In their first game on the road to the state championship, Trinity Shamrocks (15-12) routed the Atherton Ravens (16-9) 68-37. This win punched a ticket for the seventh region tournament, which will begin next week. This was the Shamrocks ninth win in their last eleven games, and the Shamrocks have proven late in the season that they can hang with any team in the region, and potentially any team in the state.
It was a wire-to-wire victory for the Shamrocks, as they controlled the lead throughout the whole game. However, the Ravens gave them some trouble early, as it was just a four point game at the end of the first quarter. The Shamrocks had a strong start to the second quarter with a dunk by Jayden Johnson followed by two baskets from freshman Cam Jackson. The Shamrocks only extended the lead from here, as the score was 32-16 at halftime. In the second half, it was more of the same: Trinity went on a 10 to 0 run early in the third quarter, and it was smooth sailing from there as they ran away to a 68-37 win.
Senior guard Xavier Cosby led the way for Trinity with 13 points, knocking down three shots from behind the arc in his strong performance. It was not the usual high scoring performance for senior forward Jayden Johnson, as it was his first game of the season without knocking down a three pointer, but he still added 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. Garrison Gilvin added eight points, eight rebounds, and four assists as well, giving him another strong all around game. However, the balanced scoring was the real story of the night for the Shamrocks, as twelve players played and scored in the contest. This was the most players Trinity has had in the scoring column in one game all season.
Next up for Trinity is the district championship, and they will be facing off against the Waggener Wildcats (15-12). The Wildcats were able to upset the Seneca Redhawks (15-11), and will advance to their first appearance in the 27th District Championship since 2019, where they beat the future state championship winning Trinity Shamrocks. Trinity and Waggener faced off once during the season, and Trinity came up with a 71 to 51 win. The matchup will take place on Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at Waggener High School.
