KHSAA football Class A final: Birchfield leads Pikeville over Russellville

Blake Birchfield carried 30 times for 179 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Pikeville High School football team to a 30-27 victory over Russellville on Friday in the Class A state championship game at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field in Lexington.

A crowd of 5,187 saw Pikeville (14-2) win its sixth state title and third in the past seven seasons, having also won in 2015 and 2019.

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The teams traded scores in a high-scoring first quarter that saw Pikeville lead 20-13.

Aaron Chang’s 23-yard field goal gave Pikeville a 30-13 lead with 23 seconds left in the first half, but Jovari Gamble’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Woodard on the final play of the half pulled Russellville (12-2) within 30-20.

Jaquis Todd’s 46-yard touchdown made it 30-27 with 9:21 left in the third quarter, but Russellville couldn’t convert on its final three possessions.

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Todd carried four times for 134 yards and two touchdowns, and Woodard had three receptions for 83 yards and two scores. Russellville was playing in a state final for the first time since 1990.

Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.

PIKEVILLE 20 10 0 0 - 30

RUSSELLVILLE 13 7 7 0 – 27

First quarter

P – Blake Birchfield 3 run (kick failed)

R – Jaquis Todd 63 run (kick failed)

P – Birchfield 7 run (Aaron Chang kick)

R – Anthony Woodard 44 pass from Lennon Ries (Dustin Brown kick)

P – Wade Hensley 52 pass from Isaac McNamee (Chang kick)

Second quarter

P – McNamee 4 run (Chang kick)

P – Chang 23 FG

R – Woodard 4 pass from Jovari Gamble (Brown kick)

Third quarter

R – Todd 46 run (Brown kick)

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky high school football scores: Pikeville defeats Russellville