraordinary accuracy. Chris Gibson of Fern Creek was one of the best and was perhaps even better as a punter. Sam Erny of Manual also merits mention.

Thanks (I think) for the backhanded compliment. Reread my post carefully prior to jumping to conclusions. Throwing deep was merely a factor, a part of "other indicia" in determining running up a score. You are correct, however, in noting by implication that a running team can run up a score sans passing. Perhaps the most telling factor, in my opinion, in running up a score, is keeping the first string in after the game is decided. An example of what most would consider good sportsmanship and the antithesis of running up a score would be last year's first X-T game. When the score got out of hand, Coach Glaser called off the dogs and played "100 players" as he noted in the post game interview. (Of course, unfortunately from the perspective of X fans, he did not have the opportunity to practice this form of sportsmanship with our brothers from Trinity in the rematch). Another outstanding practitioner of sportsmanship in not running scores up is the coach I consider to be the best ever in Jefferson County, Dennis Lampley. Check his record. Even with the powerhouses he had, his teams seldom scored over fifty points. He substituted early and often. It bears noting that teams that regularly run up a score, as defined above, are a reflection of their coach and not necessarily the school.

Didn't see the game, don't know if Male kept the first string in, kept throwing deep, or any other indicia of "running up the score". A blowout score alone, without the aforementioned behavior, is not considered running up the score. But, in Jefferson County I have never heard serious allegations made about Catholic schools "running up the score" by not substituting or throwing deep when the game is out of hand. I do not recall this behavior from DeSales, X, or Holy Cross. I have attended games over the years where Redman teams have run up the score.

Pass???? You mean X is allowed to pass!!! This puts a whole new meaning to the game. Why, if X occasionally passed they could....

Congrats. The kid is the real deal. But the CJ indicated Kentucky will use him as a punter. From what I've seen he can also kick at the 1A level.

When X completes their stadium, look for T to put in a jumbotron to one-up X. St. X will retaliate with a dome, and from there it is off to the races for those two. BTW, I'm with you about Manual stadium-the ambiance of the stadium and the neighborhood is incomparable. Watusi-I've never been to Belfry, but the photos depict a jewel. You guys have a stadium to be proud of.

PRP plays Male at PRP. They are well coached with good talent. It could happen. Iroquois has improved. Butler is unimpressive this year, although they play at Butler. This may be two teams moving in different directions.

I believe T is home, and I have wondered about this issue. At least one instance comes to mind when X was home but elected to play at Papa John's. Since private schools are not subsidized by the taxpayer, I would guess that T would elect to play at Papa John's, should the opportunity arise.

Very astute analysis, if a rematch occurs. X still has to get out of a district with Male, PRP and Manual, and is unsure about the return of Anderson. T should be there, as I don't see major obstacles in their path.

I said before the game that the best thing for X would be a soaking rain to deter T's passing attack. Goes to show that sometimes the worst that can happen is you get what you wish for. Congrats Rocks-good game. I've got a feeling that a rematch is in these team's futures.

Flaget had a substantial bulge over X. X is 27-26 ahead of Male since 1959 (the first year of officially determined state championships) but alltime Male has a large margin over X. Dating from 1959, all other schools locally have losing records against X. Aside from Male, Trinity comes closest to a winning record against St. X. Since 1959 they trail 30-27-2, but actually are further back if you include pre-1959. Many Trinity fans assert gleefully that timing is critical, since they have 16 state titles in football titles to 11 for X since 1959.( As far as overall state sports titles since 1959, X has 3 or 4 times the amount of Trinity). Many X boosters retort with the old real estate mantra: location, location, location, asserting that Trinity often has a cakewalk to the title game, whereas X has to deal with the likes of Male, Manual, PRP and Butler in district play, and Henderson County, Warren Central, Christian County and other forminable foes in the western area of the state.

Trust me-they really aren't. Just look at the posts and it will be apparent to you, as it is to many of us. Wacky posters tend to see everything only from their perspective.They actually believe that only the other school has nutty fans. They feel that only the other school has nefarious motives and methods. Thus, the genesis of my "Copernicus" rule: The world revolves around my school.

Probably from the same characters that spread looney info like "X had rings already made last year" or "X had shirts already made last year." There are always some way out fans out there, don't you think?

I will be there, with my beautiful wife and my Alum son. We will be watching for someone very special to us down on the field. Good luck to all involved. Lets hope for a great game, no injuries, and classy fans!

Does Moeller have an A and B freshman squad? If so, does anyone know if both teams played the same squad? Good luck to both freshman teams.

Congratulations! Whoever gets him is getting a good one.:thumb:

The Flaget-St. X rivalry was the precursor to the St. X-Trinity rivalry. For a few years in the 60's it was the show in Louisville.

Trinity is the mystery team this year. X has played and defeated a bevy of quality teams already, so we know where they stand. Trinity lost to an out of state team, so comparisons on that game are difficult. They also destroyed the rest of the schedule, but those teams were of minimal ability. I like your analysis to a point. You were spot on regarding coaching. I am not as high on the St. X O-Line as you. The receivers at X are, IMHO, the best in a few years there. (So what, one is tempted to say:D). You are correct at RB and QB. I am unsure of the Trinity defense (MBA performance) and X has been spotty defensively (Highlands performance). The kicking game,as noted, is all Trinity. Prediction: St. Xavier - 28 Trinity - 14 Good luck and no injuries to both teams.

I have said before about Highlands: They will play anyone, anytime and anyplace.Given their enrollment it is hard to imagine a school with more moxie. It is also noteworthy that St. X, the number one ranked 4A team in the Courier Journal preseason poll, scheduled the CJ numbers two, three, four and five in 4A and the CJ numbers one, two and three in 3A! It would be difficult to imagine a rougher in-state schedule, if you give credence to the CJ forecast.

Well, we've found an area we agree on:They are clever! Smart too - National Merits!!!

In the "last game" St. X beat a very talented and spirited Fort Thomas Highlands team 35-21!. But let us not digress from the topic of this thread. I forecast a big Trinity victory.

You may be accurate with this specific analysis. I specifically had in mind three games that Trinity lost: 2001 Male v. Trinity(45-19) and X v. Trinity in '06 and '05 (48-16 and 36-18). The substitution statement was the only area I took issue with you. Of course, as noted, Trinity is not behind often, in part because Trinity has a very good coach. I see a 56-14 Rock romp. Good luck.