Trinity tops Ringgold in double OT thriller
Ringgold’s Jacob Gerard breaks up a touchdown pass to Trinity’s Jared Deep in the second quarter during Saturday’s game.
Demetrius Louis maintains his hold on the ball while Trinity’s Ryan Moon (8) tries to wrestle it away during Louis’ 43-yard touchdown run in the first quarter Saturday.
Ringgold’s Demetrius Louis runs the ball down the field during the second quarter of the game against Trinity Saturday.
MONONGAHELA – Yesterday’s football game between Ringgold and Trinity was supposed to be played Friday night but was pushed to Saturday afternoon because of a water main break. In the meantime, sunny and gorgeous turned to cold and rain, and Trinity locked up a WPIAL Class AAA playoff spot – something that wasn’t a sure thing only 18 hours earlier. A letdown for either side would have been understandable, with only playoff seeding at stake, but what transpired at Joe Montana Stadium was more than worthy prelude to the playoffs, as Trinity knocked off the Rams, 31-30, in double-overtime to lock up the No. 3 slot in the Big Nine Conference. “We knew if we didn’t show up today that we were going to be the 16th seed,” said Trinity junior Patrick Frey, who ran 31 times for 153 yards and a two-yard touchdown. “We knew we had to get this game.” And, oh, how the Hillers did it. The game-ending play was Trinity’s entire team stuffing Ringgold’s Dayshore Majors on a two-point conversation attempt, but there was so much more that led to that. Start with 8:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. After moving 31 yards on 13 plays with Majors under center – starting quarterback Nico Law was injured on the previous drive – Ringgold’s Connor Dudas tried 39-yard field. He missed wide left, but a roughing the kicker penalty permitted a second attempt. Dudas made the second and the third after a Trinity timeout forced him to repeat the 34-yard kick. In overtime, Ringgold’s Demetrious Louis fumbled on the first play, Trinity (5-3, 5-4) gained just one yard, and Sam Trapuzzano’s 26-yard attempt was also wide left. In double overtime, Frey nearly lost the ball on second down, and Don McWreath gave Trinity a 31-24 lead with his second one-yard touchdown run. Then, faced with fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line, Ringgold ran a play where Majors slipped the ball under his legs and faked a dive; the Trinity defense bit, allowing Louis to pick up the ball like a fumble and score. “Probably the best football game I’ve ever been a part of,” said linebacker Evan McWreath, one of several defenders who joined together to stop Majors on the two-point conversion attempt. “It was unbelievable.” The loss means Ringgold (4-4, 4-5), which will be the No. 5 seed out of the Big Nine, has lost three straight and four of five entering the playoffs. “I’m not going to say anything negative because we lost the turnover battle, and that’s a contributing factor to us losing the football game,” Ringgold coach Matt Humbert said. “The kids fought hard. Effort was there, tenacity was there, and that’s all you can ask for as a coach.” Trinity turned it over on downs after two nine-play drives to start the game, and Ringgold scored long touchdowns both times, a 73-yard pass from Law to Joey Wall and a 43-yard run from Louis, who broke four tackles en route to the end zone. McWreath got the Hillers on the board after an Evan Sherrieb interception, but Trinity’s attempt at a field goal before the half was botched by a pair of false start penalties. Law made it 21-7 with a 60-yard run following an Alan Pritchett interception before Trinity answered with a 67-yard drive that was capped by Frey. Trapuzzano made a 36-yard field goal, and Robert West tacked on a two-yard TD run to give Trinity 17 consecutive points that turned a 21-7 deficit into a 24-21 lead, setting up Dudas’ late kick and an overtime session that was well worth the price of admission. “It would have been very easy to come out flat,” Trinity head coach Ryan Coyle said. “The sun wasn’t out, and I think for some guys it might’ve felt more like a JV game. We started off a little sluggish, but then we got things rolling after we made a few adjustments at halftime.” Extra points Louis finished with 20 carries for 118 yards and two touchdowns. … Law accounted for 166 yards of offense … Wall was injured in the fourth quarter and received attention by the on-site ambulance. Humbert had no immediate information on either Wall or Law’s conditions. … Trinity fullback Connor Durko had five carries for 88 yards.