  St. X Trinity game...ahhh the memories. Mine go back way farther than the four years I attended the great St. Xavier high school. I am lucky enough to have a birthday near the scheduled game every year. I remember my first attendance game during my sixth grade year at St. Albert. I had learned of the rivalry earlier in the week when Chris Burke made a full fledged appeal to get fellow classmates to cheer for the green and gold..."my brother is going to play baseball there" were the winning words that got me on his side. My uncl, Greg, and cousins Chuck (St.X class of '00) and Michael went to the game. I was amazed. So many people. The next year I was fully St. X equipped. I had my St.X baseball cap (which was often mistaken for a Malcolm X hat) and watched the game. Cincy Carrero was a machine and Miguel Montano was quick as lightning. They went on to win the state championship that year. That year was also the year that we lost Sean. He was supposed to meet us at the car after the game.
he didn't. We drove around for an hour until we found him by the stables...no wonder he went to Trinity... Eigth grade was the year my football team lost all but one game. Chip Mattingly and Trip Williams were are anchors on defense and Wes Whitworth was hittingn his prime as a reciever.
When the toy bowl got postponed we had the greatest week of practice ever...well until Coach Wagner (shamed to say who now coaches the Shamrocks himself) had his son Tony (St.X grad '96) dress in hi sfootball gear. Tony knocked the living snot out of me...before coach could run him off the field he yelled "that is how it will be next year when he is playing for the Tigers! " Boy was he right...baseball was my first love, but football was my most challenging sport. Baseball came easy.
Football took full concentration. I was and am stil not a big guy. I had to play smart if I wanted to stay alive. I rememeber one time when Bernard Jackson and Joe Jackson hit me as hard as the time Tony hit me in eight grade...only this time I caught and held onto the ball....Coach Johnson about flipped his lid...well he always flipped his lid...but this time he was happy. Well we beat Trinity that fall..in fact we went undefeated and won the city freshman title. Our seniors were not so lucky as I recall.
The next three years I cheered from the sidelines...joining in the group cheers. I really enjoyed the big games...everyone cheering for the green and gold. Usually everyone was freezing cold and horse by the end...but we had fun. Well...I can't wait for the game...I'll have an update on the score then..until then... 
