COLLINSVILLE — For a third year in a row Louisville is headed back to the 4A state title game.

 

Behind a stellar balanced offensive attack along with the always tough stout defense the Wildcats raced past West Lauderdale 40-6 to claim the MHSAA Class 4A North State Championship in “The Kingdom” on Friday night.

 

“The game plan was for us to run the football, and that’s something we’ve been good at all year. We’ve got about five running backs that can go and score at any time,” said Louisville coach Tyrone Shorter. “The offensive line is a veteran group and that’s what we’re going to do. Run the football and take shots when we need it.”

 

Louisville scored their first touchdown with 48 seconds left in the first quarter as promising freshman running back Zaiden Jernigan raced to the end zone from eight yards out to give the Wildcats a 7-0 lead.

 

The Wildcats extended their lead to 14-0 with two minutes left before halftime as quarterback Xavier Hunt found Jernigan on a 49-yard touchdown pass.

 

After West Lauderdale had a quick three-and-out, Hunt found Ayden Coleman on a 51-yard touchdown pass to stretch the Louisville lead out to 20-0 with 57 seconds left before halftime.

 

The Wildcats scored on the opening drive of the second half on a Korben Sanders two-yard touchdown run with 5:37 left in the third quarter to give Louisville a 27-0 lead.

 

West Lauderdale fumbled on their first play of the second half and Louisville’s Corxavier Coleman scooped and scored from 13 yards out to give the Wildcats a 34-0 with 5:13 left in the third quarter.

 

West Lauderdale got on the board on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Kayden Peoples to Chase Gathings with 8:02 left in the fourth quarter to cut the Louisivlle lead to 34-6.

 

Jayllun Hoskin scored on a 1-yard run to give Louisville the 40-6 lead with 3:27 left.

 

“I’m proud of these kids and the whole program, coaching staff, and these kids deserve to get back to the championship and a chance to make history,” Shorter said. “We have a chance to win it in three straight years and that’s hasn’t been done before and this senior class is hungry.”

 

Hunt finished 16-of-19 passing for 199 yards with two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats (13-1).

 

Peoples finished with 72 yards passing and a touchdown to lead West Lauderdale. The Knights (10-4) only managed 86 yards of total offense.

 

“We had missed opportunities, but the guys on the other side had a lot to do with that. They are a very fast, and physical football team and a very good team,” said West Lauderdale coach Brock Clay. “Very proud of our kids of how they played, fought through adversity with injuries, and proud how the season went and host a North State championship for the first time in school history and we can build on that for the future.”