Congrats to Beechwood on being state champions and Owensboro Catholic on being state runner up! ?

Congratulations to the Tigers and Coach Volker (and staff). What a two game stretch!

A lot of accolades to pass out.

Coach Volker - Welcome to the club! Great job this year working through injuries. You put together a vision of what these young men needed to do to get a title and they followed your lead to #18. 

Offensive Coordinator Hergott - Been watching your offense for many years but this year was a masterpiece. Your game plans and play calling were the best you have ever put on the field. Awesome job!

QB Clay Hayden - Two time state champion starting QB. Coach Rash told me your freshman year you were going to be special and he was so right. The stats speak for themselves but the story that needs to be told is your leadership this year. You posted one of the greatest passing seasons in KY history as a junior. And when the coaches said we need to run the ball more to win #18, you bought in and showed your teammates that the title means more than adding to your own passing stats. Sacrifice, brotherhood ... you lived it and led with it. That's the Beechwood Way!

WR James Cusick - You were a man this year! When Fryman and Erdman were lost to injury, you stepped up and made big play after big play. You truly laid it all on the line in this title game and your toughness, great hands and effort were a huge part of this title.

OG, FB, LB, DL Jack Meier - And, yes kickoff returner!! That list of positions says it all. Whatever it takes. Change positions. Do whatever is needed. Just give me that trophy. The plays you made in these last two games against the best that 2A had to offer this year are the stuff that live on in Beechwood's storied history.

Center Chance Baugh - It all starts up front. Beechwood has always been focused on having a leader at the center of their offensive line. Just like QB, Beechwood centers rarely go both ways. The center is truly the leader of the line. I remember you on the sidelines as a young waterboy for previous state championship teams. Awesome to see you many years later turn that love of the Tigers into being a captain and starting at center on a state champion. We are Beechwood!

Every coach will tell you that to have a great team, it isn't the coaches that are the leaders. Great teams are led by players that are great leaders. Team Captains Hayden, Cusick, Meier and Baugh - you led the way and your leadership of your teammates put banner #18 on that fieldhouse.

Class 2A | Beechwood 50, Owensboro Catholic 34

• Final Stats (PDF)
• Most Valuable Player presented by Morgan & Morgan: Chase Flaherty, Beechwood
• Class 2A Bracket (KHSAA/Riherds Scoreboard)

Yea Buddy! Go Tigers!! Congrats on #18 ? 

VOR you forgot to mention a few standouts.  Chase Flaherty played on an ankle that almost anyone else would have decided to sit this game out.  Not only did he play but he scored 4 TDs and won the game MVP.  And how could you leave Cole Howard off the list.  The kid has been the best O lineman in NKY the entire year and had a huge game again tonight.  The Beechwood line led by Howard absolutely dominated O Cath tonight and did the same thing against Lexington Christian Academy last week.  The big boys up front don’t hear their names often but I see you.

6 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

A lot of accolades to pass out.

Coach Volker - Welcome to the club! Great job this year working through injuries. You put together a vision of what these young men needed to do to get a title and they followed your lead to #18. 

Offensive Coordinator Hergott - Been watching your offense for many years but this year was a masterpiece. Your game plans and play calling were the best you have ever put on the field. Awesome job!

QB Clay Hayden - Two time state champion starting QB. Coach Rash told me your freshman year you were going to be special and he was so right. The stats speak for themselves but the story that needs to be told is your leadership this year. You posted one of the greatest passing seasons in KY history as a junior. And when the coaches said we need to run the ball more to win #18, you bought in and showed your teammates that the title means more than adding to your own passing stats. Sacrifice, brotherhood ... you lived it and led with it. That's the Beechwood Way!

WR James Cusick - You were a man this year! When Fryman and Erdman were lost to injury, you stepped up and made big play after big play. You truly laid it all on the line in this title game and your toughness, great hands and effort were a huge part of this title.

OG, FB, LB, DL Jack Meier - And, yes kickoff returner!! That list of positions says it all. Whatever it takes. Change positions. Do whatever is needed. Just give me that trophy. The plays you made in these last two games against the best that 2A had to offer this year are the stuff that live on in Beechwood's storied history.

Center Chance Baugh - It all starts up front. Beechwood has always been focused on having a leader at the center of their offensive line. Just like QB, Beechwood centers rarely go both ways. The center is truly the leader of the line. I remember you on the sidelines as a young waterboy for previous state championship teams. Awesome to see you many years later turn that love of the Tigers into being a captain and starting at center on a state champion. We are Beechwood!

Every coach will tell you that to have a great team, it isn't the coaches that are the leaders. Great teams are led by players that are great leaders. Team Captains Hayden, Cusick, Meier and Baugh - you led the way and your leadership of your teammates put banner #18 on that fieldhouse.

 Chance has came along way I remember when he first played football for South Kenton. He was always a good kid.

 

8 hours ago, theguru said:

Class 2A | Beechwood 50, Owensboro Catholic 34

• Final Stats (PDF)
• Most Valuable Player presented by Morgan & Morgan: Chase Flaherty, Beechwood
• Class 2A Bracket (KHSAA/Riherds Scoreboard)

#54 for Beechwood last night was Senior Brody Waddell, not Wade Gough.  Not sure how that mistake was made 

1 hour ago, Scooby2323 said:

#54 for Beechwood last night was Senior Brody Waddell, not Wade Gough.  Not sure how that mistake was made 

Wade Gough is a freshman and wore #54 as a freshman. Beechwood had a couple duplicate number because they bring the freshmen up to the varsity roster for the playoffs. You are correct that the stats should list #54 as Brody Waddell, the starting middle linebacker.

8 hours ago, Bengal Boy said:

VOR you forgot to mention a few standouts.  Chase Flaherty played on an ankle that almost anyone else would have decided to sit this game out.  Not only did he play but he scored 4 TDs and won the game MVP.  And how could you leave Cole Howard off the list.  The kid has been the best O lineman in NKY the entire year and had a huge game again tonight.  The Beechwood line led by Howard absolutely dominated O Cath tonight and did the same thing against Lexington Christian Academy last week.  The big boys up front don’t hear their names often but I see you.

I focused on the captains in the above post. Yes, many others deserve recognition for the part they played in the game and season.

RB Chase Flaherty is at the top of the list. It was questionable that he could even play yesterday after missing the second half of the semifinal win over LCA due to the ankle injury. Flaherty not only played but was named game MVP. Congrats to Chase Flaherty!

 

For posterity and deserved recognition let me add these players who have not been mentioned above that made key plays and contributions in the title game:

DB/RB Nathan Pabst - A 33 yard TD run that pushed the lead back to 2 TD's early in the second half. Finished second to Cusick in total yards with 109 total yards.

DB/WR Tyler Fryman - A fantastic 36 yard TD run out of wildcat formation. Led the team in solo tackles and assisted tackles.

CB/WR Luke Erdman - A interception and 63 yard return to the 2 yard line that set up Beechwood's second TD and put them in control of the game from there. Also, an excellent hustling downfield block that allowed Fryman to get into the end zone on his TD run. 

Article from the N. Ky. Tribune about the game:

https://nkytribune.com/2024/12/speedy-beechwood-runs-over-unbeaten-owensboro-catholic-for-18th-state-football-title/

Article from LINK N. Ky about the game:

https://linknky.com/sports/football/2024/12/06/beechwood-tigers-win-class-2a-state-title/

Article from the Cincinnati Enquirer:

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/high-school/kentucky-high-school/2024/12/06/beechwood-tigers-kentucky-high-school-football-class-2a-state-champions-2024/76820070007/

 

Key stat mentioned in these articles: Beechwood was 10-14 on third down and 1-1 on fourth down. Four of those third down conversions were passes from Hayden to James Cusick, including a 22 yard catch on a third and 15. 

Also from the articles - RB Chase Flaherty was in a boot this week for his ankle injured the week before. The first time he ran all week was in pre-game warmups. 

No football players here, just athletes! ? This didn’t go well. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18RvUgQ2eq/?mibextid=UalRPS

7 minutes ago, NKY KnowItAll said:

No football players here, just athletes! ? This didn’t go well. 
 

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18RvUgQ2eq/?mibextid=UalRPS

I am not on facebook but that clip worked for me. Fun stuff!