Ballers: Friday night’s top high school football performances

Some of the best performances from the fifth week of high school football season in Kentucky.

Tanner Crawford, Boyle County

Boyle picked up its second win in a row over a Class 4A contender. The Rebels knocked off Wayne County last week at home before defeating Collins, 45-17, on the road. Boyle piled up 442 yards against the Titans, Crawford accounting for 200 of the Rebels’ 231 rushing yards in that total. He scored three TDs, too.

Blake Gamble, Johnson Central

The Golden Eagles defeated Moore, 42-8, in their first ever trip to Louisville for a football game. Gamble had 17 carries for 148 yards and a TD on offense while contributing seven tackles and three pass breakups on the defensive side.

Seth Johnson, Shelby Valley

The junior put on a show in the Wildcats’ 55-36 victory over Morgan County, snapping a three-game losing streak. He rushed for 347 yards — 89 shy of his 436 total on the season — and five TDs (he had three coming into the night) on 23 carries.

Damen Jones, Lexington Catholic

Catholic had a tough time establishing its run game in a loss at Lexington Christian last week, but the Knights more than made up for it in a 21-18 win at Highlands. Jones went for 209 yards — nearly all of LexCath’s 245 net yards on the ground — and a TD on 31 carries in a come-from-behind victory against the Class 5A Bluebirds.

Zach Labhart, Anderson County

Labhart inflated his season averages in yardage and TDs signifcantly in a 46-13 victory at Franklin County. The sophomore, who entered Friday with 242 rushing yards and one TD through four games; had 162 yards and five TDs on 18 carries against the Flyers. He was also second on the team with six tackles, one for a loss, and also had a a pass breakup.

Ziyon Kenner, Bowling Green

The Purples shutout intracounty challenger Warren Central, 47-0, and scored 35 of their points in the opening quarter to put the contest out of reach early. Kenner scored three TDs in three different manners for Bowling Green in the first period: a 14-yard run, a 37-yard pass from Beau Buchanan, and a 49-yard punt return. The senior is now the leading scorer on the season for the Purples.

AJ Mayer, Covington Catholic

Mayer, a senior who’s committed to Miami (Ohio), was 14 of 17 for 227 yards and three TDs in a 49-6 win over previously-undefeated Beechwood, a Class A powerhouse.

Zach Thornton, Danville

It wasn’t easy, but the Admirals stayed perfect on the year with a 49-42 win at Waggener that saw both teams combine for 904 yards of total offense. Thornton was 19-for-29 for 255 yards and three TDs

This story was originally published September 15, 2017 at 11:22 PM with the headline "Ballers: Friday night’s top high school football performances."