CovCath running back Casey McGinness, left, tries to get past South Warren linebacker Trae Teague in the Class 5A football final. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
LEXINGTON — Covington Catholic football players were hugging each other with tears in their eyes following a 20-16 loss to South Warren in the Class 5A state championship game on Sunday at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field.
Losing a close game in the state final is always hard to handle. But the Colonels also had to deal with the disappointment of not being able to convert on two scoring opportunities in the closing minutes before a crowd of 8,107 fans.
South Warren linebacker Rowdy Shea, No. 28, pounces on a fumble before Michael Mayer, No. 87, of CovCath can get to it in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
“Obviously, we wish it would’ve ended different, but they’re a good ball club and I couldn’t be prouder of our guys,” said CovCath coach Eddie Eviston.
The Colonels trailed 20-0 early in the second half before scoring on two big plays to pull within 20-14 with 10:21 left on the clock.
After the defense got a turnover on downs, CovCath moved the ball to the 9-yard line. That’s when senior running back Casey McGinness took a handoff and crashed into a mass of players.
As the pile was being pushed toward the end zone, McGinness lost the ball and South Warren linebacker Rowdy Shea recovered it at the 3-yard line.
“I was down and somehow (the officials) called it their ball,” McGinness said. “Both my knees were down. I don’t even know how the ball came out, honestly.”
South Warren wasn’t able to get a first down and the punter intentionally ran out of the end zone for a safety with 1:14 remaining to make the score 20-16.
CovCath moved the ball to the 24-yard line in the final seconds, but a fourth-down pass from sophomore quarterback Caleb Jacob was just out of the reach of senior wide receiver Jack Coldiron in the end zone.
“We couldn’t come out on top, but I know in the second half we surely gave it all we had,” McGinness said. “But I love each and every one of these kids and I wouldn’t trade this season for the world.”
It was CovCath’s first loss in eight state championship games and snapped a 29-game win streak for the Colonels, who were undefeated Class 5A state champions last year.
CovCath linebacker Michael Mayer, No. 87, forces a hurried throw by South Warren quarterback Gavin Spurrier. (Photo by Bob Jackson)
South Warren was one of the teams CovCath beat during last year’s march to the state title and the Spartans were fired up for a chance to even the score coming into Sunday’s game.
The team from Bowling Green jumped ahead 13-0 in the first quarter behind the passing of senior quarterback Gavin Spurrier, who completed 7 of his first 8 passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
“They had a year to dwell on (last season’s loss) and had a lot of pent up emotion coming out,” said South Warren coach Brandon Smith. “They came out on fire and that let us know we could play with anybody and we’re ready to go.”
CovCath made some defensive adjustments and limited Spurrier to 81 yards in the final three quarters. But the Colonels still couldn’t get much done on offense before they committed a costly turnover.
On a fourth-down play in the third quarter, Jacob lined up behind center and then dropped back to punt the ball. But South Warren blocked the punt and returned it to the 10-yard line.
The Spartans scored two plays later to open up a 20-0 lead and appeared to be in total control of the game.
Less than two minutes later, however, CovCath scored its first touchdown on a 58-yard pass from Jacobs to junior tight end Michael Mayer to incite the team’s large contingent of fans.
The Colonels’ next big play came early in the fourth quarter. McGinness broke free on a 77-yard touchdown run and Trey Gronotte kicked the extra point to make the score 20-14.
But South Warren’s defense as able to keep the Colonels out of the end zone on their final two possessions.
CovCath safety Andrew Shelton breaks up a pass to wide receiver Tanner Gallahair. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
“If you’ve got to take down the best it’s going to be a challenge and our guys rose to the occasion all day,” said coach Smith.
The Spartans finished with 291 yards (237 passing, 54 rushing) and had one fumble that was recovered in the end zone early in the game. CovCath had 261 total yards (176 passing, 85 rushing) and committed three turnovers.
“You can’t turn the ball over when you’re playing a good team like that,” coach Eviston said. “And we couldn’t get much going (offensively) until the second half, and time runs out.”
Jacob completed 12 of 25 passes for 176 yards and one touchdown in his first state championship game. Mayer caught five passes for 109 yards to finish the season with 1,029 receiving yards. He also made a team-high seven solo tackles from his linebacker position.
“We didn’t start off like we wanted to and got down 13-0 in the first quarter,” Mayer said. “We came back and fought hard, but it wasn’t enough.”
McGinness picked up 95 yards on 16 carries and finished the season with a team-record 2,140 rushing yards. But winning a second straight state title is what the senior wanted to do most of all.
“We just couldn’t get it done, but we tried and that’s all you can ask,” McGinness said. “If I could get this game back and have a chance to win this in my senior season, it would’ve been the best of everything.”
SOUTH WARREN 13 0 7 0 — 20
COVCATH 0 0 7 9 — 16
SW – Dunne 43 pass from Spurrier (Dervisevic kick)
SW – Lloyd 11 pass from Spurrier (kick failed0
SW – Harrison 2 run (Dervisevic kick)
CC – Mayer 42 pass from Jacob (Gronotte kick)
CC – McGinness 77 run (Gronotte kick)
CC – Safety: punter runs out of end zone
RECORDS: South Warren 15-0, CovCath 14-1.
