Male Throttles Bullitt East in Kroger KSR Game of the Week
Twice last season, Bullitt East got the best of Male, including a 28-27 victory in the 6A State Championship game. However, Bullitt East’s winning streak against Male wouldn’t increase to three games Friday night, as Chris Wolfe’s Male Bulldogs led from start to finish and throttled Bullitt East 42-6 in a revenge-fueled Kroger KSR Game of the Week victory. With the win, Male clinched the Class 6A District Four regular-season championship.
Male’s heartbreaking loss in that state championship game left a bitter taste in the mouth’s of many Bulldog players, including three-star wide receiver Max Gainey. Gainey was unstoppable Friday night, as he returned the opening kickoff 72 yards for a touchdown, took a screen pass 43 yards to the house, and “Mossed” a Bullitt East defensive back for an 11-yard score.
“They beat us in state and that’s all [the motivation] we needed,” a giddy Gainey said postgame. “We came out here and knew that everybody was going to come out to see us beat Bullitt East for the first time because we lost to them twice last year. We came out and won 42-6. Our defense did a hell of a job and everyone did their part. You see what happens.”
Male head coach Chris Wolfe had a different perspective on Friday night’s game, as most head coaches would.
“Not really for me if I’m being honest,” Wolfe responded when asked if the win meant more than others. “Last year was last year. There were a lot of things that happened in that state championship game that had no impact on this. You just want to win the game and win a district championship to give us an opportunity to host at least two playoff games.”
Gainey’s 72-yard kickoff return to open the game set the tone. From there on out, it was all Bulldogs.
Chris Wolfe spoke highly of his star player postgame.
“Max Gainey was just phenomenal tonight,” Wolfe said. “We thought they might squib the opening kickoff so we put him in position to be there and it ended up going right to him. I’m sure they didn’t want to kick it to him. The throw to the end zone, I was gritting my teeth because I knew it would be a tight window. But he was just phenomenal.”
While Gainey accounted for three touchdowns, senior running back Shammai Gates found pay dirt twice on Friday night for his 12th and 13th rushing scores of the season. Mid-way through the third quarter, Wolfe gave the keys to Gates, in which he marched the Bulldogs straight down the field to increase their lead to 31 points.
Where things went swimmingly for the Bulldogs, Friday night marked disaster for Bullitt East. After dropping their second game of the season to Pleasure Ridge Park, Keegan Kendrick’s team had won their last six games by an average score of 37-10. The Chargers found the end zone just once Friday night on a Jack Zwernemann rushing touchdown from a yard out, his 10th of the season. However, the extra point was blocked.
Male will wrap their regular season up next week when they travel to No. 11 Manual. Bullitt East travels to Meade County for their regular season finale next Friday night as well.
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