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By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After his team’s thrilling win in the semifinals of the Class 2A state football playoffs last week, Newport Central Catholic coach Dan Wagner made sure his players knew that their biggest test was still ahead.
The Thoroughbreds lost in the state championship game the last two years and they don’t want this season to end that way when they play Mayfield in the state final on Sunday at Western Kentucky University. Kickoff will be 1 p.m. CT, which is 2 p.m. locally.
“When we won the other night, the first thing I said when we got together was, ‘I want you guys to remember what it was like the last two years when you walked off that football field down there,’” Wagner said. “I let them think about it for a little while and then I said, ‘That’s what we’ve played for all season, so it doesn’t happen again.’”
Mayfield (13-1) has been the state’s top-ranked Class 2A team all season while NewCath (9-5) is considered somewhat of a Cinderella team.
After finishing the regular season with a 5-5 record, the Thoroughbreds won four straight playoff games to make it back to the state final. Last week, they scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes to knock off Danville, 15-7, in the semifinals.
“I don’t think it’s unexpected because I thought we’d get to be a pretty good football team all along,” Wagner said of his team’s playoff run. “Our problem early on is we were our own worst enemy. We kept doing things to hurt ourselves, but we kind of got beyond that.”
To finish off the season with a state title, NewCath must contain a Mayfield offense that’s averaging 367 yards and 36.7 points per game.
The Cardinals’ standout performer is junior quarterback Landon Arnett, who has passed for 2,514 yards and 36 touchdowns. Junior running back Trajon Bright is Mayfield’s leading rusher with 1,362 yards and 13 TDs.
Wagner said Mayfield’s double-threat offensive attack is a lot like the ones NewCath faced the last two weeks in playoff wins over Danville and Lloyd.
“You add a tweak here or there, but it’s nothing we haven’t prepared for already,” Wagner said. “Our (defensive) front four has just done a real good job on the line of scrimmage and that’s big when you play those offenses.”
NewCath defensive tackle Maleek Lawrence has made 108 tackles this season. He ranks third on the team in that category behind linebackers Kobe Tallon (153) and Kurtis Sutkamp (109).
Wagner also gives junior defensive back Trent Wrobleski credit for the team’s success in the playoffs. He scored two touchdowns on fumble recoveries in the win over Lloyd and intercepted a pass that set up a touchdown in the win over Danville.
“He’s made a huge difference,” the coach said. “He’s such an athlete and when you have more skill on the field like that it helps you play those teams coverage-wise.”
Senior running back Jacob Smith has been a workhorse for the NewCath offense most of the season with 1,469 rushing yards on 231 carries and 17 touchdowns. But quarterback Patrick Henschen has passed for more than 300 yards and running back John Harris has rushed for more than 300 yards in the team’s four playoff victories.
Wagner said the Thoroughbreds have a more balanced offensive attack going into Sunday’s state championship game against Mayfield than they’ve had all year.
“I think we can move the ball against them,” Wagner said. “We’ve just got to execute and get Jake a little room up front so he can find spots to run through. And Pat has made great strikes at quarterback, especially the last two or three weeks. If he keeps doing that, he could present some problems (for Mayfield).”
NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC IN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES
2014 — DeSales 26, NewCath 0 (Class 2A)
2013 — DeSales 34, NewCath 26 (Class 2A)
2012 — NewCath 30, Caldwell County 26 (Class 2A)
2010 — NewCath 42, Owensboro Catholic 0 (Class 2A)
2008 — Fort Campbell 26, NewCath 23 (Class 2A)
2007 — Fort Campbell 21, NewCath 7 (Class 2A)
2006 — NewCath 37, Danville 34 (Class 1A)
2005 — NewCath 42, Mayfield 7 (Class A)
2001 — Danville 14, NewCath 13 (Class A)
2000 — Danville 23, NewCath 9 (Class A)
1986 — Mayfield 21, NewCath 20 OT (Class 2A)
1985 — Mayfield 18, NewCath 8 (Class 2A)
1984 — NewCath 12, Fort Knox 7 (Class 2A)