Highlights: LexCath survives slugfest; Bryan Station escapes; Woodford, Mercer, LCA roll
Highlights from around Kentucky from the final weekend of high school football’s 2021 regular season:
Lexington Catholic 41, Scott County 40: Though there were more than 1,100 yards of total offense between the two teams, Lexington Catholic got a goal-line stop on a two-point conversion attempt then forced a missed field goal on Scott County’s final possession to survive a thriller.
The Cardinals (5-5) had an extra point blocked earlier in the back-and-forth shootout, prompting them to go for two after Ellis Hughley’s 7-yard touchdown run put Scott County up 40-35 at the start of the fourth quarter. But the Knights clogged up the running lane and pulled Andrew Hickey down short of the goal line to deny the conversion try.
“You could tell this was one of those games where you’re going to get something like that. You’re going to get a kick block or a two-point conversion … just playing like a video game football game,” LexCath Coach Nigel Smith said. “It’s just about being able to make one more play at a time that seems weird. That two-point play is a big deal if you get it and a big deal if you don’t.”
Lexington Catholic (8-2) had plenty of offense itself. Walker Hall rushed for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Jack Gohmann threw for 281 yards and four touchdowns. Jack Monday caught three of those scoring tosses to go with his game-high 142 receiving yards.
Scott County’s run attack was hitting on all cylinders as well. Neither team punted, though each team fumbled away a possession in the fourth quarter. Scott County (5-5) outgained LexCath 594 total offensive yards to the Knights’ 591.
Scott County’s Luke Colvin rushed for 177 yards and a touchdown and Hamilton gained 144 yards and scored three times. Jaxon Saylor also scored.
The Cardinals led 34-28 at halftime after Jeremy Hamilton’s 46-yard TD run answered Walker Hall’s 53-yard breakaway in the second quarter on a night filled with big plays.
“We played some inspired football in the second half and cut their rushing numbers down quite a bit,” Smith said. “We were able to make enough plays on the defensive side of the ball and our offense had another good ball game.”
Sayre 31, Bethlehem 21: Trailing 21-17 in the fourth quarter, quarterback Cole Pennington scrambled 29 yards for touchdown on a fourth-and-8 play to put the Spartans ahead. He added a 1-yard TD later as the Class A No. 12 Spartans (8-2) topped No. 3 Bethlehem.
“It was a gutsy, grind-it-out type of win,” Sayre Coach Chad Pennington said. “I’m very proud of our team and their resiliency. There were multiple chances to fold and they stayed together, continued to fight and found a way to win.
Bethlehem (8-2) led 14-10 at halftime and, after giving up the lead early in the fourth quarter, took it right back on a kickoff return touchdown by Zane Wickliffe to set up Cole Pennington’s scramble. Brother Luke Pennington intercepted the ball on Bethlehem’s final possession to seal the win.
Cole Pennington rushed for 89 yards and two TDs and threw for 130 yards with a TD pass to Caleb Kern. Kern also had a rushing touchdown. Jackson Marshall led the Spartans with 11 tackles and had 76 rushing yards.
Bryan Station 21, Paul Laurence Dunbar 16: The Defenders (9-1) got a game-opening 70-yard kickoff return touchdown by AhTraivon Jenkins and a pair of scoring throws from Trenton Cutwright in a win that secured Bryan Station’s No. 3 RPI rating for the Class 6A playoffs.
Dunbar (5-5) answered Jenkins’ score with a 27-yard Kyan Hall field goal and a 12-yard Kamarion Robinson touchdown run to take a 10-7 lead in the first quarter.
But Cutwright’s 76-yard bomb to JaeVon Hurt late in the second quarter put Bryan Station back in front. Cutwright connected with J’Marious Lindsay on a 17-yard TD pass late in the third quarter to extend the lead to 21-10. Dunbar’s Cole Colony got a 1-yard TD run midway through the fourth quarter to set the final margin.
Lexington Christian 58 at Henry Clay 0: Drew Nieves threw for 256 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 75 yards and two more scores as the Eagles (10-0) routed the Blue Devils (1-9).
Xavier Brown caught two of the scoring passes, including a 60-yarder on LCA’s first possession. Will Orberson and Elijah Hammond caught the other two TDs. Frankie Knight and Saxton Howard also scored.
Class 2A No. 1 LCA locked up home-field advantage through the state semifinals should they advance that far.
Boone County 23, Tates Creek 20 (OT): Ryan Kollar kicked a 20-yard field goal in overtime and the Rebels (4-6) stopped the Commodores at the goal line as Tates Creek (2-8) eschewed a potential tying field goal only to get turned way on a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line to end the game.
Tates Creek led 12-0 early after Laquan Newby’s 10-yard blocked punt return TD and a 53-yard TD pass from Andrew Witherington to Marquevion Smith. But both two-point conversion attempts after the TDs failed.
Boone County (4-6) answered to take a 20-12 halftime lead on Richard West’s 33-yard TD pass to Tyler Whipple, a Braden McCarty 13-yard TD run and a short-yardage score by West.
Tates Creek tied the game on a 5-yard Witherington pass to Kobe Middleton late in the third quarter. Witherington finished with 180 yards passing, but also threw three interceptions.
Woodford County 50, Simon Kenton 13: The Yellow Jackets (10-0) locked up a Class 5A No. 1 RPI rating for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a rout of the Pioneers (2-8). Preston Stacy rushed for more than 150 yards and three touchdowns, including a 70-yarder on the first series. QB Bryce Patterson had a TD pass to Makhi Smith and his own breakaway touchdown run of about 50 yards. Jacob Jackson and Wyatt Crowe also scored.
Great Crossing 26, Collins 21: Cayden Allen returned a fumble caught out of the air for 45 yards and a go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter as the Warhawks (8-2) outscored the Titans 19-7 in the second half for the victory.
Allen also rushed for 132 yards and a TD on offense to go along with a score by Zach Morris. Kalib Perry returned a kickoff 78 yards for Great Crossing’s only score of the first half.
Kenyon Goodin rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns and got a blocked field goal and return TD to lead the Titans (7-3).
Southwestern 26, Madison Central 0: The Warriors (9-1) got two rushing touchdowns from Giddeon Brainard and held the visiting Indians (7-3) to only 50 yards on the ground — nearly 150 yards below their average — on a muddy, rain-soaked grass field. Tanner Wright and Mason Hibbard also scored.
Bourbon County 23, Letcher County Central 20: A 32-yard field goal by Corey McMahon early in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference for the Colonels (5-5). Clay Estes threw for 215 yards and two TDs and ran for another 67 yards and a touchdown as Bourbon led 23-12 after McMahon’s kick and held on. Jaden Commodore and Josh Moody caught the scoring passes. Carson Adams, Wyatt Ison and Hayden Brashear scored for the visiting Cougars (6-3).
Mercer County 36, West Jessamine 0: Brayden Dunn and Jackson Peavler each scored two touchdowns and the Titans (8-2) capitalized on five Colts’ turnovers. Aaron Caton and Myles Haygood each had interceptions and Caton claimed one of the three fumble recoveries in the rout. Trosper Buchanan threw a TD pass to Thaddeus Mays, as well.
Danville 47, Whitley County 28: Mauri Brown rushed for 88 yards and three scores and caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Brady Morse for the Admirals (7-4). Morse threw another TD to Corydon Crawford and had a TD run. Caleb Burns also scored.
Franklin County 55, Madison Southern 7: The Flyers (7-3) got three rushing touchdowns from Kentucky commit Kaden Moorman in the blowout. Tyler Broyles completed a TD pass to Ty Taylor, and Christian Moore, Gavin Hurst and Elesius Robinson each had rushing TDs
Western Hills 13, Frankfort 0: The Wolverines (2-8) got a Demetrius Britt TD run and a Dylan Norton 40-yard fumble recovery return for a touchdown in the second half to knock off the Panthers (6-4).
Conner 34, George Rogers Clark 16: Alex Castrucci ran for 130 yards and three touchdowns and Clayton Melcher and Jackson Bucks tacked on fourth quarter TDs as the Cougars (6-4) pulled away.
Covington Catholic 10, Ryle 3: Eli Nally kicked a 36-yard field goal in the first half and Preston Agee scored on a 3-yard run in the third quarter for the Colonels (7-3).
