Tates Creek overcomes miscues, rallies for thrilling win on last drive
Highlights from Saturday’s high school football games:
Tates Creek 28, Mercer County 21: MarQuevion Smith’s 5-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left in the game capped a 16 play, 71-yard drive in which the Commodores converted two fourth downs to give Jonathan Hawks a come-from-behind win in his head coaching debut at the Fort Harrod Bowl in Harrodsburg.
“The biggest thing, and we talked about it at halftime, they have to be player-led if we were going to pull that game out,” Hawks said. “When it comes to making big plays, we have to play together as a unit to be able to make that happen.”
Tates Creek overcame two red zone fumbles in the first half to lead 12-7 at the intermission on a pair of Andrew Witherington TD throws, one to Thomas Seigler and the other to Keshon Douthitt.
But a turnover on downs at midfield and then a blocked punt deep in their own end in the third quarter helped Mercer County build a 21-12 lead going into the fourth. Titans quarterback Thaddeus Mays scored on two short runs in the third quarter to capitalize on Tates Creek’s second-half miscues.
The Commodores responded with a drive that yielded a 16-yard touchdown pass from Witherington to Douthitt to cut the Creek deficit to 21-20 early in the fourth quarter.
As Mercer County drove for what could have been a game-clinching score on the next possession, Tates Creek’s Seigler intercepted a Mays pass inside the 5-yard-line and returned it to the 29 with 7:33 to play in the game to set up the Commodores’ final push.
“He’s one of our smartest football players,” Hawks said of Seigler. “He knows where to be on defense. That was a huge play we needed in that moment.”
During that final drive, though, Tates Creek faced two fourth downs that could have killed their chances. In the first half, both of Tates Creek’s fumbles in the red zone occurred on mishandled snaps. Another bad snap on a fourth-down play in the fourth quarter sailed over quarterback Witherington’s head, but he was able to gather it back, elude defenders and complete a short first-down pass to keep the drive alive near midfield.
“He stayed composed and he found a way to make a play,” Hawks said. “Earlier in the game, those things happen. They’re still young … You just have to keep those kids calm.”
Witherington completed 17 passes for 142 yards and three touchdowns. Theo Jones led Tates Creek in rushing with 83 yards. Mercer County’s Mays rushed for 133 yards and two scores.
Boyle County 50, Madison (Ind.) 2: Six players scored TDs for defending Class 4A champion Rebels in the first half in this season-opening rout in Saturday’s first Fort Harrod Bowl game. Sage Dawson threw TD passes to Will Alexander, Avery Bodner and Cole Sims and Boyle County got rushing TDs of 53 yards by Montavin Quisenberry, 37 yards by Dawson and 1 yard by Dalton Stone. Austin Bodner got the final TD in the second half.
South Warren 49, Highlands 14: Sophomore quarterback Bryce Button rushed for one TD and threw for 190 yards and two scores while the defending Class 5A champion Spartans defense scored three times in this runaway win. South Warren’s KJ Hardesty returned a sack fumble 34 yards and Preston Barnes had an 18-yard pick-six in a 35-0 first half. Colton Veltkamp had another interception return for a TD in the third quarter. Button’s TD passes were to Bailey Shoemaker and Keegan Milby.
Bowling Green 23, North Hardin 14: The Purples scored 13 unanswered points in the second half on a 40-yard TD run by Javen Huddleston and a 19-yard pass from Deuce Bailey to Easton Barlow. North Hardin got two first half TDs from Shaun Boykins, which were answered by a Colin Fratus 28-yard field goal and a Huddleston TD by Bowling Green.
East Carter 14, Montgomery County 7: The Raiders outlasted several lightning delays and rallied from a 7-0 halftime deficit with touchdowns from Isaac Boggs and Breyer Holbrook. Holbrook’s TD game on a fourth-and-goal at the 2-yard line. Boggs converted the ensuing 2-point conversion to set the margin with 7:23 left in the game. A Mikey Hall interception ended the Indians’ final threat.
Taylor County 47, Louisville Holy Cross 35: Peyton Smith rushed for 285 yards and three touchdowns in a game the Cardinals broke open with a 20-0 third quarter. The third frame featured an 83-yard TD run by Smith and Zach Underwood’s 49-yard TD bomb to Jaquon Coulter. Chris Perry led Louisville Holy Cross with 110 yards and three TDs rushing to go with 120 yards and one TD passing and an interception.
Raceland 34, Ashland Blazer 7: Rams running back Isaac Browning rushed for two TDs and quarterback Logan Lundy threw for 173 yards and a score as Raceland second straight win over the Tomcats. Jules Farrow and Noah Wallace also had rushing TDs for the Rams, who had to host this game in Wheelersburg, W.Va., because their own new turf field had not yet been completed.
This story was originally published August 21, 2022 at 11:09 AM.
