Class 6A football finals preview: Male vs. Trinity
It’s championship weekend for the 2019 UK Orthopaedics/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl. Here’s a look at Sunday’s Class 6A state title game at Kroger Field.
Male vs. Trinity
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Sunday
RPI ratings: No. 1 Male (.71635); No. 4 Trinity (.63258).
Cantrall Ratings: No. 2 Male (90.6); No. 1 Trinity (92.2).
Championship history: Male (8-6) — The Bulldogs are defending champions. Trinity (25-4) — The Shamrocks have won eight titles since the move to six football classes in 2007, the last in 2017.
How they got here: Male (14-0) defeated No. 10 Tates Creek 48-18 and topped No. 9 St. Xavier twice, No. 6 Fern Creek twice and No. 3 Manual; Trinity (12-2) defeated No. 2 North Hardin 54-7 and beat No. 9 St. X during the regular season. Its only two losses are to Male and out-of-state Cathedral (Ind.)
Quick hits: Male won its third straight game against Trinity in double overtime on Sept. 20 after forcing the Rocks to kick a field goal in the second OT period. Kentucky commit Izayah Cummings then made the game-winning catch in the end zone to finish with two TDs and 146 yards in the game. Male and Trinity have played for a state title four times — three straight years from 2000-2002 and 2010. Trinity has won three of them.
Male standouts: Elijah Parish, Sr. QB (2,484 yards, 26 TDs passing); Jaylin Bross, Jr. RB (1,612 yards, 23 TDs rushing, one TD receiving); Quantrell Wright, Sr. RB (963 yards, 12 TDs rushing); Izayah Cummings, Sr. WR, Kentucky commit (1,056 yards, 12 TDs receiving); Briceson Rodgers, Sr. TE/WR (741 yards, five TDs receiving); Joe Kuerzi, Sr. LB/RB (85 tackles, 213 yards, 10 TDs rushing).
Trinity standouts: Nathan McElroy, Jr. QB (2,404 yards, 29 TDs passing, one TD rushing); Armon Tucker, So. RB (1,164 yards, 23 TDs rushing, 188 yards, three TDs receiving); Brad West, Jr. RB (833 yards, nine TDs rushing, 156 yards, three TDs receiving); Ryan Miller, Sr. WR (911 yards, six TDs receiving); Kaelan Racculia, Sr. WR (615 yards, 11 TDs receiving). Tyler Roberson, Sr. DE (247Sports.com three-star recruit)
@HLpreps pick: Trinity 20, Male 18.
State championships
At Kroger Field in Lexington
Friday
Class A: Paintsville (11-3) vs. Pikeville (13-0), 2 p.m.
Class 3A: Belfry (10-3) vs. Bell County (14-0), 7 p.m.
Saturday
Class 2A: Mayfield (13-1) vs. Somerset (13-1), 1 p.m.
Class 4A: Boyle County (14-0) vs. Johnson Central (14-0), 4:30 p.m.
Class 5A: Covington Catholic (14-0) vs. Frederick Douglass (14-0), 8 p.m.
Sunday
Class 6A: Male (14-0) vs. Trinity (12-2), 2 p.m.
