KSR Game of the Week: No. 1 Trinity battles Matt Ponatoski, Moeller (OH) in Cincinnati

The KSR Game of the Week is crossing the border into Ohio for a special matchup.

Ranked number one in KSR’s latest Top 25 statewide poll, the Trinity Shamrocks are off to a terrific 2-0 start this season as the two-time defending 6A champions. Expectations are high in 2025, and they’ve lived up to them so far. But the toughest challenge of the season awaits on Friday. Trinity will head over to Cincinnati’s Mount St. Joseph University for a showdown with one of the best teams in all of Ohio, the Archbishop Moeller Crusaders.

Moeller, as many already know, rosters the Kentucky Wildcats’ top incoming high school commit, Matt Ponatoski. The four-star quarterback is considered to be a top 10 signal-caller in the country and will take his skills to Lexington next year. We’ll have all eyes and ears on the future ‘Cat as he takes on the Louisville-based Shamrocks.

Trinity might be loaded with talent and is the clear-cut best team in the state, but Moeller, led by Ponatoski, is among the best teams in the entire country. It’s no wonder On3’s Massey Ratings project the Crusaders to win in blowout fashion, 41-14. But we’ll be hoping for an exciting matchup regardless. Kickoff on Friday in Cincinnati is set for 7:00 p.m. ET.

Here’s what you need to know about both schools going into this week’s showdown.

No. 1 Trinity Shamrocks (2-0)

Trinity is the top-ranked team in Kentucky for a reason. All 10 of KSR’s weekly voters have tabbed them No. 1 in the state the last two weeks. Head coach Jay Cobb, now in year five, is coming off back-to-back state championship runs. He has the Shamrocks in position to three-peat in Class 6A after two beatdowns to open the 2025 campaign. Trinity mowed down Pleasure Ridge Park (62-0) in the opener before smacking a ranked Frederick Douglass squad (37-0) last week. There are several future Division I athletes up and down the Trinity roster.

Junior QB Zane Johnson is hearing from a handful of mid-major schools. He’s already tossed six touchdowns (without a single interception) through two games on 12-22 passing. Trinity has a pair of running backs that will handle a majority of the responsibilities. Sophomore Ashton Taylor (84 rushing yards, 1 TD) and junior Jamaurion Berry (82 rushing yards, 2 TDs) have combined for 28 of the team’s 35 carries this season. Taylor, who has also caught a 53-yard touchdown, already holds multiple P4 offers. Junior WR Jayce Duvall leads Trinity with three receiving touchdowns on three receptions.

But the Shamrocks might be even more talented on the defensive end. Trinity has yet to allow a single point through two games. They have five interceptions by five different players already, one brought back for a touchdown by junior Elijah Burns-Crump. Junior Cooper Burrice scooped up a fumble for a touchdown, too. Junior S Sekou Kamara is among the stars in the secondary, while junior CB Allen Evans is a top 150 player in the country. Senior DL Jahbarri Frost, who picked up a couple of mid-major offers in the summer, is another name to know. Junior Luke Vize leads the team with 10 tackles, while senior KeAnthony Calloway isn’t far behind with nine of his own.

Archbishop Moeller (OH) Crusaders (1-1)

We here at KSR can’t talk about Archbishop Moeller (OH) without first mentioning Kentucky’s future QB, Matt Ponatoski, who looks every bit the part of the four-star prospect he’s been labeled. Ranked No. 99 overall by Rivals in the class of 2026, the 6-foot-2 dual-sport (baseball) star put up huge numbers last week in a last-second, 43-42 loss to Mount Carmel (IL). Ponatoski threw for 287 yards with five touchdowns and no picks on 19-30 passing while also running the ball six times for 54 yards. Moeller lost on the very last play of the game.

Archbishop Moeller (OH) QB Matt Ponatoski hits his reciever in the back of the end zone for 6️⃣

Ponatoski is a 4-star Kentucky commit

(via @GregSmithRivals)https://t.co/WfU8GqHhTE pic.twitter.com/WsvXnyM0ys

— Rivals High School (@Rivals_HS) August 30, 2025

Ponatoski’s favorite target so far has been senior WR Carson Khayo, who has 13 receptions for 226 yards and a trio of touchdowns. Senior RB Tyler Josleyn is the bell cow in the backfield with 26 rushes for 93 yards and two scores on the ground. Three-star TE Sam Hamilton is committed to West Virginia and is another weapon on the outside for Ponatoski. Protecting him will be OT Kalel Johnson, a top 200 junior in the country who is hearing plenty from Ohio State.

Moeller’s defense has plenty of talent, too. Four players already have double-digit tackles, led by 13 from senior LB Conner Cuozzo. Senoir DB Caleb Coe has 11 tackles and a pair of interceptions. Senior DL Christian Harris, who is committed to Wake Forest, is another name to watch, although he did not play in Week 2 against Mount Carmel. Simply put, there are endless Division I-level football players on this roster. Moeller is deep and talented.

Join KSR Plus! With a KSR Plus membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.