Where does Male football go after a fourth-straight KHSAA state championship loss?
LEXINGTON, Ky. — There's always next year.
Moments after losing his fourth-straight state championship in as many years, Male football coach Chris Wolfe shared what he felt the Bulldogs needed to get over the hump.
"They probably need to get a new head coach," Wolfe said jokingly following the 28-27 loss to Bullitt East in the KHSAA Class 6A Championship at Kroger Field on Saturday.
Time will tell if Wolfe's sense of humor softens the blow from the Bulldogs' defeat. Male was 1:45 away from its first state championship since 2018. Leading by four points, Male faced fourth-and-3 from the Chargers' 8-yard line and Wolfe was faced with a decision that'll haunt him throughout the offseason.
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With three of his top cornerbacks out with injuries, Wolfe wasn't sure he could trust the defense to close out the game. The 13th-year coach would've preferred to be aggressive and go for the game-clinching touchdown as opposed to settling for a field goal.
He decided to play it safe. Lance Gossett made a 25-yard field goal to put Male up 27-20.
"I kind of felt like I wanted to go for it," Wolfe said. "I wasn't sure we could stop them on the way out so we got the seven. You already know that seven's only enough if you can stop them."
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Tales of Bullitt East's game-winning drive and 2-point conversion to defeat the Bulldogs will ring throughout Mount Washington for generations. The Chargers clinched their first state championship in program history with a first-year coach with a play called "Cheesesteak."
But despite the hurt from the loss, Wolfe knows there are a lot of teams that would switch places with the Bulldogs in a heartbeat.
"It's been disappointing getting here and not finishing," Wolfe said. "But is it better to get here and not finish or not get here at all?"
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The Bulldogs lost 16 starters from last season and battled injuries and setbacks all season long but believed things could come together in the playoffs. Win after win, the team trusted Wolfe to lead them to the championship.
"I definitely don't think we need a new coach," Male quarterback Lucas Cobler said. "He's one of the best in the business. We have a really good system, great players and we're really proud of these guys."
It's tough to say where the Bulldogs will go after Saturday's defeat. Top stars like running back Daniel Swinney will graduate and Wolfe will have to rebuild. Those that return could be motivated or exhausted by another championship defeat.
If there's anything Wolfe wanted his players to take away it was that they have to work for everything. Making it to the state championship isn't enough when there's a team that wants it just as bad.
"I think with the players it's something for them to carry that no matter how hard life is there's no storybook ending," Wolfe said. "You have to create that storybook ending."
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: KHSAA football: What's next for Male after fourth straight loss
