It is safe to say the Trinity Shamrocks football team has held the St. Xavier Tigers by the scruff of the neck this year.
Last Friday, the Rocks took on their cross-town rivals in a second-round playoff matchup at Marshall Stadium. This was a rather historic game for the rivalry, as it was the first non-COVID year contest between the two to ever be played at Marshall Stadium. While Marshall Stadium holds significantly less than the University of Louisville’s L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, there was still an estimated 18,000 viewers between in person attendance and the WDRB+ live stream, which is similar to recent totals at L&N Stadium. Local restaurants such as Drake’s and The Raven also displayed the game on their TVs.
The Rocks jumped out to an early 7-0 lead with the help of senior RB Clint Sansbury, directly following a tone-setting goal-line stand by the Shamrocks stout defense. The Rocks didn’t look back, making the score 28-7 going into halftime. The Shamrock student section was loud and proud all night, seemingly the loudest they have been in the last four years according to seniors Gabe Mingus and Matthew Higgins. Mingus, a senior LB, mentioned how “overwhelming” the Trinity student section seemed to be for the Tigers. He noted the troubles they had getting calls in due to the deafening cheers from Trinity fans, and he believes this caused frustration to set in early, throwing the Tigers off their game.
Senior DL Nate Tronzo commented on the importance of the number of students that showed up, saying his play was “energized, feeling an entire school behind him each snap.” Senior DB Lincoln Mitchell noted how early the students showed up, seemingly waiting on the Tigers to arrive at the stadium. He felt this gave them an advantage before they even stepped on the field. The Shamrock student section certainly overwhelmed the Rage Cage, as most of the St. X crowd had shuffled out by the end of the third quarter.
The Rocks continued to dominate the second half, adding a Jeremiah Lynn touchdown, as well as a field goal by junior kicker Carson Hilbert. The game ended with a final score of 38-14, Trinity’s second display of dominance against the Tigers this year with a score margin of 20+ points. Trinity has now won the last 16 of 20 matchups against Saint Xavier.
The Rocks continue their push to their 28th state championship this Friday, November 16th @ 7pm at home against McCracken County.
Notable Shamrock Performances:
Sr. Clint Sansbury- 166 yds. Rushing, 3 TD
Sr. Luke Sasser- Rushing TD
Jr. Jeremiah Lynn- 4 catches for 80 yds. Rushing TD
Fr. Jamaurion Berry- Rushing TD
Sr. Gabe Mingus- Int.
Sr. Brady Mcenaney- Int.
