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His team has won three straight Class 6-A football championships, but Trinity High coach Bob Beatty is searching for answers as the Shamrocks approach this year's playoffs.

Led by quarterback Gus Ragland, Cincinnati Moeller jumped to a 28-0 halftime lead and finished with 436 yards of offense in a 42-14 whipping of Trinity on Friday night at Marshall Stadium.

The Shamrocks (4-5) will take a two-game losing streak into Friday's home game against Eastern in the first round of the playoffs.

"We're in a situation right now where our confidence level is not very good," coach Bob Beatty said. "There wasn't anything they did on offense we didn't look at during the week. ...

"The great thing about it is that starting tomorrow morning, you're back to day one on a new season. You can wipe the slate clean because a different season begins."

Ragland, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior, rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries for the Crusaders (8-1). He also completed 5 of 8 passes for 109 yards and two TDs.

He carried 70 yards for a touchdown on Moeller's first play from scrimmage, making it 7-0 at the 10:16 mark of the first quarter.

"We knew their ends crashed pretty hard, so we knew the zone read would be there all night," Ragland said. "That's what set the tempo on the first play. ... We felt like we could run on them when we wanted."

Ragland said he has no scholarship offers, mostly because he played wide receiver as a junior.

"He's vice-captain of the school; he's a leader," Moeller coach John Rodenberg said. "If somebody doesn't take a scholarship on him, they're crazy. He's been a big player for us."

Moeller scored touchdowns on its first four possessions, taking advantage of big play after big play.

Three plays after a 57-yard pass to Isaiah Gentry, Ragland carried in from the 6 to give Moeller a 14-0 lead at the 6:57 mark of the first quarter.

Sterling Noes' 50-yard run set up Ragland's 14-yard TD pass to Kyle Butz that made it 21-0 at the 2:25 mark. Ragland's 20-yard TD pass to Chase Pankey made it 28-0 on the fifth play of the second quarter.

"We really like what our offense is doing, but I thought it was going to be a shootout," Rodenberg said. "I thought we were going to have to win 42-41. We got fortunate that our defense made some good stops.

"That's a heck of a football team over there. They're just young, and we exploited a little bit of their youth on defense."

Trinity avoided the shutout on Reggie Bonnafon's 24-yard touchdown pass to Rodjay Burns with 6:14 left in the third quarter, but there was little drama in the second half.

Bonnafon, who has committed to the University of Louisville, finished 20 of 32 for 203 yards and was intercepted twice. Sophomore backup running Jailen Reed provided a spark late, carrying 13 times for 62 yards and a 15-yard TD with 3:30 left.

Beatty said backups such as Reed will have the opportunity to become starters as the Shamrocks prepare for the playoffs.

"We have a bunch of young gentlemen who are living on what we have done as opposed to what we are," Beatty said. "What we have to do is get better in practice every day."

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