article Class 2A Notebook 9/4- Kick, Kick, Hooray for Danville!

Hazlett Has It: Ads Kick From Down Town for Bragging Rights in Title Town Showdown

The consensus entering Friday's clash between #2 Danville and 3A Boyle County was that we were in store for a close game. I don't think anyone expected it to be as evenly matched as it ended up playing out, as both teams traded blows equally playing to a 7-7 tie late into the 4th Quarter.

In a game that was defined by excellent Defense and missed opportunities, an unlikely hero emerged, err correct that, arrived. Nathan Hazlett did not arrive to the stadium until Halftime. Due to the game being re-scheduled to Thursday due to impending bad weather, Hazlett was actually across the town playing soccer and did not arrive until the Half when Danville trailed 7-0 and already had a missed Field Goal on the books.

The Ads used a pass from Zach Thornton to David Walker to knot the score up in the 3rd frame. Both teams found some Offensive rhythm down the stretch, but both also found turnovers in the redzone. With the game on the line Thornton led the Admirals on a late drive with numerous key conversions. Facing a 4th and Long with only :40 left in regulation Coach Clevenger turned to the Kicker and Hazlett answered with the clutch 45 yard shot.

Danville (3-0) cannot rest on their laurels for long. The Admirals now must travel to 5A Pulaski County (1-2) to take on the 5A Runner-Up Maroons.

Centurions "Bogged" Down, Carried by Defense to Win Over 6A Central Hardin

Nothing was pretty about #1 Christian Academy- Louisville's road trip to take on a solid 6A Central Hardin. With remnants of Hurricane Harvey causing monsoon conditions on the natural grass field and a stout Defense challenging them, the Centurions were fortunate to break the century mark for total Offense.

Despite only averaging 2 yards per carry on the ground and a meager 5 yards per completion, CAL found a way to win and retain their winning streak. The key sequence of the game came right before the Half. Facing a 3rd and 8, Jaden Wilson got just beyond the sticks to continue the drive on a 9 yard run crossing midfield. Austin Carr then hit the longest play from scrimmage on the night as he found Nathaniel Clark for 28 yard gain down the seam. With only 5.3 second remaining in the Half it was time for Milton Wright to do what he does best. Carr found Wright for a 7 yard score giving CAL the 7-0 lead at the Half.

The Centurions gave themselves what would be more than enough room on the opening drive of the 2nd Half. After forcing the Bruins to a three-and-out, the Centurions blocked a punt and set their Offense up inside the 5 yard line. Wilson was rewarded for his clutch earlier run with a 3 yard score setting the eventual final margin of 14-0. The remainder of the Half saw neither team able to establish any semblance of Offensive consistency.

Central Hardin proved to be CAL's stiffest Defensive test of the season. The Centurions now will most likely face their stiffest Offensive threat as 3A Elizabethtown (3-0) comes calling. The Panthers are a veteran team with excellent Offensive efficiency.

Small School Bragging Rights Coming Friday Night

Speaking of Class 3A, Friday will be a headliner evening as two of the strongest performing classes in Kentucky on the early season will see several Inter-Class matchups.

As previously mentioned, perhaps the headline match-up of the night will be #1 Christian Academy- Louisville taking on 3A's #3 team Elizabethtown. Two other games will feature ranked foes from each class.

#5 Lexington Christian Academy takes on 3A #5 Lexington Catholic. The Eagles (3-0) have rolled so far on Offense averaging over 43 points per game. They will face by far their stiffest Defensive challenge so far from the Knights (2-1). Lexington Catholic is entering fresh off an impressive 28-0 shutout of the defending 6A Runner-Up Lafayette. LCA travelled all the way to Vincennes, Indiana and pulled away late to beat a solid Lincoln team 41-21.

#7 Newport Central Catholic (2-1) will look to bounce back hosting 3A #2 Belfry. The Breds were beginning to establish themselves as a threat to join the rest of the Top 5 before things came to a halt against the Camels of 6A Campbell County. The four-time defending 3A Champion Pirates (1-1) showed signs of brilliance at 6A Bryan Station, but still have major growing pains on the Defensive side of the football. This will be the second consecutive year Newport Central Catholic has hosted this game due to a scheduling glitch. Last year Belfry won 41-8, but expect a much closer game this year.

Around the Class:

- #10 Somerset (1-2) almost had the statement win they were looking for. The Briarjumpers gave 1A #1 Beechwood all they wanted for three and a half quarters, but could not find the end-zone and watched as the reigning 1A Champs hit pay dirt with around 7:00 to go in the final quarter to take a 7-0 victory in the driving rain. Somerset has a chance for immediate redemption as they travel to Hazard (2-0) to take on the #2 Bulldogs, the defending Runner-Up.

- Owensboro Catholic (1-2) got beat up by rival 5A Owensboro both figuratively and literally. The Red Devils controlled the game throughout en route to a 47-12 victory. The hitting was heavy and the Aces may have paid the toll with more than just a loss on the scoreboard. Sensational Junior QB Will Warren left the game prematurely after sustaining an injury from a big hit. Owensboro Catholic has surprisingly struggled this season to sustain success on the ground, Warren had been the most consistent Offensive producer this season hitting 63/101 of his passes for 581 yards and 4 TD's with no Interceptions. The Aces should be able to gain some confidence this week against a South Spencer (IN) team which they beat by 30 points last season.

- After the conclusion of Week 2 only eight Class 2A teams remain undefeated. Last week we highlighted Todd County Central. The Rebels had an open week so obviously the remain 2-0, but the other team who has surprised people with their unblemished mark is the Green County Dragons. Green County (3-0) has outscored their competition 119-19. Green will look to keep their flawless mark going as they take on 1A Campbellsville (0-3) at the Eagles' homefield.

On Deck:

- Mayfield (3-0) continues to roll in very impressive fashion. The Cardinals completely outclassed a ranked 3A Paducah Tilghman squad 47-14. The most surprising aspect of Mayfield's dominant Offense (Averaging over 45 points per game) has been their balance. Eight different Cardinals have accounted for an Offensive TD in Varsity action. The Cardinals will now take on 6A McCracken County (1-2). Since McCracken County was formed in 2013 this rivalry has been separated by a total of one point. The teams have split going 2-2 so far and not a single game has had greater than a TD margin.

- Glasgow (3-0) will face perhaps their stiffest test of the season at 4A Allen County- Scottsville. The Patriots bring their own unblemished record to the contest and have been one of the more surprising teams in Class 4A. Allen County- Scottsville is led by one of the state's most productive receivers on this young season in Jacob Lightfoot. The Junior already has 9 Touchdowns and nearly 500 yards receiving through three games.

Worth a Closer Look:

- Owen County (2-1) has a chance to earn some Top 15 consideration taking on 1A Fairview (1-1). The Rebels only blemish so far was stepping up in class against 4A Bourbon County. The Eagles enter fresh off a loss to Nicholas County and may be vulnerable for an upset. The Rebels would be well served to gather some momentum as they take on Walton-Verona in two weeks in a massive District 5 clash.