Trinity coach Bob Beatty, left, and St. X coach Will Wolford will meet again Friday when their teams face off in a Class 6-A state semifinal at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. C-J file photo.
Not wanting to overstate the significance of one single player on his deep and talented squad, Trinity High School football coach Bob Beatty hesitated a bit when asked about wide receiver Rondale Moore and likened him to “another tool in the toolbox.”
Then Beatty briefly let down his guard.
“He’s a pretty fast tool,” Beatty said, “and a pretty versatile tool.”
It’s been eight weeks since Trinity and St. Xavier last met, and there’s little doubt both teams have improved as they enter Friday’s rematch in a Class 6-A state semifinal set for 6:30 p.m. at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
But when looking for the single biggest difference in the teams from Sept. 30 – when the Shamrocks beat the Tigers 35-13 – until now, the discussion begins and ends with Moore.
A 5-foot-8, 170-pound junior, Moore initially was ruled ineligible by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association after transferring from New Albany but won and appeal and became eligible Oct. 25.
Moore had to complete 11 practices before becoming eligible to play in a game, and he’s been the Shamrocks’ leading receiver in both contests since. In a 49-0 victory over Eastern on Nov. 11 he had three catches for 111 yards and three touchdowns. In last week’s 63-20 victory over Ballard, Moore had five receptions for 136 yards and three scores.
That’s not a misprint – eight receptions, six touchdowns.
“He’s a guy you always have to know where he’s at,” St. X coach Will Wolford said. “As soon as No. 1 runs on the field, you’re going to point it out because he’s the fastest kid on the field. We’ve seen it before with Jaelin Carter at Manual and (Nate) Hobbs at Male and (B.K.) Smith at Male. But it looks like this kid may be even faster than them.”
The addition of Moore is, indeed, another weapon for a Trinity offense that already was efficient and is averaging 47.3 points per game.
Senior quarterback Spencer Blackburn is completing 69.4 percent of his passes and has thrown for 2,168 yards and 31 touchdowns with just three interceptions. Senior running backs Roderick Thomas and Jovan Smith have rushed for a combined 1,646 yards and 23 touchdowns. Senior Noah Ellison has a team-best 39 catches for 474 yards and nine TDs.
Senior center Kyle Liebert said the offense is improving but still can get better.
“It’s just little things, like a run for 4 yards could have been 10 or a play for 10 could have been a touchdown,” Liebert said. “It’s just small things we can improve on to get us better.”
Beatty was most pleased with Blackburn in last week’s victory over Ballard, when the quarterback completed 11 of 17 passes for 276 yards and four scores.
“I really felt like last Friday night was maybe the most in tune I’ve been with him on the field the entire year,” Beatty said. “He was thinking ahead to the next play, knew what we wanted to call, knew what I wanted from him as far as leadership.”
Asked if he eventually feels that way with all of his quarterbacks, Beatty responded: “I’m not sure some of them ever get there.”
St. X’s offense also is clicking during the playoffs, as the Tigers have averaged 45.3 points and 320.3 rushing yards in victories over Muhlenberg County, Manual and Male.
Beatty said the key to defending St. X’s 1-2 rushing punch of quarterback Desmond Ridder and running back Sam Taylor is not picking one to shut down and ultimately making the Tigers throw the ball. The Tigers’ running game was held in check – 29 carries, 113 yards – during the regular-season meeting.
“You don’t stop one or the other,” Beatty said. “You have to limit their run game and get it in a controllable situation.”
The St. X-Trinity winner will face the Scott County-Lafayette winner in the Class 6-A state final set for next Saturday in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The Shamrocks have won four of the past six 6-A titles, but St. X hasn’t captured a state crown since 2009. Wolford knows Tigers fans are anxious to get back to the state final and to end Trinity’s recent dominance in the series, as the Shamrocks have won 11 of the past 12 meetings.
“We emphasize that this is playoff game No. 4 and this is the next step,” Wolford said. “We’ve gone from Manual to Male to Trinity, so it’s been a step up every week. And most of our kids went to Catholic grade schools and have heard about this rivalry since they were 5 years old. They know what this is about.”
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.
GAME OF THE WEEK
* Who: St. Xavier (10-3) vs. Trinity (13-0).
* When: 6:30 p.m. Friday.
* Where: Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.
* Jason’s pick: Trinity 21-17.
* Tickets: All tickets are general admission and cost $10. Gates and ticket windows will open at 5 p.m.
* Parking: $10. Lots will open at 4:30 p.m. No tailgating will be allowed.