‘It’s Woodford against everybody.’ Yellow Jackets love their underdog status
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- Woodford County routed Great Crossing 42-14 behind strong junior performances.
- Wide receiver Omari Jointer and running back Darrian Tomlin led the offense.
- Woodford is one of state’s the top teams in Class 5A’s toughest district.
Woodford County’s football players say they’re underestimated.
Part of that comes from the results of the last few years.
What was perhaps the Yellow Jackets’ best team in several seasons under head coach Dennis Johnson lost at home in the state semifinals to eventual Class 5A champion South Warren in 2021.
Last season, after claiming the district title with a narrow 38-35 win at Scott County, Woodford lost 55-38 at home to Highlands in the second round.
Though Scott County lost at that stage, too, the perception around the state, especially after the Cardinals’ 35-28 win over two-time defending state champion Bowling Green on Friday, is that the No. 1 team in Class 5A wears red.
“We’ll always be the underdogs,” junior wide receiver Omari Jointer said. “That’s always the way. It’s Woodford against everybody.”
That’s fine with Jointer, who caught a pair of touchdown passes in the Yellow Jackets’ 42-14 rout of Great Crossing on Friday at home in Community Stadium. For comparison’s sake, Scott County had a tougher time with the Warhawks in a 42-21 victory a week prior.
Fellow junior Darrian Tomlin scored two rushing touchdowns, as well.
They’re part of a supremely talented Woodford team that should be ranked No. 2 behind Scott County when the next Kentucky High School Football Media Poll comes out Tuesday.
Both Jointer and Tomlin are returning from injury. Jointer got hurt in the first round of the playoffs last season.
“When he went out last year, it really hurt us,” Johnson aid. “He’s a difference-maker outside. He wins all of his one-on-ones. He’s got great hands and is physical. He’s a high-caliber receiver, man.”
Tomlin went down in Week 4.
“He’s a big-time running back and he’s still probably not 100% healthy,” Johnson said. “He gives us a different dimension back there at 6-1, 200 pounds.”
Woodford’s offense plays wide-open. Foxx Coons, a junior quarterback getting his first regular snaps as a starter, has around 1,000 yards passing with nine TDs already. Against Great crossing, Coons hit Jointer with scoring throws of 20 and 8 yards and Kael Rihtar, another junior wideout, with a 15-yard score.
Tomlin broke his TD runs of 15 and 26 yards in the first half. Aidyn Powell tacked on the other touchdown to cap the Yellow Jackets’ run of 21 unanswered second half points.
“With us two out there it makes a big difference, and we show it on the field every time,” Tomlin said. “I feel like there’s nobody better than us.” Woodford faces perhaps the toughest district in all of Kentucky high school football. Along with top-ranked Scott County, Class 5A’s 6th District has No. 8 South Oldham and No. 10 Collins. All of them are 3-0 thus far.
But Johnson likes his chances if his team can stay healthy.
“We’ve just got to take it one week at a time. … I think we’ve got a veteran group of guys who’ve played a ton, and this group is really connected,” Johnson said. “Every day is a war in practice. We do a lot of best-on-best. I think that prepares us for Friday.”
This story was originally published September 6, 2025 at 12:47 PM.
