Matt Ponatoski's 3 second-half TDs lead Moeller (OH) to comeback win over No. 1 Trinity

After hobbling into the halftime locker room with his team trailing by 11 in the KSR Game of the Week, Matt Ponatoski found his rhythm in a statement comeback victory.

Ponatoski, who is committed to play quarterback for the University of Kentucky, tossed for a trio of touchdowns in the second half of Moeller‘s (OH) 24-21 win over the top-ranked Trinity Shamrocks on Friday night in Cincinnati. Moeller trailed 14-3 at the break, with Ponatoski taking three sacks and nearly having a pass intercepted.

But after limping off the field with a minor injury at the intermission, the four-star prospect ripped apart a talented Trinity defense in the third and fourth quarters, finishing with 201 passing yards and the three touchdowns on 23-28 passing. Trinity’s loss snapped an 11-game winning streak.

“A lot of respect to them, they got after us,” Ponatoski said of Trinity postgame. “We kinda knew that coming in. We were gonna win in the long run like we did in the second half when we put up 21 points… We knew that was going to happen. We trusted our game plan and we knew they were gonna come out fast and they were gonna die off.

“It’s a long game. If we played two quarters, yeah, credit to them, they would have beat us. But it’s not a two-quarter game, it’s a four-quarter game.”

On top of Ponatoski’s efforts, Moeller racked up an additional 139 rushing yards compared to 170 on the ground for Trinity. The Shamrocks’ bell cow, Jamaurion Berry, picked up 121 of those yards to go along with a pair of rushing touchdowns. Trinity quarterback Zane Johnson finished with 136 yards (11-16 passing) and one touchdown through the air.

Despite its ranking as the top team in the state, Trinity was a clear underdog going into this matchup against the Ohio powerhouse. Although it ultimately came in defeat, the Shamrocks did nothing to suggest there is a better team in Kentucky than them. Some unlucky bounces and calls in the second half didn’t go their way in a game where they needed them to.

Big time win for Moeller over the top-ranked team in Kentucky.

Celebration is on. https://t.co/UTRCcZBcJR pic.twitter.com/Iy8BdXF2uW

— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) September 6, 2025

In what was a quick opening half, Trinity was looking to set the tone from the jump. It didn’t take them long to do just that. A lengthy opening drive capped off by Berry’s first score put the Shamrocks ahead early. Trinity’s defense was wreaking havoc on the Moeller offensive line, consistently putting pressure on Ponatoski while limiting explosive plays. Trinity would find paydirt again midway through the second quarter as Johnson hit tight end Jack Stivers for another touchdown.

Moeller managed to avoid a first-half shutout thanks to a 39-yard field goal from Jack Mallabar to make it 14-3 at the break. Right before the field goal attempt, Ponatoski was rocked by the Trinity defense and was slow to get up. The Shamrocks controlled nearly all the momentum going into the half.

But Ponatoski is ranked No. 99 in Rivals’ 2026 recruiting class for a reason. He quickly engineered a touchdown drive on the first possession of the second half to make it 14-10 still in favor of Trinity. The Shamrocks were moving the ball went the next time out, but Johnson had a pass intercepted by Conner Cuozzo, which immediately led to another Ponatoski TD, this one to Reggie Watson. In a matter of minutes, Moeller jumped ahead 17-14.

Moeller attempted to go for the kill from there, perfectly executing an unexpected onside kick to regain possession. The Crusaders entered scoring position before a fumble was scooped up by Trinity. But the Shamrocks, backed up to its own goal line, weren’t able to take advantage. Early into the final period, Ponatoski hit West Virginia tight end commit Sam Hamilton for an 18-yard touchdown to make it 24-14.

Trinity had an answer though thanks to another touchdown from Berry on a five-play drive. Moeller was clinging to a 24-21 lead with only a few minutes to go. Trinity had opportunities to get the ball back, but couldn’t keep Moeller from moving the ball. The Crusaders picked up enough first downs and eventually ran out the clock with a knee to pick up the statement win.

“Last week, we are in a really tight game and we end up losing,” Ponatoski said, referencing last week’s tough 43-42 loss to Mount Carmel (IL). “We’ve been in that spot, so we know what to do.”