KSR Game of the Week: No. 1 Trinity clashes with No. 3 St. Xavier in Louisville

Louisville’s L&N Stadium will set the stage for one of the state’s biggest high school rivalries.

The KSR Game of the Week will feature a clash between two of the three best teams in Kentucky. The No. 1 Trinity Shamrocks (4-1) will battle the No. 3 St. Xavier Tigers (3-1) this Friday under the lights at 8:00 p.m. ET. It will mark the 94th matchup between these Louisville schools, a series that dates all the way back to 1956. St. Xavier won last year’s showdown in the regular season, 16-10.

Both teams have yet to lose against Kentucky schools. Trinity’s lone defeat of the season came to Cincinnati Moeller (OH) and Kentucky QB commit Matt Ponatoski by a final score of 24-21. St. Xavier’s one loss came against another Cincinnati school, Elder (OH), 26-24, just last week. Trinity has posted a combined score of 145-0 against three KY schools, while St. Xavier is 103-24 against in-state schools. The Shamrocks have been KSR’s top-ranked team all season long, with St. Xavier a constant member of the top five.

While we’ll be expecting a close and intense game from start to finish, the On3 Massey Ratings feel differently, predicting a dominant 38-14 win for Trinity. Regardless of what the outcome looks like, the atmosphere will be intense and electric. Here’s what you need to know about both schools going into Friday’s showdown at L&N Stadium.

No. 1 Trinity Shamrocks (4-1) | 6A

Trinity is led by head coach Jay Cobb, who is now in his fifth season with the school. He coached the Shamrocks to back-to-back Class 6A state championships in 2023 and 2024. They’ve been the favorite to three-peat since the preseason. Having a reliable quarterback who knows the system certainly helps.

Junior QB Zane Johnson engineered the Trinity offense the last two seasons. After picking up offers from Appalachian State and Miami (OH) in the spring, he’s doing the same this year. Johnson has thrown for 914 yards (64 completion percentage) and 14 touchdowns with just one interception through five games. He threw for four touchdowns, 318 yards, and no picks a couple of weeks ago against Carmel (IN).

Johnson’s favorite targets are senior WR Cross Watson (3 TDs, 298 yards) and junior WR Jayce Duvall (6 TDs, 22 yards). He has plenty of help in the backfield, too, primarily through junior RB Jamaurion Berry, who has 401 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, not to mention his 100 yards and one touchdown as a receiver. Sophomore RB Ashton Taylor (2 TDs, 164 yards) is another threat in the run game for Trinity.

On defense, junior LB Luke Vize leads the Shamrocks with 33 tackles, including a tackle for loss and a sack, but junior DB Allen Evans (17 tackles, 1 TFL) is the defensive star. The four-star recruit has offers from UK, Louisville, Penn State, Tennessee, and many more. Senior LB KeAnthony Calloway (22 tackles, 3 TFL) and junior DB Myles Howze (21 tackles, 3 INT) can create plenty of havoc. Senior DL Jahbarri Frost (7 tackles, 1 TFL) is a three-star prospect to keep an eye on. Junior DL Sebastian Blue has a team-high five sacks. As a unit, Trinity’s defense has recorded 14 sacks, eight interceptions (two returned for scores), and four fumble recoveries while allowing just 52 total points on the season.

No. 3 St. Xavier Tigers (3-1) | 6A

St. Xavier head coach Kevin Wallace, now in year eight, expects to retire at the end of this season. He led the Tigers to the 2021 6A state title and has six titles to his name throughout his head coaching career. His swan song is off to a good start.

Senior QB Mason Trimble runs the show for the Tigers, having thrown for 548 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also puts in work with his legs, racking up another 134 yards and three more scores on the ground. But Trimble likes to hand the ball off to his trusty running backs. Senior ATH Marlon Harbin III, a Louisville commit, leads the team in rushing with 239 yards and six touchdowns. He also leads St. Xavier in receptions with 16 catches for 193 yards and a pair of TDs. Junior RB Cooper Yates and senior RB Wyatt Graven have totaled 223 yards and two touchdowns between the two.

Another Louisville commit headlines the St. Xavier defense. Senior LB Karsten Busch, who will also line up at wide receiver in spurts, is the leader on defense with a team-high 39 tackles (3 TFL). Senior Luka Bentz isn’t too far behind with 23 tackles (2 TFL), while senior DL Brennen Garr and junior DE Korey Tutt Jr. have a combined nine sacks. Harbin also lines up on defense with 13 tackles and one interception. As a team, St. Xavier has allowed just 50 points through four games.

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