Samogala solid as Trinity takes down Ringgold
Penalties and turnovers are often a given in the early stages of a high school football season.
Friday night at Hiller Field they were no exception as yellow flags flew and the ball changed hands multiple times. But Trinity was able to overcome those early foibles to gather in a 34-12 win over a talented but sloppy Ringgold squad.
It was the first game for the Hillers as a Class 5A squad after they took home the Class 4A Big Six crown in 2025. They are now part of the rugged Allegheny Six conference for the next two seasons. Trinity earned its 10th straight win over the Rams as they look forward to making their mark in Class 5A.
Owen Gardner rushed for 104 yards on 15 totes. As powerful as his game was, it was new quarterback Owen Samogala that stole the show. The junior signal-caller rushed for two scores and threw for two more while Trinity’s defense spent much of the night shutting down a talented Ringgold offense.
Samogala completed six of eight throws for 148 yards. He also rushed 14 times for 69 yards. He did throw an early interception and had trouble fielding a couple shotgun snaps, but all in all a solid performance in his first start.
Trinity was able to put some distance between themselves and a mistake prone Ringgold squad in the middle of the third quarter when Samogala capped an 11-play, 62-yard drive with an eight-yard scramble for a score and a 21-5 advantage.
Ringgold moved the ball to midfield on their ensuing drive, but the Hiller defense shut the door when Chase Kostelnik intercepted Dennis Hawkins inside the Trinity 30 and returned it 18 yards to the 48. Trinity drove to the Rams 9 where they turned it over on downs from there.
Two Trinity sacks though squashed any momentum the Rams attempted to create in the beginning of the fourth, forcing another Ringgold punt, giving the ball to the Hillers the ball on the 34 of the Rams. Two plays later Samogala scrambled home for a 27 yard score with nine minutes to go, effectively ending all doubt and pushing the Hiller lead to 28-5.
Trinity sacked Hawkins three times on the night and pressured him all night long.
Ringgold finally found the end zone with 4:58 to go in the fourth when Hawkins found Youngstown State recruit Demetri Lowe for a three-yard touchdown pass, slicing the Hiller lead to 28-12.
Carson Greba capped the scoring with a 27-yard run with 45 seconds left in the contest.
Trinity’s offense was stuck in the mud much of the first half as it struggled to gain any traction. Three poor snaps from center set the Hillers back and eventually cost them some points as Ringgold capitalized to take an early 5-0 lead.
The Rams cashed in on an errant snap to Trinity punter Jake Schreyer, who saw the ball sail over his head 33 yards to the Hiller 15. Schreyer fell on the ball, giving Ringgold prime field position that they could only parlay into a 31-yard Bill Cameron field goal, which gave the visitors a 3-0 lead at the six-minute mark of the opening quarter.
Trinity’s defense was able to force a Ringgold turnover on downs on the 8 after Jamir Johnson broke up a Dennis Hawkins pass in the end zone on fourth down. But the Rams forced a three and out, bringing out Schreyer to punt from the back of his own end zone. The snap skipped back to Schreyer, who was unable to field the ball before it dribbled out of bounds, giving the Rams a 5-0 lead with 9:43 to go in the half.
Trinity’s offense, which was in a deep slumber for much of the half, woke up with 3:53 to go in the half. Samogala found Chase Kostelnik for a 52 yard catch-and-run score to give the Hillers their first lead. Cooper Cincinnati knocked home the extra point, making it 7-5 in favor of the hosts.
Ringgold gave the ball back on their ensuing possession when Hawkins fumbled the snap. Edrick Williams recovered in Rams real estate, setting up the Hillers second score.
Samogala then found Kostelnik again, this time from 30 yards out; giving the Hillers a 14-5 advantage with 20 seconds to go in the half. Kostelnik finished with 90 yards receiving on three receptions.
The two touchdown throws for Samogala did overshadow an interception he threw to Braylen Lomax in the first quarter. Trinity’s defense though did step up and keep the Rams from scoring off that turnover.
Ringgold 3 2 0 7 — 12
Trinity 0 14 7 13 — 34
Scoring:
R: Bill Cameron 32 yard field goal; 5:57 1st
R: safety, snap to punter through end zone; 9:43 2nd
T: Chase Kostelnik 52 yard catch from Owen Samogala; Cooper Cincinnati kick; 3:57 2nd
T: Kostelnik 30 yard catch from Samogala; kick good 0:20 2nd
T: Samogala 8 yard run; kick good; 4:43 3rd
T: Samogala 27 yard run; kick good; 9:00 4th
R: Demetri Lowe 3 yard catch from Dennis Hawkins III; kick good 4:58 4th
T: Carson Greba 29 yard runs; kick good 0:45 4th