By: James Weber, jweber@enquirer.com
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 50th season of Covington Catholic football has been one for the record book from day one. From a refurbished stadium, to multiple trips down memory lane to honor the team's history, to one dominating win after another, the Colonel faithful have had a lot to celebrate.
There was only one proper way for this season to end, and the Colonels delivered with another classic performance in their final game of the year.
CovCath defeated Madison Southern (11-4) 49-13 in the Class 5A championship of the 2017 Russell Athletic/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridiron Bowl on Saturday night at the University of Kentucky's Kroger Field.
"It feels great. All the alumni, it's for you guys. Thank you," said junior Casey McGinness. "We've worked hard since January and it finally paid off."
The Colonels (15-0) won a title for the first time since 2006. They won their seventh state championship and remained undefeated in state finals with a perfect 7-0 record. CovCath finished the season 15-0 for the first time in team history.
"They've been locked in ever since day one," said head coach Eddie Eviston. "I don't know if we had a bad practice this year. They're fun to be around. They're not scared of work, they run around and have fun. They're a group of guys who love each other and that goes a long way. You need that to be successful."
It was a storybook ending for A.J. Mayer. The senior quarterback, who has verbally committed to Miami (Ohio), was named MVP of the game after completing 11 of 15 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing for 71 yards and three scores.
"AJ is by far the greatest quarterback to ever come out of CovCath, without a doubt," McGinness said. "The way he sees the field, the way he throws and the way he runs. He's just an all-around amazing quarterback and he's going to do great things at Miami."
Mayer finished the season with 3,114 yards and 40 TDs in the air, breaking the school single-season records for both during the game. He also set the career records for yardage (7,602) and attempts (879). Three of those four records belonged to Blake Bir (2010-12) before tonight.
"It's awesome," Mayer said. "It goes into how much hard work we've had over the years. Coach Eviston has taught me everything I know and I want to thank him. It means a lot. I grew up watching Blake Bir. (Eviston) harps on the little things and he says if you can't do the little things right, I can't do the big things right. We did the little things right and it paid off tonight."
Mayer and the Colonels were in top form in the first half, scoring on their first five drives to lead 34-13 at the half. Mayer completed 8 of 12 passes for 223 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for 66 yards and three scores.
He showed the full range of his repertoire in the half. His first TD pass, to Luke Lenihan, was a laser over a defender's shoulders for a 25-yard score. He completed a 35-yarder to Lenihan later on, threading the needle over two defenders at the pylon.
"I just kind of ran my routes and AJ put it where it needed to be, and I caught it," said Lenihan. "Me and AJ and all the wide receivers worked so hard all summer and fall, and it pays off when you perform like that. We work as a unit."
Late in the first quarter, Mayer threw a bomb to Malachi Pike for a 49-yard gain. In the second quarter, he lofted a touch pass to the sideline to his brother Michael Mayer, who made a tough catch over his shoulder while staying in bounds.
"He's obviously a phenomenal player and we're blessed to have him," Eviston said of his QB. "It takes a kid to be coachable in order to do that and trust. We formed a good establishment of trust early and he just continued to get better. We saw some great catches out there. These kids deserve this. They work so hard. I'm so proud of them."
CovCath took the opening kickoff and went 73 yards on seven plays, including a 10-yard run by Lenihan and a 31-yard reception, plus a 23-yard run from McGinness.
CovCath made it 13-0 with 6:22 to go in the first period after taking over on the MS 44 following a bad punt. On fourth and 4 from the 40, Mayer scrambled, slipped past a tackle at the line, and gained 15 for the first down. He threw his TD pass to Lenihan on the next play.
CovCath's third TD came after the 49-yard bomb to Pike. McGinness shed a tackler on a key run to the 13.
The fourth came on a quick three-play, 58-yard drive after MadSouth closed to within 20-13. The 35-yarder from Mayer to Lenihan was followed by a 17-yard pass to McGinness.
Following MS's second punt of the game, the Colonels sprinted 68 yards in seven plays, with Lenihan scoring his second TD of the game with 1:20 to play in the half after taking a misdirection pitch.
Covington Catholic's head coach Eddie Eviston and A.J. Mayer react after the Colonels win the state championship , Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017. (Photo: TonyTribble for the Cincinnati E)
Lenihan came up big on defense with an interception right after that, returning it 30 yards to the MS 32. The pass was thrown by QB Landon Stacy after a handoff then a return pass back to him.
The next play resulted in CovCath's only empty drive of the first half, after McGinness returned the trickeration favor and threw a long bomb on a halfback pass. Jordan Casteel picked it off near the goal line in the final minute of the half, his 10th pick of the year.
The Eagles, playing in their first state final, had two productive drives in the first half, gaining 10 first downs. Both TD drives were finished by Trey Livingood, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound lineman who scored on two short runs. He had only one carry prior to tonight, also for a score.
MS drove well to start the third quarter, but the Colonels pressured Landon Stacy into an awkward throw, which was picked off by Andrew Shelton at the CovCath 23. CovCath scored right away as McGinness got well behind the defense for an easy pitch and catch from Mayer and a 44-yard TD. CovCath led 41-13 with 6:41 to play in the third.
Mayer and McGinness hooked up again on a similar play, with McGinness scoring from 60 yards out. Mayer pitched to Sam Schuh for a two-point conversion that set the KHSAA running clock in motion with 48 seconds to go in the third quarter. CovCath went to a running clock in all 12 games against Kentucky opponents.
McGinness had three catches for 152 yards and 50 on the ground. He and Mayer finished the season as the sixth and seventh members of CovCath's 200-point club for the career. Lenihan had four catches for 101 yards.
MadSouth made a game effort of it on offense. Stacy rushed for 131 yards and threw for 111. The Eagles' total yardage (341) was the most allowed by the Colonels this season. CovCath finished with 476 yards.
Kameron Butler finished with 13 tackles for CovCath, 10 solo, and Michael Mayer 10, eight solo. Butler said the team was able to adjust to what Stacy was doing.
"He was reading our end man and then keeping it up the middle," Butler said. "We went in at halftime and made the adjustments. We had to stop him."
Eddie Eviston improved to 3-0 all-time in state finals, having led Newport Central Catholic to the 2A title in 2010 and 2012. He became the seventh head coach in Northern Kentucky history to win three or more, and the sixth coach in all of Kentucky history to win a title with two different schools.
Attendance was 10,646, a Class 5A record.
Covington Catholic 13 21 15 0-49
Madison Southern 7 6 0 0-13
C – AJ Mayer 2 run (Gronotte kick)
C – Lenihan 25 pass from AJ Mayer (kick failed)
M – Livingood 2 run (Willis kick)
C – AJ Mayer 14 run (Gronotte kick)
M – Livingood 3 run (kick blocked)
C – AJ Mayer 6 run (Gronotte kick)
C – Lenihan 1 run (Gronotte kick)
C- McGinness 44 pass from AJ Mayer (Gronotte kick)
C – McGinness 60 pass from AJ Mayer (Schuh run)
Records: CCH 15-0, MS 11-4.