Lexington Christian shocks Boyle County with new QB, new offense, big win
The week you go on the road to face the defending Class 4A state champion is not the time you want to lose your starting quarterback to injury.
But Lexington Christian made do on Saturday.
When you have an array of playmakers who can rack up 446 rushing yards and five touchdowns, you can hang a 35-28 loss on Boyle County in Title Town at their own Rebel Bowl.
LCA senior safety/wideout Mason Moore took the snaps, rushed for 140 yards and scored three TDs. Meanwhile, Eagles running back Xavier Brown got 221 yards rushing that included the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter — a 69-yard breakaway by the Virginia commit that left Boyle defenders in the dust as he stiff-armed his way through the line. The Eagles took the 35-28 lead with 3:32 left in the game.
“You don’t win the state championship in week two, but you certainly get better, and you find out where you are,” LCA Coach Doug Charles said. “It’s an honor to play here against a well-coached team, a tradition-rich program, and we’re just fortunate to come out of here with a victory.”
‘You’re the quarterback’
Last season’s Class 2A state runners-up learned on Monday that starting QB Drew Nieves would be a scratch with an undisclosed injury. LCA didn’t offer details beyond saying the junior couldn’t play. He was suited up on the sidelines.
Moore, a Miami (Ohio) commit who had a breakout 2020 season as a receiver, last regularly played quarterback in seventh grade and has taken only a few reps since.
Moore didn’t run the Eagles’ normal offense. LCA has thrown it more than it has run it for the last few years under Charles. The wildcat-like running attack LCA used against Boyle was installed for Moore on Tuesday. Saturday, Moore completed one pass for 3 yards.
LCA associate head coach and offensive coordinator Oakley Watkins put it to Moore bluntly at the beginning of the week.
“Oakley calls me and he’s like, ‘‘You’re our quarterback for Boyle County. Be ready. I’ve got a fun game plan.’” Moore said. “(Watkins) is the best in the business … he created that out of the dirt … and it just really worked for us.”
Wildcat inspiration
Not so coincidentally, LCA’s staff also includes former Kentucky quarterback Morgan Newton. It was a Newton injury in 2011 that set the stage for the unbelievable performance of UK wideout Matt Roark at quarterback when the Cats broke their 26-game losing streak to Tennessee using similar types of running plays and misdirection.
“Morgan and I talked about it on several occasions this week,” said Watkins, who noted the Roark game was part of their inspiration and they shared that with the players. “We knew what we were up against and found anything we could to motivate the staff and players.”
Moore said he didn’t really feel comfortable running the plays until Friday.
“Everything was kind of easy — hand-offs and quarterback runs, little passes, but not too many,” Moore said. He noted playing quarterback is a lot more demanding mentally because you’re in every play and you have to make sure everyone is lined up right.
Moore adapted quickly. “The first drive I had that swagger and Coach Doug (Charles) came over to me. He said, ‘You got this.’ I said, ‘I got this.’”
Brown said the team didn’t have any doubts.
“When our offensive coordinator had a smile on his face telling us about it and just telling us we had to be physical, I knew it was right,” Brown said.
Trading punches with Rebels
But it wasn’t easy. Boyle County answered LCA nearly blow-for-blow all game as they rolled up 235 rushing yards, 129 passing yards and four TDs. Rebels quarterback Jagger Gillis had three rushing TDs. Cole Lanter had the other to go along with 70 yards rushing and 90 yards receiving.
The back-and-forth battle featured zero punts as each team embarked on methodical drives down the field save for a few miscues. The Rebels tried a fake field goal in the first quarter, but the pass to a wide-open Gillis sailed high. And Boyle County got a meaningless interception near the end zone at the end of the first half.
But the biggest turnover came after Brown’s go-ahead score in the fourth quarter. A Gillis pass over the middle to Avery Bodner popped off his hands and up into the grasp of LCA’s Parker Chaney with just over three minutes left in the game.
“It felt amazing, because we had some unlucky breaks earlier in the game and just some struggles,” Chaney said. “They were running all over us and then the break fell our way.”
LCA converted two first downs to run out the clock.
“We had a great game plan and we felt like we had some pieces that would work even if we had to change our entire style,” Charles said. “I think the biggest thing was that they believed even with a change of quarterback, we could win.”
Streaks end
The loss ended Boyle County’s 12-game unbeaten streak that included last year’s state championship. It also broke the Rebels’ 33-game home win streak that dated to a loss to Danville in 2016.
Boyle Coach Justin Haddix said his team was surprised by LCA’s offense, but he didn’t use that as an excuse.
“It wasn’t that hard to know they were going to run it, but it was just where they were going. They’ve got some quality players, obviously,” Haddix said. “We didn’t tackle well enough and that’s going to give us a great look, because these are the types of players you have to tackle if you’re going to win a state championship.”
This story was originally published August 29, 2021 at 9:36 AM.
