Trinity vs. St. Xavier

Trinity vs. St. Xavier Audio Archive
Saturday, October 3,at 6:00 p.m.
Louisville KY

For the fourth time, the U.S. Marines were the proud presenting sponsor of one of the largest high school football rivalries in the nation: the Trinity Shamrocks vs. the St. Xavier Tigers in the “Battle for the Shillelagh.” The 68th edition of the rivalry and 20th meeting at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium was moved from its traditional Friday evening slot to Saturday due to scheduling conflicts; but students, parents, alumni, and fans still came out by the thousands to tailgate and root for their team.

With all the excitement encountered in a rivalry as intense as this one and with 26,614 people on hand, nothing is as big as the game itself. After a slow start offensively or maybe a good start defensively from both teams, Tiger Jeremiah Neal ran the ball for an 80-yard touchdown with 1:33 left in the first quarter. After a missed extra point, the score was 6-0.

The Tigers waited until midway through the second quarter to score their second touchdown on a 50-yard touchdown pass from quarterback and eventual MVP Brian Buehner to Bryan Noltmeyer, putting St. X up 13-0. After playing a good defensive first half, the Shamrocks joined the scoring party with one minute left in the first half. A good drive was capped off with a 10 yard pass from quarterback Brad Kragthorpe to D. Nix making the score 13-7.

The defense got the ball back and in what could have been the turning point in the game as Trinity missed a field goal with the clock running out on the half. St. X. was penalized for roughing the kckering, giving Trinity the opportunity to run another play. The Rocks opted to try another field goal and missed again. With momentum on their side, the Tigers took a 6-point lead into the locker room at the half.

The game stayed incredibly competitive in the second half as no one scored in the third quarter, St. X exploded on the Trinity defense with a pair of rushing touchdowns, one by Lamont McMurry and another by M. Montano. The lead was extended to 18 as the score was 25-7.

With just over 2 minutes left in the game and Trinity holding on to some hope, Daylen Hall capped off the night with a 99-yard interception return for a touchdown. That would be the final score in the game, leaving the St. Xavier Tigers with a 32-7 victory.

As players rushed the field to receive the Shillelagh from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Marines carried out the Championship Trophy and Championship Hats to present to the coaches and team. Immediately after the schools’ traditional ceremony, the game announcer declared senior quarterback and scholarship recipient, Brian Buehner, MVP of the game. St. X Recruiter Sgt. Williams awarded him the trophy and medal, then presented the winning trophy to Head Coach Mike Glaser while publicly commending the team. It was a memorable and uplifting conclusion to another well-fought “battle on the gridiron.”

BE SURE TO VISIT THE PHOTOS, MVP, AND STUDENT ATHLETE LINKS FOR PICTURES OF GAME HIGHLIGHTS!