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Jim Wiener’s Sports Roundup: Class Three Semifinal
Trinity Visits Cassville After Winning 2 Neutral-Site Games
By Jim Wieners
After opening districts with two home-game wins Trinity Catholic Football won their last two home playoff games at neutral sites. Saturday, Nov.30, Trinity will travel 293 miles, that is 4:25 by bus, to Cassville for a Missouri State High School Activities Association Class Three Semifinal football game. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
The winner advances to the Show-Me Bowl State Championship game, Dec. 7 at 11 a.m. against Kennett or Odessa.
Cassville, located southwest of Springfield and west of Branson, is making their fourth state semifinal appearance. About 10 years ago, the Wildcats won the second of back-to-back state championships including a 2008 win over Cardinal Ritter, which lost to the Titans a year ago. Cassville is 11-2 after winning 35-28 Nov. 23 at Blair Oaks, in the Jefferson City area, snapping the Class Two State Champion Falcons’ 27-game winning streak.
Trinity won the last two games at neutral sites and they have turf fields. In addition, the Football Field seating capacity and limited parking at Trinity are too small to accommodate large playoff crowds. Last year Trinity played their state semifinal game at St. Mary’s in the Class Three Semifinal and dethroned 2017 State Champion Maryville, in route to taking the title themselves.
All four of Trinity’s post-season games, two home and two neutral, count as Titan home games. Cassville played three district games at home and the State Quarterfinal at Blair Oaks. By MSHSAA rules, Cassville played fewer “home games” than Trinity so Cassville hosts the semifinal.
Trinity, now 9-3, returned to St. Mary’s for the Class Three, District Three Final victory, 28-14 Nov. 14, over St. Louis Priory. It is the fourth district title for the Titans since 2009 and the third in the last four years. Trinity got the top seed over second-seed Priory when the 9-3 Rebels lost in week nine to St. Dominic and the Titans have two unbeaten
teams, Class Two Semifinalist Lutheran North and Illinois Class 6A Finalist East St. Louis.
The Trinity rushing game netted 208 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman quarterback Chris Cotton ran for one of the three Titan touchdowns, in the second quarter and threw a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to freshman Marquise Palmer, the only points of the second half (Trinity led 22-14 at halftime). Juniors Malcolm Harvey, who ran for a pair of two-point conversions, and Thomas Mimes each ran for a first-half touchdown.
On Nov. 23, Trinity won the state quarterfinal game at St. Louis University High as the Titans shut out Lutheran High St. Charles 26-0. The game was at SLUH because St. Mary’s, which eliminated McClue4 18-14 in the Class Four, District Two Final, hosted the Class Four quarterfinal win over Farmington. The shut out victory for the Titans is the fourth this season and the win over Lutheran St. Charles (10-3) is the second of the year for the Titans over the Cougars.
Cotton threw a pair of third-quarter touchdown passes in a span of 1:03. With 4:28 left Cotton threw to junior tight end Scott Presson, who ran the majority of the play for a 57-yard scored. After Trinity recovered a Lutheran St. Charles fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Cotton tossed a 36-ayrd touchdown to junior wide receiver Tam Williams.
Cotton scored on a second-quarter half-yard quarterback sneak with 1:31 left while senior James Frenchie got the Titans first score on a first quarter 11-yard run with 5:56 left. Senior kicker
Austin Franklin added a pair of third quarter extra points. The Trinity goal-line defense resulted in a pair of Lutheran St. Charles turnovers including a late first half fumble near the goal line and a third quarter pass interception.
