[blue1424]

After clinching the regular-season title in Class 6-A, District Four with historic back-to-back victories over St. Xavier and Trinity, the Male High School football team might understandably be looking ahead to the start of the playoffs in two weeks.

But there's the matter of the Old Rivalry and a three-game losing streak to rival Manual, a skid the Bulldogs hope to end tonight.

If there's been a letdown in the Male camp this week, coach Chris Wolfe hasn't seen it.

"They want to beat Manual, whatever the reason," he said of his players. "I don't know if it's because (Manual has) won three in a row or if it's to go 9-0, but they're just as ready to play now as they've been the last two weeks. They don't need any added motivation."

Male (8-0), No. 4 in The Courier-Journal's Litkenhous Ratings, will face Manual (6-2) for the 131st time, with kickoff set for 7:30 at Manual Stadium. The Bulldogs lead the series 80-44-6, but the Crimsons have won five of the past six.

The game won't have any bearing on the district race, as Male will be the No. 1 seed and Manual the No. 4 seed, but both coaches know the significance for their school communities and alumni. And Manual coach Oliver Lucas knows he's not facing the same team the Crimsons have defeated the past three years.

"They have the four S's: size, strength, speed and smarts," Lucas said. "We tie them in smarts for sure and might take a slight edge on that, but unfortunately, we're not taking the ACT."

Male became the first team since Cincinnati St. Xavier in 2010 to beat St. X and Trinity in consecutive weeks. The Bulldogs were the first Kentucky team to do it since Clark County during the 1991 Class 4-A playoffs, beating Trinity in the semifinals and St. X in the final.

Wolfe said he hasn't sensed any overconfidence in his players after the victories.

"Our practices have been pretty good," he said. "But the proof will be (tonight)."

Sporting a balanced offense all season, Male took to the ground to beat Trinity 24-14 last week -- running 37 times and passing 19. Ellis Cain carried 23 times for 157 yards, including a 71-yard touchdown run.

Cain, a junior, has rushed for 873 yards and 14 TDs this season. Lucas credits an offensive line that features senior guard Marcus Smith (6 feet 6, 370 pounds) and sophomore tackle Isaiah Arnold (6-3, 337).

"They're huge, and they do a great job," Lucas said. "They're also very well-coached. ... I'm proud for them to beat Trinity and St. X, which is something we weren't able to do."

The Crimsons sure came close, though, falling to Trinity 38-30 on Oct. 11 and losing 24-23 to St. X last week when the Tigers scored a touchdown (and extra point) on the final play of the game.

Lucas said his team has handled the tough defeats well.

"You can only worry about the things that are in front of you," he said. "They didn't have time to sit back and feel sorry for themselves. They have to turn around and play a team that beat them both."

Michael Nero leads the Manual rushing attack with 1,127 yards and 15 touchdowns (12 rushing, three receiving). Lucas said quarterback Mason Motley has improved significantly since last season, passing for 1,464 yards and 12 TDs.

"He has a complete grasp of the offense," Lucas said. "He's a real student of the game and doesn't miss too many things in regards to audibles."

Wolfe noted that turnovers have been key in the rivals' past three meetings. Male had four miscues in last year's 24-14 loss. Manual had zero.

"They've won the turnover battle every year, and last year was as lopsided as it gets," Wolfe said. "I think the fact that we were as close as we were shows that we were pretty evenly matched."

http://lms.usatodayhss.com/louisville/ar...ball-picks