Johnson Central backs up 50 hours of film prep with hearty showing in state finals
Facing a Boyle County offense it had heard so much about all season, Johnson Central came up with a huge defensive effort, capped by the break-up of a fourth-and-2 pass in the final minute, to seal a 21-20 victory in the UK Orthopaedics/KHSAA Commonwealth Gridirion Bowl Class 4A championship Saturday at Kroger Field.
Cody Rice, who scored the last of Johnson Central’s three touchdowns, laid the hit on Boyle County’s Reese Smith as the key pass arrived, and he celebrated as the ball bounced to the turf and brought Golden Eagles fans to full roar.
“The key tonight was to come out here and hit them in the mouth,” said teammate Devin Johnson, who had a second quarter TD. “We’re happy with five yards per carry. We came out here and knew they were going to throw the ball. We knew they had some speed. We just had to get matchup on matchup.”
Johnson Central held the Rebels to their lowest offensive output of the season and were aided by five Boyle County turnovers. Boyle averaged better than 50 points per game and had scored no fewer than 30 until Saturday.
“We knew Boyle County like the back of our hand,” said Johnson Central quarterback Ryley Preece, who estimated the team watched 50 hours of game film on the Rebels. “Our guys came out and showed their heart like we have in the mountains.”
Johnson Central’s wishbone offense, which Coach Jim Matney said he used because it was so old “nobody knows how to defend it,” generated 270 rushing yards and, more importantly, 15 first downs that helped keep Boyle County’s offense off the field.
“We knew going into the game that we couldn’t survive that, and certainly we didn’t,” Boyle County Coach Chuck Smith said.
After a halting start where Johnson Central had to punt and Boyle fumbled away its first chance, the Rebels struck first on a 6-yard pass from Reed Lanter to Reiley Colwick with under a minute left in the first quarter. Colwick had 133 yards receiving while teammate Reese Smith led with 150.
But Johnson Central soon answered, capitalizing on a muffed punt and scoring on a 22-yard run by Devin Johnson to make it 7-7 with 6:40 left in the second quarter.
Boyle went back up front with a 12-play drive capped by a Will McDaniel 1-yard TD. But just before half, Johnson Central put together a nine-play scoring drive highlighted by a 31-yard keeper by Preece on a third-and-2 that set up a short TD by Dylan Preston to tie it again at 14-14. Preston finish with 97 rushing yards and was named the game’s most valuable player.
Boyle still couldn’t get its offense untracked in the second half, fumbling on its first drive after the break and punting on the second.
On Johnson Central’s next series the rushing team uncorked a 46-yard pass from Preece to Seth Dalton that set up Rice’s score from 12 yards out. Preece completed only two passes on the night.
Boyle County immediately responded with its longest sustained drive of the night, capped off by a Lanter-to-Smith TD on a quick slant from the 3-yard line to end the third quarter, but the point after was missed, leaving Boyle behind, 21-20.
Johnson Central won its second title in its fifth straight appearance in the state finals.
“I knew we could do it the whole season,” Preece said. “Boyle County’s a great team and they gave us an absolute war.”
State football championships
Class A: Pikeville 43, Paintsville 0
Class 3A: Belfry 30, Bell County 20
Class 2A: Somerset 34, Mayfield 31
Class 4A: Johnson Central 21, .Boyle County 20
Class 5A: Covington Catholic 14, Frederick Douglass 7
Class 6A: Trinity 28, Male 6
This story was originally published December 7, 2019 at 8:40 PM.
