MaxPreps 2012 Preseason Xcellent 25 Football preview: No. 12 Trinity

Magical is the best way to describe Trinity’s 2011 season.

The Shamrocks obliterated every obstacle in their path, finishing with a No. 2 ranking in the Xcellent 25 (No. 1 in some polls) and orchestrating what was likely the greatest team in the history of Kentucky high school football.

It will be difficult for Trinity (Louisville, Ky.) to match that level of consistent dominance it enjoyed a year ago, but the team returns many key players from that magical season and has the makings of another superb year.

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Head coach Bob Beatty has a loaded set of skill players back from last year’s team, including National Player of the Year candidate Travis Wright, his favorite target in James Quick, and the team’s No. 1 running back, Dalyn Dawkins. That trio helped pioneer a Trinity offense that scored a staggering 697 points in only 14 games.



Backup quarterback Reggie Bonnafon should also see reps at receiver, and look for sophomore Donald Brooks to have an impact whenever he sees the field.

If the offensive line, which loses all five starters, can gel quickly, the offense could be even more dynamic. That's frightening for any team on Trinity’s schedule.

Defensively, Trinity returns superstars on the defensive line and in the secondary, with Jason Hatcher and Ryan White respectively. With only three other starters returning, there will be holes to fill, but plenty of able bodies.

Sophomore Adam King is one to watch on the defensive line, while Alex Reisert, also a sophomore, has a shot to step in at linebacker.

Local look: "There's no close second. I watched Highlands when they had Jared Lorenzen and Derek Smith, and Male when they had Montrell Jones and Michael Bush. (Trinity) is just so complete."
- Scott County coach Jim McKee, when asked if last year’s Trinity squad was the best team in state history.

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School size: Class 6A




Enrollment: 1,400 (approx.)


2010 finish: 14-0, Class 6A state champions


Head coach: Bob Beatty


Career record: 154-21


Years at school: 13


Notable players coached:
QB Brian Brohm (Louisville, NFL)



LB Jordan Whiting (Ohio State)

QB Will Stein (Louisville)

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Number of returning starters: 4 (offense), 5 (defense)

Key losses:
OL Tyler English

OL Joey Warburg

OL John Michael Heile



Key returners:
QB Travis Wright

RB Dalyn Dawkins

WR James Quick

DL Jason Hatcher

DB Ryan White

Key newcomers:
RB Donald Brooks



QB/WR Reggie Bonnafon

DL Adam King

LB Alex Reisert



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Toughest game: Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati). This season, Trinity will travel to Cincinnati to take on Moeller in a late-season showdown. Moeller, No. 19, is talented and looking to exact revenge after getting throttled by Trinity last fall. However, the Shamrocks’ schedule is loaded with landmines, including St. Xavier, Elder and Cathedral.



Question mark: The offensive line is the most glaring weakness; it was talented and played amazingly well as a unit last year. However, the other question mark is how this team handles expectations coming off last season, as well as the pressure to live up to last year’s epic run.

Local look: Trinity has separated itself from rival St. Xavier and is clearly the most elite team in Kentucky, if not all the immediate states as well. One other team from the Bluegrass State worth keeping an eye on this fall in Highlands, the state’s top public school program.

Overall outlook: If Trinity’s offensive line comes together, this ranking is likely far too low. That’s the main area of concern for Beatty right now. Given its schedule, that young offensive line needs to mature very quickly. With key veterans and promising newcomers, there should be little falling off for this year’s Trinity squad.

Coach quote: "It's been a really, really outstanding year. This is the 18th Friday in a row where we either had a game or we scouted. That's a long ride. But it's been a great group of kids. From day one, we knew we had something special way back in January of last year."
- Head coach Bob Beatty, after the 2011 state title game.

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