In one of the most anticipated rivalry matchups of the season, Trinity battled throughout a tough 76–57 loss to St. Xavier. Both teams showed strong sharpshooting abilities, and big names came to play against each other. Some players to mention off rip are Jayden Johnson and Garrison Gilvin for the Rocks, and Jeremiah Jackson and Josh Lindsay for St. Xavier.
Trinity Missing Key Players
Trinity had three significant players out for this game, Jaidan Bartlett, Thomas Hornek and Davis Cunningham, so the team had to make big‑time adjustments. Assistant Coach Greg Bader mentioned that they had to be intentional in practice. “Rebounding and offensive efficiency with that small of a lineup, having three bigs out we really had to adjust.” With Jayden Johnson’s return, that helped with the game plan and what they wanted to execute heading into the game.
Even with three players out, the Rocks showed great fight throughout the game and have high hopes for the future and the rest of the season.
Garrison Gilvin’s Impact
Another leader that Coach Bader mentioned was Garrison Gilvin. “Garrison Gilvin, he leads by example, you know, it starts with him. He is the guy,” Bader said. Gilvin scored ten points but paired that with ten rebounds, which was a tremendous help for the Rocks. He also played hard defensively with two steals and seven defensive rebounds.
Young Talent’s Impact
Coach Bader talked a lot about having a young team and still is hopeful for the rest of the season. When three players are out, it’s necessary to bring up some players and a lot of which were sophomores.
One sophomore, Kolten Quirin, mentioned what they needed to do better as a team. “I feel like our turnovers really hurt us, but I feel like we moved the ball really well in the third quarter, if we play like that in the third quarter we can beat any team in the state.”
Jayden Johnson’s Return
Jayden Johnson made his return to Trinity this year, and Friday was his first game being able to play. He made his long‑awaited return and showed strong three‑point ability when contested and uncontested. He also showed good physicality, and he had a lot of heart on and off the court. When watching him in warmups, you can tell he takes every rep very seriously and takes pride in his game.
Jayden showed great fight with all the players he guarded. He was a great leader on and off the court.
What does the future hold for the Rocks?
The Basketball Rocks are excited for the rest of the season. Even with a loss, don’t count this team out just yet; they still have a lot of talent in them and are showing spurts of greatness. With enough time and hard work, I t this could be a State Championship team.
Check out photos from the game below.
