Each day at practice this week, Male High School\u2019s football players were met with a reminder of the bitter end to their 2022 season.
\u201cGuests 28, Male 27\u201d the scoreboard at Maxwell Stadium read, the final score from Bullitt East\u2019s victory over the Bulldogs in last year\u2019s Class 6A state championship game<\/a> in Lexington.
\u201cIt gave us a chip on our shoulder all week,\u201d senior running back Shammai Gates said. \u201cWe prepared and put in work.\u201d
And the Bulldogs got a slight measure of revenge in a big way.
Max Gainey returned the opening kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown \u2014 his first of three scores on the night \u2014 and Gates rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns as the host Bulldogs routed Bullitt East, 42-6.
Gates\u2019 1-yard touchdown run with 7:07 remaining made it 42-6 and started the mercy-rule running clock \u2014 a far cry from last December\u2019s nail-biter.
\u201cWe came out and finished business,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cHaving that scoreboard lit up all week, it meant a lot to everybody on this team, especially everybody that went to state last year and knew what Bullitt East did. That made everybody want to play 10 times harder.\u201d
The victory gave the Bulldogs the regular-season title in Class 6A, District Four. Ranked No. 1 in Class 6A<\/a>, Male (8-1) will close its regular season next Friday at rival Manual.
No. 6 Bullitt East (7-2) saw its six-game winning streak come to an end.
\u201cThis game does not define our season,\u201d Chargers coach Keegan Kendrick said. \u201cThis game does not affect what we can do in the playoffs. This game is another chapter in the season, and we have to learn from it.\u201d
After senior night festivities, Gainey continued the celebration on the field. He caught the opening kickoff at his 28-yard line and headed toward the left sideline before reversing direction and taking off down the right side.
After 19 seconds, the scoreboard read: \u201cMale 7, Guests 0.\u201d
\u201cWe can certainly track the ball and tackle better,\u201d Kendrick said. \u201cThat being said, Max Gainey is an unbelievable talent.\u201d
Gainey made a similar move in the second quarter, reversing field on a bubble screen and scoring from 43 yards for a 21-0 lead at the 9:50 mark. He outjumped two defenders for an 11-yard touchdown pass that made it 28-0 with 3:05 left in the second quarter. Gainey finished with eight catches for 94 yards.
Bulldogs coach Chris Wolfe, of course, was pleased with Gainey\u2019s big plays but also wondered if it might be fool\u2019s gold for his squad.
\u201cIt\u2019s Max going across the field on the kickoff; it\u2019s Max going across the field on a bubble screen; it\u2019s Max making a ridiculous catch in the end zone,\u201d Wolfe said. \u201cWe have to be able to move the ball with our core stuff, not just with Max hitting the turbo and going to the other side. \u2026 We can\u2019t win with hero ball. I wish Max could do that every week, but he can\u2019t. Nobody can play like that every week.\u201d
Gates was the other star, scoring on runs of 5 yards and 1 yard in the second half.
A former wide receiver, Gates leads the Bulldogs with 13 rushing touchdowns this season.
\u201cAt first, I wasn\u2019t really sure about the position switch,\u201d he said. \u201cNow that I\u2019m there, I\u2019m really starting to like it. Every game, I feel like I\u2019m getting acclimated to the position.
\u201cRunning over people, scoring touchdowns, I love it.\u201d
More:<\/strong>Atherton football overcomes miscues, key injury to top Fairdale for district crown<\/a>
BULLITT EAST\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 0 – 6<\/strong>
MALE\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 14\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 7 \u2013 42<\/strong>
First quarter<\/strong>
M \u2013 Max Gainey 72 kickoff return (Seth Henson kick)
M \u2013 Chayce Burton 6 run (Luke Vallandingham kick)
Second quarter<\/strong>
M \u2013 Gainey 43 pass from Kolter Smith (Henson kick)
M \u2013 Gainey 11 pass from Smith (Vallandingham kick)
Third quarter<\/strong>
BE \u2013 Jack Zwernemann 4 run (kick blocked)
M \u2013 Shammai Gates 5 run (Henson kick)
Fourth quarter<\/strong>
M \u2013 Gates 1 run (Vallandingham kick)
Reach Jason Frakes at jfrakes@courier-journal.com<\/a> and follow him on X @kyhighs.<\/em><\/p>\n