Bryan Station prevails on last-second field goal in rollercoaster district opener

You don’t know Jack Hannan if you just look at the Bryan Station football roster. That’s because the Defenders kicker is listed by his actual first name, John.

John Phillip Hannan has gone by “Jack” since he was a toddler. His parents simply preferred calling him by the alternative, a common nickname for John, when he was a kid and it stuck all the way into his senior year of high school.

George Rogers Clark sure knows Jack after Friday night. He capped a thriller with a 27-yard field goal as time was poised to expire in a 28-25 Bryan Station victory, the Defenders’ fourth straight.

Time didn’t expire, however, because the scoreboard operator failed to start the clock on the snap; officials ruled that 0.8 seconds remained, so Hannan had to pivot from almost getting hoisted above teammates’ heads to an unforeseen kickoff to ice things. He squibbed it about 20 yards before a Cardinal corralled it and was quickly tackled.

“To be honest, I didn’t realize too quickly; I was too busy celebrating with my team,” Hannan said. “That feeling is unmatched. You hit the game-winner and you’ve got a team that are all trying to pick you up before you’ve gotta go back out on the field and kick off. I had to scream at ’em to put me down. It’s just awesome, a great team.”

It was the Class 6A, 8th District opener for both squads. GRC (5-3) had won its past two games and four straight against in-state foes. The Cardinals next week host Madison Central, which also fell to 0-1 in district play Friday.

Bryan Station (4-3) gets Frederick Douglass, the team that beat Madison Central and hasn’t lost to a district foe since its second year of existence in 2018. Douglass has never lost to another team in Lexington.

“Recovery is important, and then Sunday, we’ll just get right back to it, back to training, locking in,” Hannan said. “ … This was a great win, but it’s time to move on to next week.”

How Bryan Station rallied against GRC

Bryan Station is no stranger to closing out tight contests. The Defenders claimed an 8-3 victory at Ballard for their first win of the season on Sept. 12 before more comfortable outcomes against Tates Creek (35-14) and Simon Kenton (24-14).

Station entered off a bye week and held its Senior Night festivities before kickoff. It took a 3-0 lead on a 33-yard field goal by Hannan with 8:08 left in the first quarter and secured a fourth-down stop on the Cardinals’ first drive, but then fumbled possession away a couple minutes later. That gave way to a 30-yard touchdown catch by Athias Morris early in the second quarter.

The Defenders responded in a hurry — Kaiden Simpson caught a 39-yard pass from Kamani Barbour — but failed to convert an ensuing 2-point bid, and sloppy play for the remainder of the quarter kept the score at 9-7 to halftime.

GRC retook the lead on a field goal following a 12-play, 76-yard drive that erased almost eight minutes to open the second half. Then the Cardinals forced a three-and-out and extended their lead to 17-9 early on a Braylon Nester TD run with 10:04 to play.

Another quick answer followed for Station: Avery Johnson got the TD and Barbour a two-point run to even things at 17 with 6:27 to go. GRC committed a false start on its next play from scrimmage and then lost a fumble, recovered by Station’s Raymond Young. Less than a minute after tying the game, the Defenders reclaimed the lead on another TD pass (1 yard to Michael Saenz on a Tim Tebow-esque delivery) and 2-point run from Barbour.

The Cardinals issued an answer of their own: Landon Belcher (TD) and Stryker Davidson (2-point run) capped a 66-yard drive with 1:43 left to play. But Station covered 43 yards in 95 seconds to set up another makeable strike for Hannan, who delivered.

“John is a remarkable kicker,” Bryan Station head coach J.T. Haskins said. “He can make it from pretty much anywhere on the field. We get past the 40-yard line and we feel good. And he’s great at flipping the field for us (on kickoffs). He’s a weapon.”

Bryan Station star Jordan Haskins on the mend

Junior defensive back Jordan Haskins, a four-star recruit and top-300 player in the 2027 class according to 247Sports, is the most coveted player in the city.

He suffered a high ankle sprain in the Defenders’ loss to Pulaski County in Danville on Aug. 30 and missed their next three games. He recorded four tackles in his return to action against Simon Kenton before getting an additional week of rest.

“I’m getting better each and every day, staying with my trainers after practice and workouts,” Jordan said. “Hopefully here soon I’ll be back to playing both sides of the ball.”

While he’s been used sparingly on offense this season, Haskins on defense seemed more like himself Friday night. He led Bryan Station with 8.5 tackles, forced a fumble and locked up whomever he was matched up against in pass coverage the entire night.

Jordan, who holds for Hannan on kicks, also successfully lobbied his father to go for their final 2-point conversion after GRC was flagged for encroachment.

“He jumps up and says, ‘Dad, let’s go for 2,” J.T. said. “He processes the game and sees it all. He’s a true leader; it’s sometimes like having a coach on the field. I’m glad to have him for another year.”

Jordan has reported more than a dozen offers, including from several Power Four schools. Among them are Kentucky, Louisville and Illinois, to which he and his dad were scheduled to travel for a gameday visit on Saturday.

J.T. went on to play defensive back for U of L after his own glory days at Bryan Station. Jordan, who hopes to commit before his senior season, grew up a Cards fan but says that won’t dictate his decision-making.

“I’m just seeing what fits me best, where I can fit in scheme-wise and where I feel like I can play, be a better man and get a good degree,” Jordan said. “ … I’m sure my dad would like me to go there, but he knows at the end of the day this is my journey and my decision. He’s gonna be pleased with whatever happens and I know the rest of my family will as well.”

This story was originally published October 11, 2025 at 9:46 AM.