Manual’s football team almost had an early 7-0 lead over nationally ranked Trinity, but a penalty nullified the score, and after that the Shamrocks erupted for seven first-half touchdowns en route to a 55-0 shellacking of the visiting Crimsons on Friday night in the second round of the Class 6-A playoffs.
Midway through the first quarter, a pass by Trinity quarterback Travis Wright was intercepted by Jacob Ulinski, who ran 40 yards down the left sideline for an apparent TD. But Manual was guilty of roughing the passer, and the score was nullified.
“(Wright) made a bad read and we got the call, but that’s football,” Trinity coach Bob Beatty said after his unbeaten Shamrocks — ranked No. 1 in one national poll and No. 2 in another — romped to their 11th win this season and 22nd in a row over two years. “We were fortunate, and we were pleased the way we responded.”
“That changed the whole momentum,” Manual coach Oliver Lucas said after his Crimsons (9-3), ranked No. 11 in Kentucky, finished their season 9-3. The first of those three losses came at the hands of Trinity 58-7 in early October.
The Shamrocks, who have won eight state titles in the past 10 years, moves into third-round play against St. Xavier (8-4), a 56-10 winner over Male, next Friday at 8 p.m. at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Trinity beat St. X 41-6 in regular-season play.
The pass Ulinski grabbed was Wright’s only mistake. He went on to complete 10 of 13 passes for 193 yards and four touchdowns. Wright is just a junior, as is wide receiver James Quick, who caught four passes for 105 yards and two scores. Another junior, Dayln Dawkins scored on runs of 68 and 5 yards, and rushed for 124 yards on 15 carries.
Ryan White got in the scoring onslaught by returning a punt 60 yards for a TD with 1:21 left in the first half.
Having gone 6-0 against strong out-of state competition this season, Trinity is being recognized by some observers as the best high school team in Kentucky history — even better than the 1938 Manual team, Paul Horning’s 1952 Flaget team and the 1959 Manual squad led by Sherman Lewis.
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