'We're not done': Why Bullitt East football believes it's ready to claim first state title

While watching the Kentucky vs. Louisville game at Kroger Field last weekend, Bullitt East senior Camron Brogan was in awe about the chance to end his high school football career on the same turf.

"I think it's going to be awesome," Brogan said. "Me and my buddy were just thinking that, 'Wow, we're going to be playing here next week,' and it's just crazy."

"Crazy" is one way to describe Bullitt East's rise this season. Led by a first-year head coach and 22 seniors, the Chargers started the year 0-1 before winning 13 in a row. If Bullitt East's seniors hope to close out their playing days with a title, though, it'll have to come against the team that's tormented them the most these past four seasons.

Bullitt East (13-1) faces Male (10-4) in the KHSAA Class 6A state championship Saturday at noon at Kroger Field. It marks the Bulldogs' fifth-straight title game appearance. Bullitt East hasn't been to the championship since losing to Bell County in the 2008 Class 4A final.

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Despite the Chargers' lack of championship experience, coach Keegan Kendrick — who joined the program as offensive coordinator in 2019 with former coach Ethan Atchley before being promoted last offseason — believes his 22-man senior class is the group to lead Bullitt East to its first title in program history.

"They've bought into —and the community has bought into — a lot of change and the things we've been asking them to do," Kendrick said. "I'm super excited for them. We've been trying to convince them that they could play at the 6A level, and now they're finally doing it. ... They are a special group, and I'm glad they get to play on the biggest stage in high school football."

When Kendrick and most of the current Bullitt East staffed arrived, the Chargers were well off from title contention. Bullitt East finished the 2019 season 5-6 and were bounced out of the first round of the playoffs. Needing a spark heading into 2020, the Chargers made an offensive decision that would pay off in 2022.

BE coaches gave then-sophomore Travis Egan snaps that season, splitting time with Aeron Adams, a solid senior quarterback for the Chargers at that point. With Egan in limited action, Bullitt East's offense opened up and he threw for more than 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The Chargers found their quarterback for the future even though they lost to Male by 50 in the first round of the playoffs again.

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As Egan emerged as a passer in 2021, Brogan and Nolan Davenport became the security blankets that every quarterback dreams of. Throughout their junior year, Brogan and Davenport combined for over 2,000 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns.

"I've been throwing with them since I was little," Egan said. "It's just like going out in the backyard throwing the football like we'd always do when we were younger."

Egan was selected first team All-District last year, but once again Bullitt East lost to Male by 48 points in the first round.

Kendrick took over in the offseason He believed that Bullitt East could make a championship run with the right attitude adjustment.

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"Going into the season I think we all knew that we had the guys to compete at this level," Kendrick said. "But the question was could we sharpen our focus? Could we sharpen our preparation? We've talked all season about controlling what we can control. We can't worry about who we're playing, the weather or the officials ... just focus on playing our kind of football and the scoreboard will take care of itself."

When Kendrick's stint began with a three-point loss to Spencer County on opening night. But instead of losing faith, Bullitt East's seniors bought in to the coach's message.

"We just locked in and flipped a switch," Davenport said.

Bullitt East has since trampled teams offensively and held them in check defensively. But the arrival to prominence didn't come until Week 8, when the Chargers finally defeated Male 24-17 to win the district championship. But that win isn't enough.

The Chargers are 1-5 against Male since 2019, and the seniors believe the Chargers still have something to prove against their divisional foe.

"We've only beaten them once, so we'd like to set that straight that we're better than them," Egan said.

"I feel decently calm but I'm excited," Kendrick said. "When we found out it was Male, my defensive coordinator and I immediately on the bus ride home started talking about the game plan. We're not done. We didn't come this far just to come this far. We came to win a state championship."

Follow Courier Journal reporter J.L. Kirven on Twitter @JL_Kirven for more updates on Louisville prep sports.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Bullitt East faces Male looking for first KHSAA state football title