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11-23-2010, 09:25 PM
For those who may wonder why Ryle football coach Bryson Warner scheduled two football games each of the past two seasons with Highlands, it was in preparation for this Friday night.
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../11230371/
Warner wanted his team to get a good feel for what it was like to face one of the two most traditionally successful programs in state history - at least based on number of state titles won - in case it had to match up with the other, Louisville Trinity. Ryle gets that matchup on Friday night at home in the Class 6A state semifinals.
Highlands, which participates in Class 5A, and Trinity have each won 19 state titles, seven more than the next closest program.
"A lot of teams in Kentucky can't mentally get over playing the name Highlands or Trinity," said Warner, who guided the Raiders to a runner-up finish in Class 4A (then the biggest classification in the state) in 2006 when it lost the title game to Trinity, 41-7.
"They have tremendous tradition where a player's brother or father or grandfather is in the stands wearing a state championship ring. Their expectations are higher. We work as hard as they do and plan on winning state championships, too, but we knew we had to meet that challenge and overcome it to get there and in one case we already did."
That came when Ryle (12-1) ended Highlands' 37-game winning streak with a 28-26 win in the regular-season finale on Oct. 28 after it had already lost three times previously in the past two seasons.
"Facing really good teams with a lot of speed like Highlands really helps," said Ryle senior quarterback Conner Hempel. "Trinity is a great team, but Highlands is a great team, so we're not going to let them mentally beat us before the game starts."
Trinity (12-1), which lost only to Cincinnati St. Xavier, 17-12, has outscored its Kentucky foes this season by an average 37.9 points per game, is 5-0 all-time in the playoffs against Ryle, outscoring the Raiders 205-45, and is 18-1 against Northern Kentucky foes in the playoffs. The Shamrocks have appeared in each of the past five state championship games, winning four (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008), and in nine of the past 10 seasons.
Trinity has a potent offensive attack that's extremely balanced, rushing for 2,487 yards and passing for 2,605 yards on the season. Its defense has also been stingy, allowing just 237 yards and 11.3 points per game.
Sophomore quarterback Travis Wright, the first sophomore to start at the position for Trinity since current Buffalo Bills backup Brian Brohm in 2001, has completed 71.1 percent of his 263 pass attempts for 2,422 yards, 30 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Senior running back Derek Bishop has 1,508 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing.
Ryle counters with an attack that favors the run more. Running behind an offensive line that features tackles Bill Schild and Brad Weber, guards Tanner Teepen and the combination of Mac Vollet and Will Funk, center Logan Delaney and tight end Kohry Thibodeau, junior tailback Travis Elliott has rushed for 2,129 yards and 32 touchdowns, and Hempel has added 972 yard and 10 touchdowns rushing. Hempel has also completed 95 of 171 passes for 1,098 yards, nine touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Elliott and Hempel join four other offensive players who pull double duty on defense with Elliott playing anywhere from end to linebacker to tackle, and Hempel at corner.
"You cannot afford not to have those guys on the field," said Warner. "We're in great shape, we're well conditioned and we don't have a choice, you have to put your best people on the field. We're smart about giving them breaks and getting them in games in crunch time."
This game figures to be crunch time from the beginning though.
"We're playing our best football," said Warner. "We've learned what our strengths and weakness are and we're peaking. We've taken a lot of people's best shot and come out on top and we have an outstanding group of (24) seniors who are willing to lay it on the line."
Hempel knows expectations from outside the program are that the Louisville dominance over Northern Kentucky will simply continue on Friday.
"I think we just need to play the way we've been playing, not do anything special," said Hempel. "We're definitely really excited for this game. We've been talking about it ever since last year. We're one game away from state and we just have to come out and perform."
http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll.../11230371/
Warner wanted his team to get a good feel for what it was like to face one of the two most traditionally successful programs in state history - at least based on number of state titles won - in case it had to match up with the other, Louisville Trinity. Ryle gets that matchup on Friday night at home in the Class 6A state semifinals.
Highlands, which participates in Class 5A, and Trinity have each won 19 state titles, seven more than the next closest program.
"A lot of teams in Kentucky can't mentally get over playing the name Highlands or Trinity," said Warner, who guided the Raiders to a runner-up finish in Class 4A (then the biggest classification in the state) in 2006 when it lost the title game to Trinity, 41-7.
"They have tremendous tradition where a player's brother or father or grandfather is in the stands wearing a state championship ring. Their expectations are higher. We work as hard as they do and plan on winning state championships, too, but we knew we had to meet that challenge and overcome it to get there and in one case we already did."
That came when Ryle (12-1) ended Highlands' 37-game winning streak with a 28-26 win in the regular-season finale on Oct. 28 after it had already lost three times previously in the past two seasons.
"Facing really good teams with a lot of speed like Highlands really helps," said Ryle senior quarterback Conner Hempel. "Trinity is a great team, but Highlands is a great team, so we're not going to let them mentally beat us before the game starts."
Trinity (12-1), which lost only to Cincinnati St. Xavier, 17-12, has outscored its Kentucky foes this season by an average 37.9 points per game, is 5-0 all-time in the playoffs against Ryle, outscoring the Raiders 205-45, and is 18-1 against Northern Kentucky foes in the playoffs. The Shamrocks have appeared in each of the past five state championship games, winning four (2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008), and in nine of the past 10 seasons.
Trinity has a potent offensive attack that's extremely balanced, rushing for 2,487 yards and passing for 2,605 yards on the season. Its defense has also been stingy, allowing just 237 yards and 11.3 points per game.
Sophomore quarterback Travis Wright, the first sophomore to start at the position for Trinity since current Buffalo Bills backup Brian Brohm in 2001, has completed 71.1 percent of his 263 pass attempts for 2,422 yards, 30 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Senior running back Derek Bishop has 1,508 yards and 23 touchdowns rushing.
Ryle counters with an attack that favors the run more. Running behind an offensive line that features tackles Bill Schild and Brad Weber, guards Tanner Teepen and the combination of Mac Vollet and Will Funk, center Logan Delaney and tight end Kohry Thibodeau, junior tailback Travis Elliott has rushed for 2,129 yards and 32 touchdowns, and Hempel has added 972 yard and 10 touchdowns rushing. Hempel has also completed 95 of 171 passes for 1,098 yards, nine touchdowns and just four interceptions.
Elliott and Hempel join four other offensive players who pull double duty on defense with Elliott playing anywhere from end to linebacker to tackle, and Hempel at corner.
"You cannot afford not to have those guys on the field," said Warner. "We're in great shape, we're well conditioned and we don't have a choice, you have to put your best people on the field. We're smart about giving them breaks and getting them in games in crunch time."
This game figures to be crunch time from the beginning though.
"We're playing our best football," said Warner. "We've learned what our strengths and weakness are and we're peaking. We've taken a lot of people's best shot and come out on top and we have an outstanding group of (24) seniors who are willing to lay it on the line."
Hempel knows expectations from outside the program are that the Louisville dominance over Northern Kentucky will simply continue on Friday.
"I think we just need to play the way we've been playing, not do anything special," said Hempel. "We're definitely really excited for this game. We've been talking about it ever since last year. We're one game away from state and we just have to come out and perform."
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11-23-2010, 09:46 PM
Good luck to Ryle Friday. I hope they play the "Giant Killer" role and come out with a win. I know when Bowling Green played them their starting QB was sick and several other excuses but they were lucky to leave with a win. I think Ryle has a very good chance and IMO would not be that big of an upset.
11-23-2010, 10:17 PM
I've been saying it all year it's the year a Louisville power will fall. The inexperience of the shamrocks will catch up to then against a Ryle team loaded with seniors.. Especially with 3 year starters at qb hempel & 2 way starter guard & dl Teepen. Hempel has also moved to corner in past weeks & has made a difference. I predict that a trinity team with 8 sophomore starters & only 5 starting seniors will fall 28 21 to the raiders due to the ground & pound & hold onto the ball style of Ryle. Go raiders do what you did to highlands... 1-0
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