Canescat

Now we know the rest of the story. Sophomore first baseman's daddy coaches and sophomore third baseman's personal hitting instructor coaches too. It's interesting how over his tenure Coach Tompkins has allowed people with vested interests in individual players to coach at THS. It also is equally interesting how those same players enjoy the opportunity to play varsity baseball very early in their high school careers.

Maybe its just a coincidence but I don't think so.

These are just observations, nobody is attacking Coach Tompkins. It may just be a very strange coincidence that didn't seem to coincide with the careers of this year's group of seniors.

As a sophomore Andrew Deeds was, by far, the best baseball player in the entire program. He never saw the varsity field. Oh, his dad didn't coach either.

I'm not a disgruntled anything. I think very highly of Coach Tompkins. Yes, he's taken teams deep into the playoffs. But it seems that many of his teams had enough to go further and win it all. Just an observation.

Good point Riverside. Based upon the facilities, I would guess the administration's expectations are not very high.

I agree with Three of a Kind's assessment. This senior class was sacrificed, begining last season. For some reason, Coach Tompkins has been gaga over the sophomores since they were freshman. I know that many of the seniors didn't return because of the coaching.

I think the jury is still out on Coach Tompkins' coaching ability.

I have seen many THS running backs over the years. I never saw Alan Hennessey play but I know he was outstanding for his style and era. I also know that he was fast (track sprint champion) and had a solid college career at Georgia Tech. Up to the Beatty era he would probably be the best THS had produced.

Tim is, without question, the best since Coach Beatty has been at THS and in my opinion is the best that I have seen since watching THS since the early 1970s. Many outstanding running backs in THS history, but none that have produced so much, in so many areas (rushing, receiving, returning) as a Sophomore and Junior with 2 State Championships. He has set the bar very high for future Rocks.

My 8th grade football coach was a member of the 1959 Manual team and he has told me about all of the great players on it. I can't remember all of them but I recall that something like 14 or 15 of them were major college football players and that two of them ended up as captains of their college (Big Ten) teams. Also, several of them played in the NFL. No other Louisville high school team that I have heard about had as much talent as that one.

The only teams that I saw in person with loads of college talent and that won a State title were the 2000 Male Bulldogs and the 1977 Shamrocks.

Hard to argue against many of the Rocks' teams. The 2000 Male team that blew up Trinity in the State Championship was one of the best I have ever seen. That team had more talent than UK and UL, combined.

The THS v BGHS game was Trinity's 1st and BG had a game under its belt. The way THS was playing in the playoffs was awesome. Henry Clay and Boone County got BLASTED and they both had a lot of quality players and depth. Trinity scored more points against St. X than any other Trinity team in history and St. X had the best D in the state. I would have to go with THS by at least 21.

I heard that these teams played a couple of years ago as JVs at HHS and that THS easily handled HHS. Is there any truth to this?

I beg to differ. Bench press is an indicator of overall upper body strength and strength equals durability for a running back, among other things.

And to think there are people out there who still don't believe Tim is a D1 prospect! Shame on them. He will go down as one of the best running backs in the history of Kentucky football, during a time when his school is known more for its ability to throw the football. He is the leading candidate for Mr. Football, Player of the Year, etc. and deserves everything he gets. I can't wait for the 2008 season to watch him run wild.

I just heard that ND is recruiting Mr. Phillips. He does very well in school, is a great kid and has proven that he can play. I think people will be surprised about the number and quality of offers he will have to play D1.

Tim Phillips can play D1. His size helps him in that defenders can't find him until he is popping out from behind the line of scrimmage. Although he is short, he is very strong and we all know how quick and fast he is. D1 schools would be mistaken to look at his size as a liability. He has carried the ball 356 times for 3,052 yards over the last two years/30 games. Wow. He is very durable due to his strength and wiggle.

Here's the ring. I had to make the file really small to fit it on here. Still looks great!!

Left side: Trinity on top, the state of Kentucky underneath, three diamonds on the side to signify three peat with DYNASTY hands, 3 peat and 18 underneath the hands

Right side: player's last name on top, score (34-28) on top of helmet emblem, underneath is a football with player's number

Face: the boarder reads- 2007 6A State Champions, THS with emeralds inside

They based their design off of the 2003(?) LSU National Championship rings.

Pretty awesome if you ask me.

Here's the awesome new rings. The seniors did a fantastic job of designing them!!

I haven't read the entire post but whoever thinks a Kentucky school would have trounced Trinity or St. X this past season is crazy.

As long as the have nots (in terms of championships) continue to worry about the numbers or lack thereof, and ignore the preparation, coaching and talent it takes to win, they will continue to watch the championship game from the stands. If the have nots continue to do the same thing every year and expect a different result, they are fooling themselves.

Barring an unforeseen event, I don't see anyone currently at THS playing QB next season ahead of Cam Smyth. He has the athleticism, arm, head and escapability to run the show. He will step up and be a leader in the fine tradition of Trinity senior QBs. I look forward to watching him play. He's a great young man too.

I never said or even implied that Stein was the best player on Trinity's team. He was the best QB at Trinity in 2007 and directed a record setting offense that surpassed the numbers set by 2 prior Kentucky Mr. Football award winners from Trinity High School.

I would think that the numbers he put up against the best competition in the state and winning a state title would be enough to at least be in the discussion and a place on the ballot.

With regard to Robey as your pick for Trinity's best player, why even compare players from the same team that don't play the same position? Could Stein have played the OL? No. Could Robey have broken Brian Brohm's records? No. Apples and oranges.

The real question is which player could a team not afford to lose in order to continue executing its game plan? The starting QB or a lineman?

Wow! "Interesting choices" is being very diplomatic. Many deserving players were left off on both sides of the ball.

Of course you bring up the interceptions (that ended up not being the difference in the game). The difference in the game was each of the Rocks, including Stein, making the plays when it absolutely mattered the most.

There are some good two way players. But, Robinson didn't garner attention because of his play on defense and most of the two way players are known for their play on just one side of the ball. No doubt Robinson had a phenomenal season and he is very deserving of any awards he receives. Likewise, he did not wow anyone that I am aware of in the Championship game. But, the awards were won by his play in the season as a whole, not one game.

The Trinity faithful know what each of the kids meant to this year's team and that is more than enough honor and attention for any of them. Securing a place in the Trinity program's history by winning a state title means more to a Trinity player than anything else anyhow.

Not sure. Honestly, I wasn't wowed in the state championship game. And Robinson, Fields and Guy were all two-way players.

What didn't you like about directing a 56 yard drive with 2:01 left in regulation and no timeouts against the best defense in Kentucky for a nationally ranked team in the State Championship? A drive that began with a 16 yard stike into the heart of the defense and ended with a 3 yard perfectly thrown ball in the face of a blitzing safety? Or directing an offense that scored 34 points (the most ever against St. X in the history of this storied rivalry) against the best defense in Kentucky?

Robinson not only got hammered on the offensive side in the finals, but if he did play defense, he was likewise a non-factor given Lex Cath's ability to score at will to achieve a running clock by the end of the 3rd quarter.

I witnessed the 4A final. It was embarrassing. Plain and simple.

The young man from PRP is to be congratulated and I hope he has a terrific game tomorrow and a great career at ND. However, based upon his play against Trinity, he would not have started for the Rocks on either side of the ball. He must be a work out phenom and turned heads at a summer camp. He was never a factor on any play the entire game. Maybe he was sick or something, but he was manhandled by Trinity's OL.

Looking at the Trinity stats website it is interesting to note that in 2007 the Rocks offense set new team records for a season in several categories: 314 first downs (20.9/game), 3,999 yards passing, 6,538 total yards (rushing/passing combined) and 435.9 yards/game. The 690 total points is second only to the 2002 team (785) and the 8.1 yards/play is second only to the 2006 team (8.3 yards/play). To average almost 21 first downs/game is astonishing. The next closest teams were 2002 and 2003 at 279 total/year.

Congratulations to all of the coaches and players for these outstanding statistical achievments.

Great job on the selections and congratulations to all of the young men that were honored.

How many of these "nominees" won a state championship this, or any, year? Will Stein has 3 in a row.