By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Dayton sophomore running back Malachi Kennedy made the grand opening of the school’s new stadium on Friday even more memorable when he became one of the few players in state history to score eight touchdowns in a single game.
Unfortunately, high school football records on the khsaa.org website have not been updated since 2021. At that time, there were only nine players who had scored eight TDs in a one game and Kennedy can now add his name to the list.
During his team’s 62-49 win over Pendleton County, Kennedy carried the ball into the end zone seven times and scored on a 62-yard pass play.
His final rushing total was 398 yards on 25 carries. As a freshman, Kennedy rushed for 502 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games. His two-game totals this season are 487 yards and eight TDs.
The long-standing Kentucky state record for most touchdowns in a game is 11 set by Don Gullett of McKell High School in 1968. Gullett later became a starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 1970 to 1976.
There’s a long list of Kentucky high school players with seven touchdowns in a game. One of them is Boone County grad Shaun Alexander, who did it during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. He went on to play in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks.
Ryle senior linebacker Jacob Savage also set a record on Friday when he became his team’s all-time leader in tackles during a a 44-0 win over Conner.
Savage made five tackles in that game to raise his career total to 409. The Indiana University recruit led the Raiders in tackles the last three three seasons with 141, 163 and 93. Ryle’s previous record holder was Court Mace with 408 tackles followed by Mark Gray with 403.
NewCath among All “A” Classic state golf qualifiers
Newport Central Catholic will compete in the All “A” Classic boys state golf tournament for the first time since 2012 on Saturday as one of the 16 region champion teams in the event at Gibson Bay Golf Course in Richmond.
Brossart will return to the small school state tournament for the 12th consecutive year as the 10th Region champion. The Mustangs finished sixth in last year’s team standings, but the only golfer back from that team is senior Cole Bricking, who was the 10th Region medalist.
St. Henry and Brossart are among the teams in the All “A” Classic girls state golf tournament on Saturday at Arlington Golf Course in Richmond. Last year, St. Henry placed seventh and Brossart placed ninth in the 16-team standings.
The All “A” Classic state volleyball tournament is set for Sept. 12-13 at Owensboro Convention Center. Beechwood will be making its first appearance in that tournament since 2015 as the 9th Region champion. The winner of the 10th Region tournament title will be decided on Saturday.
Volleyball coaches reach 500 mark in victories
Volleyball coaches Andrea Sullivan of Scott and Sandi Kitchen of Villa Madonna both reached the 500 mark in career victories during the first month of the 2025 season.
Kitchen has a 501-332 record in 31 seasons at Villa Madonna. She was named 9th Region Coach of the Year in 2022 when her small-school team posted a 22-7 record.
Sullivan’s coaching record at Scott is 502-319 in 23 seasons. Last season, she was named 10th Region Coach of the Year after the Eagles won their sixth region championship and made it to the semifinals of the state tournament for the first time.
Villa Madonna takes a 5-4 record into a match at Ludlow on Thursday. Scott has won seven consecutive matches to raise its record to 8-3 going into a home match against Walton-Verona on Thursday.