KSR Game of the Week: No. 13 St. Xavier at No. 10 Ryle

The KSR Game of the Week is headed to Union, KY for a massive Class 6A playoff matchup.

Possibly the biggest KSR Game of the Week of the 2024 season will pit the host No. 10 Ryle Raiders (9-2) against the visiting No. 13 St. Xavier Tigers (7-4) on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. EST. 

The Raiders traveled to St. Xavier earlier this season on Oct. 4, where they fell to the Tigers 31-24. That marked one of two Ryle losses this season, with the other coming on the road at No. 5 Cooper (21-14) on Sep. 6.

Ryle and St. Xavier have met on five different occasions since the 2009 season. The Tigers are 5-0 and won all five games by an average of 25 points. Friday’s matchup will mark their second playoff matchup (St. Xavier won 66-17 in 2009).

Looking at On3’s Massey Ratings score predictions, St. Xavier has a 72 percent chance to win this game with the projected final score favoring the Tigers, 34-21. Here’s what you need to know about both teams.

No. 13 St. Xavier Tigers (7-4)

It’s been an up-and-down season for the St. Xavier Tigers, who entered the postseason with just six regular season wins. The last time St. X failed to win more than six regular season games was the COVD-riddled 2020 season, where the Tigers were 3-2 and had three games canceled.

One of St. X’s six wins was against Ryle earlier this season, where junior quarterback Mason Trimble and junior HB/WR Marlon Harbin III led the Tigers to a 31-24 victory. Trimble passed for 227 yards and two touchdowns, while Harbin rushed for 109 yards and two scores.

St. Xavier lost four regular season games, but they were all to teams ranked inside KSR’s Top 25 Rankings (excluding Elder from Cincinnati, OH). The Tigers lost a nail-biter to No. 8 Male (35-34) on Sep. 6, lost to No. 3 DuPont Manual 29-22 on Oct. 11, and were upset by No. 15 Bowling Green (29-6) on Nov. 1.

Kevin Wallace’s team however holds quality wins over No. 4 Trinity (16-10), No. 18 Central (37-7), and previously mentioned Ryle (31-24).

Trimble has had a great season at quarterback for the Tigers, as he’s passed for 2,075 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He is also the team’s second leading rusher (326 yards, four touchdowns) behind Marlon Harbin III (704 yards, 12 touchdowns). The St. X offense scores an average of 32 points per game, while the St. X defense allows an average of 18 points per game.

No. 10 Ryle Raiders (9-2)

The 2024 season has been a great one for the Ryle Raiders, who have won nine games for the first time since the 2021 season. They’ve racked up some quality wins, including against No. 19 Covington Catholic (30-14), No. 17 Highlands (34-28), No. 20 Christian Academy-Louisville (28-24), and Great Crossing (36-8).

The two lone Raiders losses (No. 5 Cooper and No. 13 St. Xavier) were both by just seven points, so Ryle was just a few plays away from boasting an 11-0 record and making a strong case for the No. 2 team in the state.

Junior quarterback Nathan Verax (1,702 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) leads the offense and is flanked by junior running back Jacob Savage (851 rushing yards, 17 touchdowns), and receiving threats senior Landon Lorms (623 receiving yards, seven touchdowns) and junior Dylan Lee (478 receiving yards, seven touchdowns).

The Raider offense averages 34 points per game, while the defense allows 16 points per game. Ryle has advanced to the Class 6A Quarterfinals three times in the past 10 years (2023, 2021, 2016), but lost all three games.