Trinity High School is a Catholic, all-boys, college preparatory high school located in St. Matthews, Kentucky, a city within Louisville Metro (consolidated city/county government). It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville. The school incorporates the Catholic tradition of teaching and learning. The school campus comprises about 1,200 students. In 1992, Trinity was named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. In 1995, Trinity was accredited by the non-profit Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (now known as AdvancED).
History Trinity opened its doors in 1953, when Archbishop John Floersh anticipated the growth of Louisville's eastern suburbs by choosing the site of Holy Trinity School, a former Roman Catholic church and grade school in St. Matthews. The school was formerly owned by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville; however, Trinity is now sponsored by the Archdiocese, owned by the Trinity High School Foundation, Incorporated and governed by the Trinity High School Board, and managed and operated by the administration and faculty. The school is named after the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, which holds that God is three consubstantial persons. The school was founded with the intent to eventually become self-sufficient over time. Trinity's first class graduated in 1957.
Campus
On September 1, 1882, Bishop William McClosky established a new parish for the benefit of the farming community of St. Matthews. Until that time, Catholics went into the city for Mass and other liturgical services. This new parish, named Holy Trinity, was the first Catholic Church in eastern Jefferson County, and the twentieth in the area. The Church was dedicated on December 17, 1882. After outgrowing the first church, a second church was built. This second church was heavily damaged by fire in 1937 but was renovated and used until 1953. At that time, the parish donated its property to the Archdiocese for the purpose of establishing Trinity High School. The property also originally contained two buildings which would later be named Floersh Hall and Old Trinity Hall. Before the school opened in the fall of 1953, Shamrock Hall and the Trinity Football Field were added to the campus, as well as a rectory for the resident priest. In 1968, the Trinity Campus was expanded to include Sheehan Hall, which is connected to the main building.
In 1999, construction of the R.W. Marshall Sports Center was completed and serves as the hub for Trinity Athletics. In 2001, Alumni Hall was added to the main building, which serves as the school's cafeteria and administrative hub, as well as hosting the Trinity Campus Store. The Trinity Campus expanded again in 2004 to include the third expansion to the main building, Duerr Hall.
In November 2004, it was announced that Trinity would be razing its athletic stadium to build a brand new one at the end of the season. The R.W. Marshall Stadium was constructed between December 2004 and May 2005, at a cost of $3 million (equivalent to $ million in ).
Other buildings on the Trinity Campus include the Communication Arts Center, which holds Convocation Hall, and the Trinity Theatre.
Student body Demographics
The ethnic makeup of Trinity's student body was classified in 2015 by the United States Department of Education as being "overwhelmingly white", with 7.7% of students being African American. Other minorities include Asians (0.7%), Hispanic (1.3%), and students identifying as mixed race (4.7%). All minority students make up a combined 11.2% of the student body.
Athletics
The Trinity Athletics Department participates in 16 KHSAA sanctioned sports and KSHAA sports activities. Trinity also participates in two club sports.
Football Trinity Shamrocks' football program is statistically the most successful high school football program in Kentucky. The team annually hosts a roster of nearly 100 student-athletes, The 30 state championships are the most in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's history and the program's 600-plus wins put them at the top among programs statewide.
The program has eight undefeated seasons, a state record 50-game winning streak from 1988 to 1991, and four Mr. Kentucky Football award winners in Keith Calvin (1973), Jeff Brohm (1989), brother Brian Brohm (2003), and James Quick (2012). The team has also won three consecutive titles on four separate occasions, first in 1988–1990, secondly in 2001–2003, again in 2023–2025, and then four consecutive seasons from 2005 to 2008. Trinity plays their home games on Father Harry Jansing Field in R.W. Marshall Stadium.
On December 8, 2007, Trinity sealed the first-ever 6A championship under the newly established class system that implemented six classes instead of the previous four. Trinity has now won a title in each of the 3A, 4A and 6A classifications, with the most recent coming in December 2024. Success in 2010 and 2011 saw Trinity finish within the top 15 in national polls for the first time in consecutive seasons. At the end of the 2011 season, the Shamrocks were named "National Champions" by Rivals.com and Sports Illustrated, among others.
Later that year, Head Football Coach Bob Beatty was voted the 2011 USA Today Coach of the Year
In December 2016, Trinity defeated Lafayette High School 56–21, giving Trinity their 24th State Football Title. The game made Trinity the most successful high school football team in the state's history. It also made Trinity's Head Football coach Bob Beatty the most successful High School Football Coach in Kentucky state history. In 2017, Trinity followed up this victory by producing a second continuous undefeated season in a row, and winning their 25th State Football Title by beating rival St. X 38–21.
In 2017, Trinity was recognized as a part of the MaxPreps Football Tour of Champions, which aims to recognize the best High School football teams in the United States. After the ceremony, Head Coach Bob Beatty stated: "Any time you are recognized by a group (MaxPreps) that represents your profession it's like you belong among the very best. This means a lot to us. MaxPreps is very important in the world of high school football and to be selected to the Tour of Champions means you're good."
As of December 2017, the Trinity varsity football team holds the largest continuous winning streak in Kentucky high school football history, at fifty consecutive wins.
Since 2013, Trinity's Football and Basketball games have been broadcast live on WGTK (970AM).
Football state championships Below is a year-by-year breakdown of each Trinity High School football state championship.
Year Coach Class Opponent Score 1968 Jim Kennedy 3A Seneca 29–18 1972 Jim Kennedy 3A Butler 21–0 1973 Dave Moore 3A Southern 16–0 1976 Dave Moore 4A Henderson County 28–24 1977 Dave Moore 4A Greenup County 28–7 1980 Roger Gruneisen 4A Paducah Tilghman 31–8 1983 Roger Gruneisen 4A Owensboro 26–7 1985 Dennis Lampley 4A Lexington Lafayette 28–7 1988 Dennis Lampley 4A DuPont Manual 28–0 1989 Dennis Lampley 4A Warren Central 28–14 1990 Dennis Lampley 4A Warren Central 27–14 1994 Dennis Lampley 4A Boone County 21–7 2001 Bob Beatty 4A Male 45–19 2002 Bob Beatty 4A Male 59–56 2003 Bob Beatty 4A Saint Xavier 17–14 2005 Bob Beatty 4A Saint Xavier 14–6 2006 Bob Beatty 4A Ryle 46–7 2007 Bob Beatty 6A Saint Xavier 34–28 2008 Bob Beatty 6A Simon Kenton 48–0 2010 Bob Beatty 6A Male 38–0 2011 Bob Beatty 6A Scott County 62–21 2012 Bob Beatty 6A PRP 61–7 2014 Bob Beatty 6A Dixie Heights 47–14 2016 Bob Beatty 6A Lexington Lafayette 56–21 2017 Bob Beatty 6A Saint Xavier 38–21 2019 Bob Beatty 6A Male 28–6 2020 Bob Beatty 6A Male 28–0 2023 Jay Cobb 6A Bryan Station 41–20 2024 Jay Cobb 6A Ryle 42–23 2025 Jay Cobb 6A South Warren 28–14 State Championships 29
Rivalry with St. Xavier High School
The rivalry between Trinity High School and St. Xavier dates back to 1956, where every year, Trinity and St. X meet at the University of Louisville's Cardinal Stadium for the annual regular season rivalry. The game is the most-attended annual regular-season high school football game in the country, typically drawing over 35,000 fans. For the 2004 game, attendance was announced at 37,500 people. The largest recorded crowd was in 2008, with over 38,000 guests, ~6% of Louisville's population at the time. The game is also broadcast live on local TV station WAVE3. The week leading up to the game is designated "Pride Week", and various intramural school athletic and academic events are held. Currently, Trinity leads St. X in the number of games won, with the current score being 41–37, with two games having ended in a tie.
Trinity has met the Tigers in the title game six times, with Trinity holding a 4–2 advantage in those contests. In 2008, NFL Films produced a documentary about the rivalry that was nationally broadcast on CBS on Thanksgiving Day. The rivalry between the two powers also often extends into the playoffs. After losing the regular season game 48–16 in September 2005, Trinity defeated St. Xavier in the Class 4A state championship 14–6 in December. It was the school's then-state record 16th football title.
"Great American Rivalry" series Since 2013, the annual Trinity–St. X game is featured in the Great American Rivalry Series. The series is dedicated to featuring the greatest high school football rivalries in the United States and bringing them to the national spotlight. At the end of each game, the winning team is presented with the 'Great American Rivalry' trophy, and one player is deemed the MVP, and is presented with a corresponding trophy. As of 2017, Trinity holds a 4–1 advantage in the games featured on the series.
Below is a year-by-year breakdown of the Trinity-St. X games featured on the Great American Rivalry Series.
Year Week Victor Score Head Coach MVP Ref 2013 Week 7 Trinity 29-13 Bob Beatty Donald Brooks 2014 Week 6 St. X 21-35 Bob Beatty Noah Houk 2015 Week 7 Trinity 20-15 Bob Beatty Jailen Reed 2016 Week 7 Trinity 35-13 Bob Beatty Spencer Blackburn 2017 Week 7 Trinity 28-0 Bob Beatty Rondale Moore 2018 Week 7 St. X 7-21 Bob Beatty Keegan Sullivan Years: Six Trinity's Current Record 4-2
Basketball The Trinity basketball program was established in 1954. In 2004, Trinity won its first regional basketball title after beating rival Male 56–46 in the 7th region finals.
By winning the regional, Trinity advanced to the state tournament for the first time in school history, losing to defending state champion Mason County in three overtimes, 66–59. The team finished the 2004–2005 season with its best record in school history, a 29–4 mark.
Championships In 2005, Trinity won the Louisville Invitational Tournament (LIT) for the first time in school history. The team also won the Invitational Tournament in 2012. Trinity won its first KHSAA State Championship by winning the Sweet Sixteen tournament in 2012. The Rocks finished the season with a 35–3 record, and only one loss within the state of Kentucky. In 2019, the Trinity basketball team won the state championship, beating Scott County 50–40.
Team record This is a compilation of Trinity high school basketball coach history.
Coach Name Start Year End Year Seasons Record Charles "Jeep" Quire 1956 1959 4 Dave Kelly 1960 1961 2 Ed Kellow 1962 1965 4 W. C. Sargeant 1966 1967 2 Bob Schmidt 1968 1970 3 Joe Thompson 1971 1991 21 David Aberli 1992 2001 10 Mike Szabo 2002 present 19 (as of 2020)
Tennis In 2006, Trinity won the Kentucky boys' team tennis championship. The team won the championship on total points. This was Trinity's first championship since 1993, interrupting St. Xavier's run of winning 10 of the previous 12 championships.
Cross country Trinity's varsity cross country team is consistently ranked as one of Kentucky's elite teams.