St. X football tops Male for first state championship since 2009

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- St. Xavier football won its first state championship since 2009 with a 31-21 victory over Louisville Male in the KHSAA Class 6-A state final at Kroger Field in Lexington on Saturday.

In the first meeting between the two teams in the state final, St. X outscored Male by 16 points in the second half.

St. X quarterback Jack Sivori threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 64 yards. Mekhi Smith finished with 10 receptions for 128 yards and two scores for the Tigers (14-1).

Daniel Swinney rushed for over 121 yards and Nic Schutte threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns in Male's third consecutive loss in the state championship game.

After a turnover on its opening possession, Male (13-1) scored midway through the first quarter for an early lead. Nic Schutte tossed an 88-yard touchdown to Vinny Anthony for the game's first score.

St. X held Male to a three-and-out late in the first quarter, setting up a Tigers scoring drive. Sivori rushed into the end zone from two yards to cap a 10-play possession that went 59 yards in 4:32.

With St. X leading 7-6, Male answered with a sustained drive carried by the rushing attack.

Daniel Swinney rushed for 38 yards as the Bulldogs ran nine times during the 12-play drive. Schutte found Dominic Vrbancic for a 19-yard touchdown pass with 4:02 left in the second quarter to return the lead to Male.

The Tigers narrowed their deficit on the opening possession of the second half. Sivori completed a fourth-and-1 throw to Adam Boone for an 11-yard gain to bring the ball to the Male 11-yard-line.

After a short run and two incomplete passes, St. X settled for a 26-yard field goal off the foot of Nolan Wolford to bring the Tigers within three points.

Male couldn't capitalize on a St. X turnover midway through the third quarter as the Tigers had a fourth-down stop on their own 34-yard-line.

The change of possession was followed by a 42-yard throw from Sivori to Will Beckman. One play later, Sivori connected with Michael Duddy for a 26-yard touchdown pass, giving St. X a 17-13 lead with 1:49 left in the third quarter.

An interception by Matthew Donhoff led to another St. X touchdown in the fourth quarter. After the turnover, Sivori found Boone for a 34-yard catch and the Tigers later scored when the quarterback threw a touchdown to Mekhi Smith to extend St. X's lead to 24-13 with 8:02 left.

Male answered on its ensuing possession, going 96 yards in two and a half minutes.

Schutte completed passes to Vrbancic for 17 and 21 yards on a drive that ended with Anthony taking a pass 41 yards for a touchdown.

After Male pulled within one possession, St. X closed out the game with a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter. The Tigers went 80 yards in eight plays, capped by a 45-yard touchdown catch by Smith with 1:52 left to seal Kevin Wallace's first state title as St. X's head coach.