Trinity looks to defend 6A state championship as Ryle seeks first in school history

The No. 3 ranked Trinity Shamrocks clash with the No. 6 ranked Ryle Raiders on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. EST in the Class 6A State Championship Game at Kroger Field. Trinity is searching for its TWENTY-NINTH state title in program history and second in a row, while Ryle is on the cusp of winning its first EVER state championship. Talk about a David vs. Goliath matchup.

The Raiders have made just one state championship in program history, falling to Trinity 41-7 in the 2006 Class 4A title game. The Shamrocks’ 28 titles are the most of any school in the state and five more than the second-most (Highlands, 23).

Ryle might boast the best resume in the entire state, holding wins over No. 10 Covington Catholic, No. 11 Christian Academy-Louisville, No. 13 Highlands, No. 18 St. Xavier, and No. 20 Great Crossing (x2) this season. Trinity’s resume is great as well, boasting wins over No. 8 Frederick Douglass (x2) and No. 19 Male.

This should be a highly competitive matchup featuring two high-octane offenses averaging 29 points (Trinity) and 35 points per game (Ryle). Let’s break them down further.

No. 6 Ryle Raiders (12-2)

If there was ever a season for the Ryle Raiders to secure their first-ever State Title, it’s this one.

Ryle, led by head coach Mike Engler, has compiled a season that fans have dreamed of. This includes five wins over Top 25 teams, including a running clock blowout of St. Xavier in the Class 6A Quarterfinals. “I don’t think we’ve ever had a running clock,” said a Ryle assistant coach following the conclusion of that game. These Raiders are for real.

Speaking of for real, junior running back Jacob Savage is just that. Savage, in his second-to-last season of high school football, rushed for 1,006 yards and 22 touchdowns this season. “I wouldn’t want to play with any other team,” Savage said following the St. X game. “We have all the confidence and I’ve never seen a team with this much confidence. It’s been fun to watch and fun to play.”

Along with Savage, junior quarterback Nathan Verax has had a very productive season for the Raiders. Verax passed for 2,105 yards and 27 touchdowns, throwing just 10 interceptions. Along with his passing, he is second on the team with 627 rushing yards and seven rushing scores. Savage and Verax lead a Ryle offense that averages 325 yards and nearly 35 points per game.

Along with the offense, the Ryle defense has played inspired defense all season. In the state’s most talented class, the Raiders allow just 226 yards and 15 points per game. Savage, along with leading the team in rushing, is also the team’s leading tackler. He notched 134 this season, which is tied for 18th most in the state. He’s also totaled 9.5 TFL, three sacks, and one interception. Talk about getting it done everywhere.

Although the Massey Ratings predict a 20-point loss for the Raiders, their two losses this season have come by seven points each. It will take a grand effort from the Shamrocks to cover that spread, much less win the game.

No. 3 Trinity Shamrocks (12-2)

Saturday will mark business as usual for the Shamrocks, who are playing in their 33rd State Championship game.

Head coach Jay Cobb took over for legendary coach Bob Beatty following the 2020 season, winning his first title last season in a 41-20 win over Bryan Station. If Trinity can hold off Ryle on Saturday to secure back-to-back titles, it will mark the 13th occasion where the Shamrocks have won two straight championships.

Trinity suffered two losses this season, but just one to in-state competition. They fell to Center Grove (Greenwood, IN) 24-10 back on Sep. 6, and lost to St. Xavier 16-10 at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium on Sep. 28. Coincidentally, two of St. Xavier’s seven victories this season came against Ryle and Trinity.

A year after quarterback Zane Johnson became the first starting freshman quarterback to EVER win a state title at Trinity, he goes for the two-peat on Saturday. This season, Johnson has passed for 1,806 yards and 16 touchdowns. Flanking Johnson in the backfield are running backs Christopher Wilson and Jamaurion Berry, who have combined for 1,461 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns this season.

The Trinity offense averaged 29 points and 282 yards of offense this season, less than Ryle. Their defense posted better numbers than the Raider defense however, as the Shamrocks allowed just 9.4 points and 182.9 yards per game. They’re led defensively by seniors linebacker Jack DeBellis (63 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks), linebacker Nicholas Lococo (60 tackles, 10 TFL, 1.5 sacks), and safety Caleb Ricks (56 tackles, 5.5 TFL, five interceptions.)

Of all the state championship games this weekend, this game could very well steal the show.

Score Prediction

*KSR’s Prediction: Trinity 22, Ryle 21

**Massey Ratings’ Prediction: Trinity 34, Ryle 14

*KSR’s Prediction is an average from five voter predictions.*

**The Massey Ratings is a system created in 1999 by statistician Kenneth Massey that was used to help determine the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) until 2013.**