Why CAL football's defense deserves respect after 6th shutout in KHSAA Class 3A final
LEXINGTON, Ky. — In nearly four decades as an assistant football coach, Pat Riley has seen his share of outstanding defenses.
His 2022 unit at Christian Academy will go down as one of the best.
The Centurions shut down Bardstown’s prolific rushing attack and posted their sixth shutout of the season Saturday in a 38-0 victory in the KHSAA Class 3A championship game at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field.
“Just tremendous athletes and tremendous smarts when it comes to football,” Riley said. “They knew our scheme, and they were able to adjust and do what they needed to do. They worked hard throughout the season.”
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Riley won seven state titles as an assistant coach at Trinity and now has three since joining the CAL staff in 2012.
This season’s CAL squad finished 15-0 and may be best remembered for an offense that led the state in scoring. But the defense ranks second in the state, allowing just 7.3 points per game.
It was the first shutout in a Class 3A final since Belfry beat Lexington Catholic 43-0 in 2015.
“It’s phenomenal in a state championship game, but that’s been the expectation all year,” CAL head coach Hunter Cantwell. “These guys have risen up. … When we settled in, these guys executed at a high level and took care of business. That’s been the result all year.”
Senior Gavin Copenhaver rushed for 225 yards and two touchdowns but also anchored the defense with a team-high 11 tackles (nine solo).
“We have speed everywhere, and we’re all super disciplined,” Copenhaver said. “All of that combined just makes us dangerous.”
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Senior Nate Heidenreich added 5 ½ tackles, including three tackles for loss. Junior Riley Wence recovered a fumble, and sophomore Connor Hodge had an interception. Sophomore Trey Cotton had two pass breakups.
Riley said the key to CAL’s 3-4 defense was a quartet of senior linebackers with loads of experience — Copenhaver, Heidenreich, Braden Robinson and McKade Battcher.
And they got better each day in practice facing a CAL offense full of weapons.
“There were days it was very intense,” Riley said. “There is that little inner rivalry between offense and defense. Everybody’s like, ‘We want to be the very best we can be.’”
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Saturday was a showcase against a Bardstown team that was averaging 39.4 points per game and 278.1 rushing yards per game.
The Tigers finished with 235 total yards, including 114 on the ground. Bardstown averaged 3.1 yards on 37 rushing attempts.
Bardstown had scored in 48 straight games since a 56-0 loss to Central in the second round of the 2018 Class 3A playoffs.
“They were very aggressive with the linebacker play, and their front was able to control the line of scrimmage,” Bardstown coach David Clark said of the Centurions. “What you want to do against us is stop us from getting on the edges, and they were able to do that. What they did was what we expected them to do. They’re just very good at it.”
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Heidenreich said “playing together” was the key.
“It’s never one person; it’s all of us,” he said. “If one person’s not there, we have 10 more behind them coming up full speed and making the tackle.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: KHSAA football: CAL defense shuts out Bardstown to win Class 3A final
