Trinity has had its fair share of students make it to the big leagues. Below is an update on Rondale Moore, David Johnson, and Brandon Pfaadt.
Rondale Moore- Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver
Rondale Moore was a superstar on the field for the Shamrocks during his time at Trinity, 2014-2017. During his senior year, Moore led Trinity to a 15-0 record while putting up an unreal statline. He had 16 receiving touchdowns, 7 rushing touchdowns, and 1478 receiving yards in that season. Stephen Lickert, Head Coach of Campell County High School said, “Rondale Moore is the best player in the state. He’s just a special talent. You have to account for him on every play and it makes the rest of the players that much better.”
Moore played his way into a 4-star rating on 247 sports and offers from many big-time programs. In June of 2017, he committed to a top-tier college football program, the Texas Longhorns. He later decommitted from Texas and ended up playing for the Purdue Boilermakers, who were coached by Trinity legend, Jeff Brohm. In Moore’s first game at Purdue, he broke the single-game record for most yards in a game at 313. He was named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the week 4 times. Moore was also named the recipient of the 2018 Paul Hornung Award which is given to the most versatile in all of college football.
Following his college career, Moore was selected in the 2021 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals with the 49th overall pick. He has spent 3 seasons in Arizona and has been an impact player. He had 1201 receiving yards, along with 3 touchdowns with the Arizona Cardinals. Ahead of the 2024 NFL season, Moore was traded to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for former St Xavier High School quarterback, Desmond Ridder. Unfortunately, just before the current NFL season, Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury and is sidelined for the remainder of the season.
David Johnson- Memphis Hustle G League
David Johnson cemented his legacy as one of the greatest hoopers ever to put on a Trinity jersey. As a sophomore, Johnson averaged 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and was named third-team All-State. Early into his senior year, Johnson committed to play basketball for the University of Louisville. Johnson also considered offers from Georgia and Xavier. Johnson won a state championship at Trinity in 2019, beating Scott County 50-40. To finish out his high school career, Johnson averaged 16.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and four assists. He was recognized as Player of the Year and won MVP of the Sweet 16 state tournament.
Coming out of high school, ESPN ranked Johnson as a four-star recruit and the best college prospect out of Kentucky. He committed to play for Chris Mack and the Louisville Cardinals on probation then. Johnson missed his freshman season with an offseason shoulder injury. Johnson led Louisville to an upset win over Duke with 19 points in 2020. As a sophomore, Johnson averaged 12.6 points, 3.2 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Following that season, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft.
With the 47th pick, the Toronto Raptors selected Johnson. He signed a two-way contract with the Raptors and split time with the G-league team, Raptors 905. Johnson has signed with the Memphis Hustle and is currently still with them. In the offseason, Johnson also accepted the opportunity to play with his old teammates in “The Basketball Tournament” (TBT) with the Louisville Cardinals.
Brandon Pfaadt- Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher
Brandon Pfaadt, a graduate of the Trinity class of 2017 has broken out as one of the most consistent young pitchers in the major leagues. After his Trinity baseball career, he headed to Bellarmine University. In 2019, he played collegiate summer ball with the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Pfaadt was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 2020 minor league season was cancelled due to the coronavirus. He made his professional debut in 2021 with the Visalia Rawide, Hillsboro Hops and the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Over his 22 starts with the three teams, Pfaadt went 8-7 with a 3.21 ERA and 160 strikeouts over 131 innings. On May 3, 2023, Pfaadt was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues.
Since signing with the Diamondbacks, Pfaadt has become a key starter in the team’s pitching rotation. He took the mound in game 3 of the World Series last year against the Rangers. Pfaadt allowed 3 runs in 5 innings of the game, which resulted in a loss. He has a 9-9 record currently in the 2024 MLB season with a 4.81 ERA.
