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  1. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (7-0) – Friday’s game in Park Hills was the fastest game yet this season for the Colonels, with Cov Cath starting a running clock 9 seconds into the 2Q against 5A Boone County (2-5). The Colonels started off by scoring TD’s on 4 of their first 7 offensive plays, and won the game 45-0 to get them off to a 2-0 start in district competition. QB Caleb Jacob was 7-9 passing for 171yds and 4 TDs. TE Michael Mayer led the team in scoring, with 3 receptions for 71yds and 3 TDs, and WR Andy Molique also had 1 reception for a 51yd TD. On the ground, Ryan Schneider led the team with 51yds and a TD on his 1 carry, and Owen Nally added a TD on 1 of his 2 rushes, good for 11yds. LB Luke Stegman led the team’s defense with 7 tackles, and Michael Thelen, Owen Nally, and Carter Martin each had 4 tackles a piece. Kicker Trey Gronotte was 6-6 on PATs and also had a 29yd field goal. The Colonels will have a major challenge this Friday when they take on OH-DII LaSalle (6-0), currently ranked nationally at #64 by MaxPreps. 2) Conner (6-1) – Sometimes the “who beat who” puzzle just doesn’t seem to work out. That definitely the case this week with the rankings, with Conner jumping from the #6 spot to #2 after beating 5A Highlands 20-17 on a TD scored in the final minute of the game on Friday. QB Jared Hicks had a commanding performance in the game, going 25-40 passing for 244yds and 2TDs, while rushing 19 times for another 69yds. WR Drew Cobble had 9 receptions for 119yds and 1 TD, WR Caleb Ervin had 4 receptions for 68yds, and WR Colton Roy had 7 receptions for 47yds and 1 TD. Kicker Nicholas Keller added 6 points on field goals. Conner’s defense was led by LB Parker Hitzfield with 9 tackles, Timothy Leiprecht had 8 tackles in the game, and DL Chase Kurtz had 7 tackles. Conner plays district competitor 5A Cooper (4-3) tomorrow night. 3) 5A Highlands (4-3) – The Birds had their first home loss since October 2019 on Friday when competitor 5A Conner (6-1) came to Ft. Thomas and pulled off a last-minute upset, beating Highlands 20-17. The loss came despite the Bluebirds starting off with a 14-0 lead, and leading the entire game until the final 44 seconds of the 4Q. QB Collin Hollingsworth was 6-10 passing for 45yds and 1TD, and QB Jake Fahlbusch was 3-8 for 26yds. RB Griffin Richter led the running game with 48yds on 10 carries, and WR Joey Deschler had 42yds and 1 TD on 2 receptions. LB Brycen Huddleston added the remaining Highlands TD on a kickoff return. Huddleston was also tied for the lead with defensive tackles in the game, with 15, and DP Sawyer Depp also had 15 tackles. The two accounted for over half of the teams tackles in the game. Highlands will head to Florence tomorrow to take on 5A Boone County (2-5) in their second district game. 4) 6A Simon Kenton (3-3) – No action this week. The Pioneers return to action tonight at home in their first district game of 2019, playing 6A Dixie Heights (2-4). 5) 6A Ryle (3-4) – The Raiders moved to the wrong side of the .500 mark on Friday with a 57-21 loss to 6A Scott County (6-1). Ryle kept the game interesting early on, keeping things close and tying the Cardinals up at 14 early in the 2Q, but after that, it was basically all Scott County’s game. QB Keegan Stanken was 10-24 passing for 86yds, 1 TD and 2 INTs. WR Johnathan Coker led the receiving corps with 1 reception good for a 23yd TD, and RB Kyle England led the running game with 15 carries for 79yds and 1 TD. Johnathan Coker also scored the remaining Ryle TD on a returned kickoff. On defense, the Raiders were led by DB Mathias Cusick and LB Dillon Talmon who each had 7 tackles. Sophomroe LB Jackson Belk also had 7 tackles in the game. Ryle will head east to Claryville to take on 6A Campbell County (0-6) in their first district game of the season. 6) 2A Beechwood (2-4) – It was a tough game for Beechwood on Friday, but they Tigers pulled of their first win on the road of 2019 and improved their record with a 14-10 win over 6A Dixie Heights (2-4). Beechwood trailed in the game until the halfway-point of the 4th quarter, when they took a 14-0 lead on the second of two TD connections between QB Cam Hergott and WR Brady Moore. Hergott ended up going 21-28 passing for 18yds and 2 TDs in the game, in addition to leading the Tigers’ running attack with 34yds on 16 carries. Moore led the receiving effort with 86yds and 2 TDs on 11 receptions. RB Cole Stammer had 21yds rushing on 8 carries, and 37yds receiving on 3 receptions, in addition to a key interception in the 4Q from his position at DB to stop Dixie’s final chance at scoring in the game. Further defensive stats were not reported for the game. This week brings Beechwood’s first ever 2A district game when they play 2A Covington Holy Cross (2-4) at the Indians’ new home field at Thomas More University. 7) 5A Cooper (4-3) – The Jaguars put their last couple of weeks happily in the rear-view with a 21-14 win on Friday over 6A George Rogers Clark (2-4). Cooper won the contest despite the Cardinals’ offense rolling up a full 123 yards more than the Jags’ offense. QB Drew Warth was 8-14 passing for 64yds, 1 TD and 1 INT, and WR Xavier Smith led the receiving corps with 33yds and 1 TD on 4 receptions. RB Brendon Tye had 11 carries for 45yds, WR/RB Jeremiah Lee ran the ball 7 times for 23yds and 1 TD, and RB Chester Hale had the remaining TD on his 1 run for 9yds. Chester Hale also had a big game at defensive back, leading the defense with 19 tackles. LB Joe Poage also came up big with 13 tackles, a fumble recovery, and an interception with a 27yd return after the interception. Cooper will resume their district competition tomorrow when they head to Hebron to take on 5A Conner (6-1). 8) 1A Newport Central Catholic (4-2) – No action this week. The Thoroughbreds to start off their district competition tonight when they host 1A Ludlow (4-1). 9) 4A Scott (5-2) – Scott improved to 2-0 in district play on Friday with a 33-7 win over the 3A Harrison County Thorobreds (3-3). QB Gus Howlett had another solid night passing, going 9-16 with 161yds and 2 TDs in the air. RB Quincy Perrin may not have topped his breakout performance from last week, but he still put up a solid 161yds and 2 TDs on 16 carries, along with 1 reception for 41yds and another TD. WR Cam Patterson also had 4 receptions for 64yds and 1 TD. On the defensive flipside, LB Nigel Robinson led the team with 9 tackles, including 3 tackles for losses and a sack. LB Robert Pence had 8 tackles, and LB Damond Hacker had 7 tackles. The Eagles have the week off this week, and will head on the road again for their next district matchup against 4A Boyd County (1-5). 10) Lloyd Memorial (4-2) – The Juggernauts returned from their bye week with a commanding 37-7 win over 1A Ludlow (4-2). QB Jacob Davidson had a huge game, going 14-24 in the air for 265yds and 5 TDs, and rushing 12 times for another 48yds. WR Treshawn Cody led the receivers with 4 receptions for 96yds and 3 TDs, Keion Alexander had 2 receptions for 66yds and 1 TD, and Braxton Irwin had 2 receptions for 32yds and 1 TD. On the ground, RB Michael Sassin led with 12 carries for 81yds and 1 TD. On the defensive side of things, LB Isaac Abdon led with 7 tackles, DB Lennon Stolz had 6 tackles, and DL Mike Wallington, DB Keesean Crim, and DL Tyson Maynard each had 5 tackles a piece. Lloyd will take on 2A Newport (6-1) in their first district came on Friday. TRENDING UP 2A Beechwood (2-4) – The Tigers may not have led their game for long on Friday, but they were leading when time ran out in the 4th quarter, and Beechwood got their second win of the season with a 14-10 victory over 6A Dixie Heights. 5A Conner (6-1) – The Cougars showed that they are not about to sit quietly and let other teams run the show in their district. Conner upset 5A Highlands with a big 20-17 win in Ft. Thomas. TRENDING DOWN 1A Bishop Brossart (2-4) – The Mustangs’ losing streak extended from two games to three on Friday when Bishop Brossart lost 28-6 to 1A Nicholas County. 5A Highlands (4-3) – There’s no denying that the Bluebirds were disappointed on Friday, who headed back to the locker room as one of two teams in northern Kentucky who led for the first three quarters of a game, only to be upset in the fourth with a loss. Highlands lost 20-17 to 5A Conner. GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 6 2A Beechwood vs. 6A Dixie Heights Dixie was leading for nearly all of the game on Friday, but it just wasn’t enough to hold off the 2A Tigers from finally getting their second win of the season. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 7 5A Conner vs. 5A Cooper This week we’re going to have another look at what 5A District 5 is made of. With questions continuallt being asked about how Cooper adds up against the rest of the competition in northern Kentucky, and after we saw Cooper best Highlands last week, this should tell us a little more about how it all fits together.
  2. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (5-0) – Covington Catholic has now won 13 of its last 15 games against Beechwood after a 49-3 win over the Tigers on Friday. Running backs Michael Boydston and Daniel Felix were the go-to rushers again, and combined for 189 total yards of the offensive game and 3 TDs. WR Ethan Reardon also had a solid game receiving, with 3 catches for 95yds and 1 TD. The remaining touchdowns came on a run by QB Caleb Jacob, who had 181yds passing for 3 TDs, and a run by backup QB Adam Holtz. Daniel Felix led the defense from linebacker with 5 tackles, and LB Noah Powers had 4 tackles. The Colonels host 5A Cooper (3-2) tonight in their first 2019 game of district competition . 2) 5A Highlands (4-1) – Highlands is looking more and more like Highlands each week. On Friday the Birds hosted 6A Ryle (3-2) and beat the Raiders 27-0, their second shutout win of the season. The game was a bit of a defensive battle, with Highlands posting 201 total offensive yards and Ryle only posting 76 total offensive yards. QB Collin Hollingsworth was 9-18 passing for 110yds and 3 TDs. Sophomore RB Griffin Richter led the running game with 84yds on 11 carries. WR Hunter Ahlfeld had 35yds and 2 TDs on 3 receptions, and WR Joey Deschler had the remaining TD on an 18yd reception. LB Brycen Huddleston led the defense for yet another week with his 13 tackles and 2 sacks. Highlands plays 4A Boyle County (5-0) tonight on the road. 3) 6A Simon Kenton (3-2) – The Pioneers have continued their “every other” win/loss record for 2019 with a 39-7 win on Friday over 3A Taylor County (4-1). QB Chase Crone was 8-8 passing for 71yds, 1 TD and 1 INT in the game, with the team’s only passing touchdown in the game coming on a connection with WR John Ivey. RB Austin Hammack had a big night on the ground, racking up over half of the team’s total offensive yard with his own 178yds and 3 TDs on 22 carries. The remaining TD came via RB Quincy North. DL Vuk Sajlovic had 8 tackles and a sack, and LB Nate Walker & DB Zack Koenes logged 6 tackles each. Simon Kenton makes the drive to Paintsville this evening to take on 4A Johnson Central (4-0). 4) 6A Ryle (3-2) – Ryle dropped their second game of the season on Friday in Fort Thomas, losing 27-0 to 5A Highlands (4-1). It was the second shutout loss of the season for the Raiders, who also lost 37-0 to 5A Covington Catholic (5-0) on August 23rd. The offense struggled to get started in the game, and only came up with 39 passing yards, with QBs Keegan Stanken and Luke Worley combining to go 7-20, with no TDs and 1 INT. RB Kyle England led the team with his 50 yards rushing. The bright spot in the game was respectably holding the Bluebirds to 201 total yards of offense, with Mathias Cusick leading Ryle’s defense by tallying an impressive 14 tackles including 6 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The Raiders are going to have their work cut out for them tonight, heading over to The Pit in Cincinnati to take on OH-DI Elder (3-1). 5) 2A Beechwood (1-3) – It wasn’t too much of a surprise that Beechwood didn’t get to add any checks in the win column this past week, but it’s more than likely that Coach Rash is a little disappointed in the Tigers’ inability to get into the endzone in their 49-3 loss to 5A Covington Catholic (5-0). Beechwood’s offense managed to scratch their way just north of 100 total yards in the game, finishing with 115 yards. 95 of those came thanks to QB Cam Hergott’s arm, with completed passes, including 8 to WR Mason Williams for a team high 54 yards. Sophomore RB Avery Courtney ran the ball 6 times for 19 yards, and junior RB Cole Stammer totaled for the 1 remaining positive yard on 5 carries. Kicker Colin Graman was the lone scorer in the game with his 38yd field goal in the second quarter. The Tigers host OH-DV Taft (3-1) tonight. 6) 5A Conner (4-1) – Conner improved to 4-1 on Friday with their 28-0 win over 6A Campbell County (0-5), which made for the Cougars second shutout win of the season. QB Jared Hicks was 15-23 passing for 179yds and 2 TDs, and he ran the ball 9 times for an additional 31yds. Their running game was led by RB Roy Colton, who carried the ball 5 times for 60yds, and Colton’s performance was followed closely by RB Douglas Abdon, who carried the ball 11 times for 54yds, and scored Conner’s 2 rushing TDs. Abdon also had 2 receptions good for 25yds and an additional TD, while WR Caleb Ervin scored the team’s remaining TD on one of his 2 pass receptions. The defense was led again by middle linebacker Parker Hitzfield, who tallied up 13 tackles, an Caleb Ervin had 10 tackles from his position as defensive back. Conner takes on 5A Boone County (2-3) tonight in Florence in their first game of district competition. 7) 5A Cooper (3-2) – Cooper was down in Louisville on Friday, and came home with a disappointing 40-7 loss at the hands of 3A DeSales (2-2). QB Drew Warth had a decent night for the Jags, going 8-20 for 124yds and 1 TD, but the Colts managed to get ahold of his thrown balls three separate times in the game. RB Brendon Tye led the team in yardage with his 70yds running the ball on 15 carries, and WR Jeremiah Lee was the receiving leader with his 64yds on 4 receptions, including the team’s lone TD. DB Anthony Witschey led the defense with 15 tackles and an interception, LB Ethan Bosway and DB Chester Hale each had 12 tackles a piece, and LB Bryan Yelton had 10 tackles in the game. Cooper will face their first district opponent of the year when they head to Park Hills this evening to take on 5A Covington Catholic (5-5). 8) 1A Newport Central Catholic (3-2) – New Cath is back in the books with a winning record for the 2019 season at current after a 50-14 win over 2A Covington Holy Cross (1-4) on Friday. QB Paul Kremer had a phenomenal 284yds passing, going 10-11 for 5 TDS…that’s averaging nearly 30yds per pass, and a TD every other reception. The remaining TD came via pass from backup QB Malaki Herndon. Receivers Cody Mueller & Caleb Jefferson each had 2 TDs, and Malaki Herndon & Jahmir Ackerson both had 1 TD a piece. Herndon also had a 49yd pick-six in the game, giving Malaki touchdowns passing, receiving, and on an interception all in the same game. The Breds will play for the right to hoist the Firefighters Bell for a 20th straight year when they take on cross-town rival 2A Newport (5-0) tonight. 9) 4A Scott (3-2) – The Eagles also made their way back to a winning record on Friday when they went to Florence and got a 30-8 win over 5A Boone County (2-3). QB Gus Howlett was a solid 11-18 passing for 168yds and 1 TD. WR Jackson Hardin had a really solid game, with 6 receptions good for 120yds and 1 TD and WR Cam Patterson added 48yds on 5 receptions. RB Quincy Perrin put on a show, running the ball 24 times for 1818yds and scoring the team’s remaining 3 TDs. The Eagles’ defense was led by DL Michael Nicholas and DE Sage Lalley who each had 7 tackles a piece. Scott will be at home tonight when they host 4A Rowan County (3-2) for their first game of district play. 10) Lloyd Memorial (3-2) – Lloyd improved their record to 3-2 as well this past Friday with a 55-27 win over 3A Mason County (2-3). Sophomore QB Jacob Davidson had a VERY big night for the Juggs, going 12-19 passing for 313yds and 2 TDs. That’s an average of 26yds per reception, for the readers at home. WR Keion Alexander had 4 of those receptions, good for 144yds and 1 TD, and WR Treshawn Cody had 4 receptions of his own, food for 136yds and 1 TD. QB Davidson also ran the ball 20 times for 91yds and 1 TD, and the teams two remaining TDs were scored on runs by Michael Sassin and Amari Riley. On defense, Isaac Abdon was the team leader with 8 tackles, 1 sack, and one of the team’s THREE pick-sixes. Keion Alexander and Tayvonne Coleman-Ewell had the two remaining interceptions-for-touchdown. Lloyd is on their bye week this week. TRENDING UP 1A Dayton (3-1) – Not only did the Greendevils add on their 3rd straight win on Friday, but they did so by beating a 3-0 Pendleton County team. Dayton is stepping up when they need to step up, and they head down to Bracken County to take on the 0-5 Polar Bears tonight. 2A Newport (5-0) – It’s been a long time since we saw a 5-0 start for the Wildcats – 20 years, as a matter of fact. The last time was 1999, which is also the last time Newport got to take home the Newport Firefighters Bell, which they’ll be fighting for once again tonight against New Cath. TRENDING DOWN 1A Beechwood (1-3) – It’s been a tall order for the Tigers to beat 5A Covington Catholic in recent years, but it’s never a good week when your offense can’t make it into the endzone, and it’s even less of a good week when the defense is scored on 7 times. Beechwood plays OH-DV Taft (3-1) tonight. 2A Walton-Verona (2-3) – The Bearcats have dropped back to having a losing overall record after dropping two straight games, this time losing to a 3-1 Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (OH) team. Walton-Verona has 2A Gallatin County (0-5) tonight. GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 4 5A Highlands vs. 6A Ryle The Bluebirds didn’t have their greatest of games on Friday, but they proved that they are still one of the best teams in northern Kentucky by beating Ryle, and doing so with an extra little goose-egg exclamation point in the game. Highlands sent the Raiders home with a 27-0 shutout loss. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 5 2A Newport vs. 1A Newport Central Catholic The “Battle For The Bell” in Newport has been pretty lopsided in recent years, with the New Cath Breds hanging onto the Firefighters Bell every year for the past two decades, but things are looking noticeably different for the Newport Wildcats this season, who are 5-0 for the first time since 1999…which also happens to be the last time they got to carry the bell back from Newport Stadium. With Newport Central Catholic entering the game with a 3-2 record, could this be the first time we see the Wildcats win this one in 20 years?
  3. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (6-0) – Covington Catholic had another domintating performance over the latest of their northern Kentucky opponents, with a 45-6 win over 5A Cooper (3-3) in their first game against a district opponent. QB Caleb Jacob was 10-13 passing in the game for 177yds and 3 TDs, and junior Jacob Danneman also stepped in for his first varsity appearance at QB, going 1-1 for a 4yd completion, and rushing 3 times for 18yds. The Colonels had 11 different players rush the ball on Friday for a total 239yds on the ground, with Michael Boydston leading with his 82yds on 5 carries. Reid Hummel had 59yds and 1 TD on 8 carries, and Daniel Felix had 39yds and 2 TDs on his 5 carries. TE Michael Mayer led receiving with 83yds and 2 TDs on 4 receptions, and Ethan Reardon had 58yds and 1 TD on 3 receptions. Mayer also led the team in tackles with 4 total tackles from his spot at linebacker. Cov Cath will host 5A Boone County (2-4) on Friday in their second district matchup. 2) 5A Highlands (4-2) – Highlands has taken road trips south twice this season, and both times ended up taking one on the chin. On Friday they made the drive to Danville and took on 4A Boyle County (6-0), ending up with a disappointing 30-0 shutout loss. The Birds offense was shut down by the Rebels, only scratching out 97 total yards. QB Colling Hollingsworth was 5-20 passing for 62yds and was intercepted twice. WR Jacob Welch made Highlands’ biggest single offensive play of the night with a 39yd reception, the only pass he was able to haul in in the game. Their running game was led by RB Griffin Richter who came up with 29yds on 12 carries. Defensively, it came as no surprise to see LB Brycen Huddleston leading things – he had 12 tackles including 1 sack. DL Zach Lewin had 7 tackles including 2 for losses. The Bluebirds will look to bounce back this week in their first district game when they host 5A Conner (5-1). 3) 6A Simon Kenton (3-3) – The streak continues: win, loss, win, loss, win, and unfortunately another loss for the Pioneers, who made the 3 hour trek to Paintsville, only to make that same drive back with a 49-11 loss at the hands of 4A Johnson Central (5-0). Simon Kenton’s offense had an average night with 274 total yards – their 2019 average has been 284 yards per game, but when you let a team roll up 449 yards rushing in any game, things aren’t likely going in your favor. QBs Chase Crone & Marcus Courtney combined for 106yds passing, but no touchdowns by air. RB Austin Hammack ran 23 times for 84yds and the team’s lone TD in the game, and the other points came via WR Trey Little’s 2-pt conversion and a field goal by K Nick Seger. DB Zack Koenes led the team in tackles with 14, and LB Elijah Weaver & DB Isaac Bleier had 10 tackles a piece. Simon Kenton will have the week off before returning to action in a district game against 6A Dixie Heights (2-3). 4) 6A Ryle (3-3) – The Raiders took their lumps for a second straight week, this time in heading over to The Pit in Cincincinnati and losing 49-7 to OH-DI Elder (4-1). It’s not entirely surprising to see the loss playing against the #2 team in the GCL south, but with 507yds offense allowed compared to their 258yds gained in the game, Coach Engler has to be left wishing to have seen a little more out of the team. With sophomore QB Luke Worley out for the game, senior Keegan Stanken got the start and went 11-22 for 159yds passing and 1 INT. His favorite receivers were Will Mason and Jackson McGinnis who had 52yds and 50yds on their catches, respectively. RB Kyle England was the offensive leader again with 82yds and the team’s 1 TD. On the flip-side of the ball, Ryle’s defense was led by LB Luke Bradshaw with 8 tackles and then DB Johnathan Coker with 6 tackles. Ryle will have their work cut out for them again this week when they host 5A Scott County (5-1) who is fresh off of a stunning 36-0 loss to 5A Frederick Douglass (6-0). 5) 2A Beechwood (1-4) – It’s been a rough first half of the season for the Tigers, who are off to a 1-4 start. Their latest game against OH-DV Taft (4-1) was a significant defensive battle, with two teams combining for a paltry 423 total yards. Despite twice finding themselves in 1st and goal situations as well as winning the yardage battle with 224yds to Taft’s 199yds, Beechwood was unable to get the ball in the endzone and lost the game 7-3. QB Cam Hergott was 13-18 passing for 156yds and 2 INTs. RB Cole Stammer was the offensive go-to with his 7 carries for 40yds on the ground, and his 6 receptions for 45yds. Brady Moore led the team in receiving with 63yds on 4 receptions. Kicker Colin Graman was the lone scorer got the Tigers with his 23yd field goad in the 1Q. Defensive stats were not reported for the game. Beechwood will head to Edgewood to take on 6A Dixie Heights (2-3) on Friday. 6) 5A Conner (5-1) – Conner has successfully strung together 4 straight wins with a 39-7 win on the road against district foe 5A Boone County (2-4) on Friday. Quarterback Jared Hicks had a solid night of passing in the game, going 13-15 for 190yds and 1 TD, and then also running the ball 5 times for 41yds and 3 TDs. Running back Douglas Abdon had 13 carries for 64yds and 1 TD in the Cougars’ win, and wide receiver Colton Roy had 8 pass receptions for 135yds and 1 TD. For the Conner defense, sophomore linebacker Clayton Melcher led things with his 10 tackles, followed closely by linebacker Parker Hitzfield with 9 tackles and then safety Stanley Crawley with 5 tackles. Conner will have their second district match up of the season on Friday when they head to Fort Thomas to take on the 5A Highlands Bluebirds (4-2). 7) 5A Cooper (3-3) – The Jags were dropped for a loss in a second straight week after heading to 5A Covington Catholic (6-0) on Friday and losing 45-6. Both Drew Warth and Jeremiah Lee spent time as quarterback in the game, combining to go 8-15 for 41yds. Cooper’s offense struggled significantly in the game, only coming up with 94 total yards, despite being the first NKY team to score a touchdown on Cov Cath in 2019. RB Brendon Tye was the offensive leader with his 56yds and 1 TD on 10 carries. On defense, LB Jake Harmeyer led the team with 9 tackles, DB Chester Hale had 8 tackles, and LB Joe Poage had 6 tackles. The loss puts the Jaguars at 0-1 in district competition. Cooper will face 6A George Rogers Clark (2-3) this Friday on the road. 8) 1A Newport Central Catholic (4-2) – New Cath took on their crosstown rival 2A Newport (5-1) on Friday, and managed to hang on to the Firefighters Bell for a 20th straight year by beating the Wildcats 37-6. QB Paul Kremer was 11-14 passing, good for 101yds and 2 TDs in the air. WR Caleb Jefferson had 4 receptions for 42yds and 1 of the receiving TDs, and WR Tanner Daunt had the other TD on a 7yd reception, his only catch of the game. RB Jahmir Jackson let the running game with 13 carries for 70yds and 1 TD, and RB Luke Runyon had 6 carries for 40yds and a TD. The remaining 7 points came on kicker Sam Lavin’s 4 made PATs out of 5 attempted, plus a field goal. Defensive stats were not reported in the game. The Breds will have the week off as they rest up and prepare for district play to start against 1A Ludlow (4-1) on October 10th. 9) 4A Scott (4-2) – Scott improved on their record last week with a 54-28 win over 4A Rowan County (3-3), getting the Eagles off to a 1-0 start in district competition. QB Gus Howlett had his best passing game of the 2019 season thus far, going 14-20 for 192yds and 3 TDs. Even more impressive was RB Quincy Perrin’s performance with 16 carries for 252yds and 4 TDs, also his personal high water mark for the season. WR Cam Patterson led the receiving corps with 2 receptions for 74yds and 2 TDs, and Jackson Hardin had 1 TD by air, and 1 TD by land, good for 12 points and 113 all purpose yards. LB Nigel Robinson led the Defense with 10 tackles, including a sack, and DE Sage Lalley had 9 tackles. DB Brennan Bowling and LB Damond Hacker each had 7 tackles a piece. Scott will face 4A Harrison County (3-2) in their second district game. 10) Lloyd Memorial (3-2) – There was no action for the Juggs this week. Lloyd will return to action on Friday when they head to 1A Ludlow (4-1) to take on the Panthers. TRENDING UP 1A Dayton (4-1) – The Greendevils are still at it. They improved with their 4th straight win on Friday, beating 1A Bracken County 41-14. 1A Ludlow (4-1) – The Panthers also have shrugged off a Week 0 loss by following it up with 4 straight wins, with their latest victory taking place last Friday with a 54-14 win over Nicholas County. TRENDING DOWN 2A Beechwood (1-4) – The Tigers faced a meat grinder of a first half to their season, and unfortunately they have a record to show for it, with their 4th loss in 5 games coming last Friday at the hands of OH-DV Taft (4-1). Beechwood lost at home 7-3. 5A Grant County (3-3) – The Braves dropped back down to a .500 record with a 48-16 loss to 5A Montgomery County, putting them off to an 0-1 start in district play. GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 5 2A Newport vs. 1A Newport Central Catholic Newport may have gotten off to a 5-0 start, but that didn’t stop the Newport Catholic Thoroughbreds from coming home from their annual crosstown grudge match with a 37-6 win. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 6 2A Beechwood vs. 6A Dixie Heights It’s been a handful of years since we last saw Beechwood play Dixie Heights – 5 years, to be exact. The last time these two teams met, 6A Dixie Heights got the first win of their unprecedented 13-2 season in 2014, which included a trip to the 6A state finals in Bowling Green. Since then, Dixie Heights has dropped down to 5A, and is now once again back in 6A, and Beechwood has now found themselves in a new class for the first time ever, moving up to 2A. Both teams have had less than ideal starts to their seasons, so it will be interesting to see who ends up with the win this week in Edgewood.
  4. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (4-0) – Covington Catholic did essentially what was expected of them, they soundly beat a struggling 1-3 team from 6A Dixie Heights with a final score of 45-0. It was the third shut-out the Colonels’ four games played thus far in 2019. Caleb Jacob was 10-17 passing for 201yds, 1 TD and 1 INT. It’s tough to pick a “workhorse” from the offensive backfield, with Daniel Felix, Michael Boydston, and Owen Nally all having regular touches from RB, but the both Felix and Boydston had a pair of touchdowns each. The remaining two touchdowns were scored on a run by RB Adam Holtz and a 24yd reception by WR Ethan Reardon. Despite a quiet offensive game, LB Michael Mayer led the defense with 10 tackles and a half a sack. The Colonels head to Fort Mitchell tonight for the 39th edition of their rivalry game against 2A Beechwood (1-2). 2) 5A Highlands (3-1) – Highlands made it two in a row on Friday; their second straight win of the season, and their second win in row over 6A Simon Kenton (2-2). Highlands was on the road in Independence on Friday, and the Birds put the game away in the second half, scoring 2 unanswered TDs to end the game in a 28-7 win. Collin Hollingsworth was 19-36 passing for 193yds and 2 TDs thrown to receivers Jacob Welch and Hunter Ahlfeld. RB Tyler Brune had 89yds and 1 TD on 15 carries, and Hollingsworth ran it 14 times for another 42yds and a TD. Brycen Huddleston led the defense with 31 tackles including a sack and 3 tackles for loss, while Jacob Brass and Jason Noe each had an interception. Highlands will host 6A Ryle (3-1) tonight. 3) 2A Beechwood (1-2) – Beechwood came out in their Friday home-opener with a chip on their shoulder after dropping their first two 2019 games, and sent the 4A Corbin Redhounds (2-2) back down I-75 with 26-10 loss. It was a big game for the Tigers, who many folks conjectured could face a 0-4 start to their season. QB Cam Hergott came out strong, going 11-20 passing for 206yds and 1 TD and rushing 6 times for another 52yds. RB Cole Stammer carried the ball 13 times for 78yds and 1 TD, and RB Mitchell Corts had 5 carries for 17yds and 1 TD. WR Mason Williams led the receivers for the night with 107yds on 5 receptions, including 1 TD. Kicker Colin Graman added 8 points on 2 FGs and 2 PATs on 3 PAT attempts. Beechwood has their work cut out for them this evening when they host 5A Covington Catholic (4-0). 4) 6A Ryle (3-1) – Ryle has jumped Simon Kenton in the rankings – for now. The Raiders are appearing to show that their week 0 loss appears more and more to have been little more than an early-season stumble after they drummed 5A Boone County (2-2) out of town on Friday with a 46-0 beat-down. Bradyn Lyons was the primary QB again this week, and was 9-13 passing for 161yds and 1 TD thrown to WR Connor Lee. RB Kyle England once again racked up the TDs, with 4 trips to the endzone after 12 carries for 148yds. Connor Lee also had 1 TD rushing in addition to his TD reception. Sophomore LB Dylan Talmon led the Raiders D with 8 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Ryle has a big challenge tonight when they head to Fort Thomas to take on 5A Highlands (3-1). 5) 6A Simon Kenton (2-2) – Win loss, win loss. That’s the record thus far for Simon Kenton in 2019, who had their second home loss of the season on Friday, falling 28-7 to 5A Highlands (3-1). The Pioneers scored late in the 1Q to tie the game at 7, and were still only down by 1 TD going into the 4Q, but late turnovers sealed the deal in the loss. QB Chase Crone was 11-22 passing for 125yds, 1 TD, and 2 INTs, and Simon Kenton’s lone touchdown came on a 19yd connection with WR Evan Mulberry. The ‘Neers defense was led by LB Aric Hoffman and DB Zack Koenes, who had 12 and 10 tackles each, respectively, and the defense was also able to get to Highlands’ quarterback 4 separate times. Simon Kenton hosts 3A Taylor County (4-0) this week. 6) 5A Cooper (3-1) – Friday was a big night for Cooper. After scratching out two hard-fought wins and following that with at tough loss to Ryle, the Jags pulled off a win with their largest margin of victory since November of 2015. Cooper hosted 6A Campbell County (0-4) and sent the Camels home with a 36-0 loss. QB Drew Warth had his biggest passing game of the season thus far, going 10-17 and throwing for 1 TD and 2 INTs. The touchdown came on a connection with WR Xavier Smith, who had 75yds and 1 TD in the game on 5 receptions. Brendon Tye had a big night running the ball, with 167yds and 2 TDs 14 carries. Rushing TDs also cam from Jeremiah Lee and Anthony Witschey. Defensively, the team was led by LB Spencer Handel with 10 tackles, and DL Adam Sand and DB Anthony Witschey each had 8 tackles in the game. Cooper is heading southwest tonight to take on the 3A DeSales Colts in Louisville. DeSales may be 1-2, but their losses include a 31 point loss to 6A St. Xavier and a 3 point loss to 3A Lexington Catholic. This one is going to really test the Jaguars’ mettle. 7) 1A Newport Central Catholic (2-2) – A win is a win is a win. Although it may not have been the biggest win over the most powerful of teams, it was still another game where the Breds finished things on the right side of the scoreboard. New Cath had a 10-7 win over 2A Walton-Verona (2-2) Friday. It was the second time this season that their passing game wasn’t what they had likely hoped it to be, with QB Paul Kremer only connecting with receivers enough for 96yds and 1 TD, with 1 INT. Kremer let the running game, with 79yds on 9 carries, and RB Joey Runyon had 59yds on 16 carries. Runyon also had 3 pass receptions, good for 18 yards and the 1 Thoroughbred TD, and WR Caleb Jefferson had 26yds on 3 receptions. The remaining 3 points were scored on a 34yd Sam Levin field goal in the 3Q to re-gain the lead and take home the win. Defensive stats were not reported for the game. New Cath hosts 2A Covington Holy Cross (1-3) tonight. 8) 5A Conner (3-1) – The Cougars made it two in a row on Friday, this time by beating the 2A Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts (2-2) at home in Hebron with a 24-12 win. QB Jared Hicks came up huge, going 23-39 for 300yds on the nose, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. It was “Hicks and Roy” all night for Conner, with Hicks finding RB/WR Colton Roy 8 times for 126yds and 1 TD, and Roy also led the ground attack with 45yds on 7 carries. RB Douglas Abdon added 11yds and 1 TD on 12 carries, and WR Justin Daniels had 7 receptions for 78yds and scored the team’s remaining TD. On the defensive side of the ball, sophomore middle linebacker Parker Hitzfield had a really big night, racking up 14 total tackles in the game. Conner plays host to 6A Campbell County (0-4) tonight. 9) 4A Scott (2-2) – The Eagles are one of three teams in the NKY top ten that took a loss on Friday. And this one is one of those games that Coach Turner and the Eagles wish they could have back. Scott’s offense put up a respectable 269 total yards in the 38-33 loss, but their problems came on the defensive side of the ball, with the OH-DV Bethel-Tate Tigers (2-1) rolling up either 388 or 416 yards passing on them, depending on whose book you’re looking at. Offensively, QB Gus Howlett was 16-31 passing for 173yds, 4 TDs, and 2 INTs. RB Quincy Perrin led the game on the ground with 87yds and 1 TD on 17 carries, and WR Cameron Patterson had 6 catches for 95yds and 1 TD. WR Jackson Hardin had 3 catches for 51yds and 2 TDs, and WR Carson Craycraft had 3 catches for 28yds and 1 TD. Sophomore LB Damond Hacker led the Eagles defense with 7 tackles, including 1 for a loss. Scott will play 5A Boone County (2-2) tonight in Florence. 10) Lloyd Memorial (2-2) – Lloyd makes the final of the three NKY top ten who dropped one on Friday. The Juggs were on the road in Hebron, and took a 24-12 loss on the chin compliments of the 5A Conner Cougars (3-1). Sophomore QB Jacob Davidson had a decent night passing, despite the loss, connecting with receivers 8 of 24 times attempted, good for 173yds and 1 TD. WR Treshawn Cody was his favorite receiver, with 4 receptions for 101yds and the team’s 1 TD by the air. Their rushing TD came thanks to RB Michael Sassin, who carried the ball 6 times for 12yds. RB Dakota Theil led the team’s rushing attack with 27yds on 14 carries. Defensive stats were not reported for the game. Lloyd will face 3A Mason County (2-2) tonight at home. TRENDING UP 1A Dayton (2-1) – If you wanted to find the last time the Greendevils won two games in a row, you would have to go back the better part of a decade October of 2012. But Dayton put up a second straight win on Friday with a 49-14 victory over 2A Gallatin County (0-4). 2A Beechwood (1-2) – Beechwood managed to get their first win of the season, beating 3A Corbin (2-2) on Friday 26-10. The Tigers set themselves up with a wood-chipper of an early season schedule, but it will undoubtedly have them tough for their first ever run at the 2A playoffs. 2A Newport (4-0) – The Wildcats continued their undefeated season with a 63-8 win over 1A Bracken County (0-4), and Newport’s defense is doing it in lights out style, only having allowed 28 points in their first 3 games. They have outscored their opponents 162-28 so far this season. TRENDING DOWN 1A Bracken County (0-4) – It’s been tough sledding in Brooksville for new head coach Tim Carver thus far in 2019, with the Polar Bears unable to scratch out a win yet. Their loss on Friday was a big one, with 2A Newport (4-0) beating them 63-8. 2A Covington Holy Cross (1-3) – After a win in week 0 to end a 23 game losing streak, the Indians have slipped and now dropped 3 games straight, with the latest 38-20 loss coming at the hands of Cincinnati Country Day (OH). 5A Boone County (2-2) – After starting out 2-0, the Rebels have now dropped to 2-2 after losing two straight. Their loss on Friday was a 46-0 shutout by 6A Ryle (3-1). GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 3 5A Highlands vs. 6A Simon Kenton The Bluebirds topped the Pioneers for a second week in a row, but the 28-7 final score doesn’t make it look quite as close a game as it actually was. Highlands came out first to score, and then Simon Kenton tied it at 7-7 just before the end of the 1Q. Highlands scored again in the 2Q, and the score remained 14-7 until midway through the 4Q when Highlands intercepted the ball and returned it deep into the redzone for a go-ahead touchdown. Then the Birds’ fourth TD of the game once again came thanks to an interception. A tough game, and a good win for Highlands. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 4 5A Highlands vs. 6A Ryle You’ve got to like seeing how things pan out when you have two top-five teams playing one another in any region. Most folks will be looking at Highlands as the favorite in this one, but Ryle is going to bring all they have to David Cecil Memorial Stadium to knock out the Birds.
  5. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (10-0) – No action on the field this week. Off the field, however, Cov Cath’s 4-star tight end, Notre Dame commit Michael Mayer received his jersey officially welcoming him onto the roster for the 2020 Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio. The Colonels’ 5A playoff run will start at home on Friday against Cooper (5-5). The Colonels previously beat the Jaguars 45-6 on September 27. In that game, Cov Cath had 420yds of offense (239 rushing/181 passing) to Cooper’s 94yds of offense (53 rushing/41 passing). 2) 6A Simon Kenton (6-4) – The Pioneers finished off their regular season with a loss. It was a hard-fought game by Simon Kenton, who led for the entire first half of the game, but the OH-DII Little Miami Panthers ended up sending the ‘Neers home with a 48-35 loss. QB Chase Crone was 5-19 passing in the game for 168yds, 2 TDs and 2 INTs. WR Caleb Livers led the receivers in yardage with 2 catches for 64yds. WR Evan Mulberry had 1 catch for 18yds and a TD, and RB Austin Hammack also had 1 catch, good for 31yds and a TD. Hammack also had 145yds on the ground rushing, and scored 3 TDs on his 24 carries. LB Nate Walker led the defensive side with 10 tackles, and DL Vuk Sajlovic had 9 tackles. Simon Kenton will start their 6A post-season schedule against Campbell County (1-9). The Pioneers previously beat the Camels 34-7 on October 18. In that game, Simon Kenton had 481yds of offense (188 rushing/293 passing) to Campbell County’s 41yds of offense (21 rushing/20 passing). 3) 5A Highlands (6-4) – No action on the field this week for Highlands. The Bluebirds return to action at on Friday for a rematch in the 1st round of the playoffs against Conner (7-3) who previously beat the Birds 20-17 on October 4. In that game, Highlands had 125yds of offense (54 rushing/71 passing) to Conner’s 307yds of offense (72 rushing/235 passing). 4) 6A Ryle (5-5) – No action on the field this week for Ryle. The Raiders have their first round rematch in the 6A playoffs against Dixie Heights (4-6). Ryle previously beat Dixie 13-8 on October 18. In that game, Ryle had 227yds of offense (76 rushing/151 passing) to Dixie’s 327yds of offense (122 rushing/205 passing). 5) Conner (7-3) – After spending most of the regular season showing folks around northern Kentucky that they were not to be overlooked in 2019, Conner finished their regular season with two losses in a row, with the second coming on Friday at the hands of 6A George Rogers Clark (6-4). The Cardinals beat the Cougars 38-34. QB Jared Hicks had a phenomenal game, going 22-29 passing for 376yds and 4 TDs, and rushing for another TD. But the team’s net -15yds rushing was the nail in the coffin for Conner. WR Caleb Ervin was the team’s leading receiver in the loss, with 121yds and 1 TD on 4 receptions. WR Justin Daniels had 109yds and 1 TD on 5 receptions, and Douglas Abdon and Colton Roy each had a receiving TD. Defensive stats were not reported in the game. Conner’s first round rematch in the 5A playoffs will be against Highlands on Friday in Hebron. The Cougars previously beat the Bluebirds 20-17 on October 18. In that game, the Cougars had 307yds of offense (72 rushing/235 passing) to Highlands’ 125yds of offense (54 rushing/71 passing). 6) 5A Cooper (5-5) – No action on the field this week for Cooper. The Jags will have their start in the 5A playoffs with another game against Covington Catholic (10-0) in Park Hills. The Colonels previously beat the Jaguars 45-6 on September 27. In that game, Cooper had 94yds of offense (53 rushing/41 passing) to Cov Cath’s 420yds of offense (239 rushing/181 passing). 7) 1A Newport Central Catholic (8-2) – The Thoroughbreds finished up their regular season with a big non-district win over rival Beechwood on Friday, upsetting the 2A Tigers (5-5) at home, and winning 17-14. QB Paul Kremer was 12-18 passing for 198yds and 1 TD, and Kremer also led the Breds’ ground attack with 30 yards and 1 TD on 12 carries. RB Cody Mueller led the offense in receiving yards with 3 receptions for 88yds, and the team’s one receiving touchdown was scored by TE Tanner Daunt on one of his two receptions. New Cath’s other score came on a 40yd field goal from kicker Sam Levin. LB’s Luke Landrum & Daniel Craig led the defense with 8.5 tackles each. DB Joe Doeker and LB Daniel Craig each had an INT for the Breds, and LB Landen Davis also recovered a fumble. The Thoroughbreds have their first bout in the 1A playoffs in a rematch against 1A Dayton (4-6). They previously beat the Greendevils 49-0 back on October 18. In that game, New Cath had 463yds of offense (219 rushing/244 passing) to Dayton’s 237yds of offense (215 rushing/22 passing). 8) 2A Beechwood (5-5) – Beechwood had a tough go of things during their regular season, and finished up things on a down note heading into the playoffs after a deflating 17-14 loss on senior night to rival 1A Newport Central Catholic (8-2). QB Cam Hergott was 10-22 in the air for 83yds, 1 TD and 1 INT. Hergott was in on both of the Tigers’ touchdowns, first scoring on a 1 yard punch-in in the second quarter, and then connecting with WR Brady Moore for a 5yd TD in the third quarter. Stats have not yet been reported for the game. Beechwood is going to be starting their program’s first ever run in the 2A playoffs on Friday at home with a rematch against Covington Holy Cross (2-8). The Tigers previously beat the Indians 68-6 on October 11. In that game, Beechwood had 365yds of offense (180 rushing/185 passing) to Holy Cross’ 151yds of offense (29 rushing/122 passing). 9) Dixie Heights (4-6) – No action on the field this week for Dixie Heights. The Colonels will begin things in the 6A playoffs on Friday in Union against Ryle (5-5), who previously beat Dixie 13-8 on October 18. In that game, the Colonels had 327yds of offense (122 rushing/205 passing) to Ryle’s 227yds of offense (76 rushing/151 passing). 10) 4A Holmes (7-3) – The Bulldogs finished off their best regular season in a decade with a 7th win, beating 1 Bellevue (2-8) with a final score of 53-6. The Dawgs battled out the game on the ground, with QB Quantez Calloway only passing once, good for a 10 yard connection with WR Tyelon Tate. RB Miguel Garcia led the team in yardage with 4 carries good for 71yds and 1 TD. Curtez Hill had 3 carries for 63yds and 1 TD, Quantez Calloway ran the ball 4 times for 51yds and 1 TD, and Quantez’s twin brother Tayquan ran the ball 6 times for 47yds and 2 TDs. Tayquan Calloway also scored a touchdown on a punt return, and freshman LB Emauryon Arnold added defensive points on a fumble recovery for a 52yd TD return. Defensive stats were not reported for the game. Holmes will host 4A Harrison County (4-6) in the first round of the playoffs after previously having beaten the Thorobreds 8-7 on October 18. In that game, the Bulldogs had 176yds of offense (113 rushing/63 passing) to Harrison County’s 158yds of offense (120 rushing/38 passing). TRENDING UP 1A Newport Central Catholic (7-3) – The Breds finish their regular season on a high note after beating rival 2A Beechwood 17-14 at Beechwood. 4A Holmes (7-3) – The Bulldogs put an exclamation point on their district-winning regular season with a 53-6 win over 1A Bellevue. TRENDING DOWN 2A Beechwood (5-5) – This is the first time the Tigers haven’t had a winning record in the regular season in well over 20 years. Their 5th loss of the season came on Friday at the hands of rival 1A Newport Central Catholic in a 17-14 heartbreaker for Beechwood. 6A Simon Kenton (6-4) – It’s not a horrible regular season record, but 2019 was the Pioneers’ worst regular season in 8 years, with their latest loss coming on Friday thanks to OH-DII Little Miami, who beat Simon Kenton 48-35. GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 10 2A Beechwood vs. 1A Newport Central Catholic In the 43rd meeting between Beechwood and New Cath, the Thoroughbreds managed to notch their 15th win over the Tigers with a 17-14 win in Fort Mitchell. It was somewhat of a defensive battle, with both teams fighting hard to keep the other out of the end zone. Beechwood controlled the first quarter with their offense eating up most of the time on the field. A fumble on the 1 yard line recovered by New Cath ended the Tigers’ best threat to score in the first quarter though. But Beechwood brought the ball right back down the field on their next possession and scored on a 1 yard leap over the scrum by QB Cam Hergott. New Cath would get their first points towards the end of the second quarter with a 40 yard field goal by Sam Levin that came after a controversial pass interference call to set up the kick. The Thoroughbreds were the first team to score out of the half, with QB Paul Kremer capping of a 79 yard drive with a 4 yard touchdown run. Beechwood would answer with their own 63 yard drive that finished with a 6 yard touchdown pass from Hergott to WR Brady Moore. The Tigers had another opportunity to score on a field goal attempt with less than 2 minutes left in the game, but after missing the field goal, the Breds came back with an 80 yard drive that ended with a 6 yard touchdown pass from Kremer to WR Tanner Daunt with 24 seconds remaining. The Tigers were pinned back at their own 16 yard line following the kickoff, and threw up 3 pass attempts to try to come back and win, but were unable to put anything together. 2019 NKY Regular Season Passing Leaders: 2358 – Jared Hicks (Conner) 2034 – Caleb Jacob (Covington Catholic) 1633 – Paul Kremer (Newport Central Catholic) 1571 – Gus Howlett (Scott) 1537 – Chase Crone (Simon Kenton) 2019 NKY Regular Season Rushing Yards Leaders: 1283 – Quincy Perrin (Scott) 1214 – Matthew Young (Owen County) 1153 – Cody Kramer (Ludlow) 1132 – Conner Knipp (Grant County) 1081 – Tayquan Calloway (Holmes) 2019 NKY Regular Season Receiving Yards Leaders: 1078 – Brandon McClendon (Covington Holy Cross) 789 – Gunner Barnes (Bellevue) 746 – Colton Roy (Conner) 721 – Simon Keating (Newport) 691 – Treshawn Cody (Lloyd Memorial) 2019 NKY Regular Season Tackling Leaders: 139 – Cody Kramer (Ludlow) 104 – Devon Carson (Bishop Brossart) 96 – Parker Hitzfield (Conner) 96 – Brycen Huddleston (Highlands) 93 – Nigel Robinson (Scott) 2019 NKY Regular Season Defensive Sack Leaders: 8 – Nathan Anderson (Ludlow) 8 – Chase Kurtz (Conner) 7 – Sage Lalley (Scott) 7 – Nigel Robinson (Scott) 6 – Damond Hacker (Scott) 2019 NKY Regular Season Interception Leaders: 8 – Brandon McClendon (Covington Holy Cross) 6 – Jacob Brass (Highlands) 6 – Tyler Parks (Simon Kenton) 5 – Griffin Henderson (Scott) 5 – Emery Woods (Bracken County)
  6. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (10-0) – 1992, 2017, 2018, 2019. Those are the four times the Colonels’ football program has chalked up “10-0”. Cov Cath finished out their third straight undefeated regular season on Friday by beating 5A Conner 45-7 to take first place in 5A district 5. The Colonels came out and scored quickly, but things escalated quickly late in the 2Q after Conner’s lone TD brought the score to 24-7 with 2:18 to go in the half, only to have Cov Cath change that to a 45-7 running clock with less than 10 seconds left in the half. QB Caleb Jacob was 13-21 passing for 305yds and 4 TDs. RB Michael Boydston ran 6 times for 40yds and 2 TDs. WR Ethan Reardon had 4 receptions for 119yds and 2 TDs, and TE Michael Mayer had 5 receptions for 148yds and 2 TDs. Mayer also had 4 tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception on the defensive side of the ball, and Owen Nally & David Brunson both led the defense with 5 tackles a piece. Cov Cath has their bye week this week before starting their 5A playoff run at home on Friday against Cooper (5-5). The Colonels previously beat the Jaguars 45-6 on September 27. 2) 6A Simon Kenton (6-3) – The Pioneers have won three straight, with their latest win coming in last Friday in a 44-14 victory over 6A Ryle (5-5), giving Simon Kenton the undisputed 6A district 6 title. Freshman QB Chase Crone had his biggest passing game yet, going 17-29 for 279yds, 3 TDs, and 1 INT. He was also the teams #2 rusher in the game, with 11 carries for 91yds and 2 TDs. RB Austin Hammack had 129yds on 20 carries, good for the team’s remaining TD. The defense also provided 2 points in the game on a sack by DL Jack Milton, good for a safety. LB Nate Walker and LB Aric Hoffman both had 9 tackles a piece to lead the defensive effort, and LB Luke Huesman had 8 tackles in the game. Simon Kenton will be wrapping up their regular season in Morrow, OH on Friday against the OH-DII Little Miami Panthers (7-2). 3) 5A Highlands (6-4) – The Birds wrapped up their regular season on Friday with their 4th and final district matchup, beating 5A Cooper (5-5) in Union. Highlands’ offense may have been outgained by Cooper’s, but they were tops on the scoreboard, winning the game 14-7. Their passing was minimal in the game, with QB Collin Hollingsworth going 2-8 in the air for 6yds. Both of the Bluebird touchdowns came via RB Sawyer Depp, who rushed 12 times for 128yds and 2 TDs. RB Joe Buten also provided 76yds on his 16 carries. Defensive stats have not been reported for the game. Highlands will have this week off before returning to action next Friday for a rematch in the 1st round of the playoffs against Conner (7-2) who previously beat the Birds 20-17 on October 4. 4) Conner (7-2) – Things didn’t go how the Cougars would have liked them to on Friday. After showing some fight and resolve early in the 2nd quarter against Covington Catholic (10-0), things came apart for Conner, with the final score ending up at 45-7 in the Colonels’ favor. QB Jared Hicks had a solid game, despite the loss, going 18-25 passing for 170yds, and rushing 6 times for 24yds and 1 TD. WR Colton Roy led the offense in yardage with 67yds on 6 receptions, and WR Caleb Ervin was second with 5 receptions good for 56yds. Parker Hitzfield led the defense with 9 tackles, and Drew Cobble, Caleb Ervin, Frankie Salzarulo and Clayton Melcher each had 4 tackles a piece. The Cougars will be wrapping up their regular season at home on senior night against 6A George Rogers Clark (5-4). 5) 6A Ryle (5-5) – Ryle finished up their regular season on Friday with a 44-14 loss to 6A Simon Kenton (6-3), giving the Raiders the #2 spot in 6A district 6. QB Keegan Stanken was 16-28 by air in the game, good for 157yds and 1 INT. RB Kyle England led the offense with 137yds on his 17 carries, good for both of Ryle’s touchdowns. WR Ryan Planck had 4 receptions good for 40yds, WR Will Watkins had 37yds on 2 receptions, and WR Leonel Galan had 4 receptions for 36yds. DB Mathias Cusick and DB Johnathan Coker each tallies 13 tackles a piece, LB Max Hungler had 8 tackles, and DE Noah Duke had 7 tackles and a fumble recovery. The Raiders will also be taking a week off from football action before returning for their first round playoff rematch against Dixie Heights (3-6). Ryle previously beat Dixie 13-8 on October 18. 6) 2A Beechwood (5-4) – Things are finally looking solid for Beechwood, with the team improving to a winning record on Friday thanks to a 38-0 shutout over 2A Newport (7-3). The Tigers were 3-0 against their competition in 2A district 6, and beat the district opposition by a total combined score of 143-6. It was a relatively quiet passing game on Friday, with QB Cam Hergott going 12-18 in the air good for 90yds. Hergott also led the team rushing with 58yds on 10 carries, good for 2 TDs. RB Avery Courtney also rushed 9 times for 31yds and 1 TD, and RB Cole Stammer rushed 8 times for 28yds and 2 TDs. The top receiving performances came from WR Brady Moore and WR Mason Williams, who had 5 receptions for 41yds and 4 receptions for 25yds, respectively. DE Gage Dollenmeyer logged 2 fumble recoveries and sack in the game, DL Carter Noah had a sack, and DL Xavier Campbell also scooped up a fumble. Beehcwood will wrap up their regular season at home on senior night against 1A Newport Central Catholic (7-2). 7) 5A Cooper (5-5) – Cooper finished their regular season in frustrating fashion on Friday, losing 14-7 to district competitor Highlands (6-4), and doing so despite outgaining the Birds’ offense 264-204. QB Drew Warth was 20-38 passing on the night, good for 165yds. Unfortunately it was the field possession achieved by 3 interceptions that game Highlands the offensive advantage to win the game. RB Anthony Witschey rushed 20 times for 76yds, and WR/RB Jeremiah Lee rushed 9 times for 25yds and a TD in addition to his 7 receptions good for 53yds. Freshman WR Zion Mason had 64yds on his 6 receptions, and also had an interception for the Jaguars from his spot in the defensive backfield. LB Joe Poage led the defense with 12 tackles, DB Chester Hale had 8 tackles, and LB Ethan Bosway had 7 tackles. Cooper is one of several teams around NKY with a bye week this week, and the Jags will be back on the game field in Park Hills for the first round of 5A playoffs taking on the Covington Catholic Colonels (10-0) again. Cooper previously lost to Cov Cath 45-6 back on September 27. 8) 1A Newport Central Catholic (7-2) – The Thoroughbreds finished up their district run on Friday by beating 1A Bellevue (2-7) with a 50-7 final score. Much like Beechwood, New Cath was 3-0 over their district opponents, thumping the rest of 1A district 4 with a combined score of 148-17. QB Paul Kremer was 15-18 passing for 201yds and 1 TD, and backup QB Dom Morgan was 2-2 passing for 55yds and 1 TD. WR Caleb Jefferson had 6 receptions for 110yds, while WR Preston Baggett had 55yds and 1 TD on his 2 receptions, and WR Cody Mueller had 40yds and 1 TD on his 3 receptions. RB Jahmir Ackerson led the running game with 6 carries for 85yds and 1 TD, and rushing TDs were also scored by Joey Runyon, Joe Doeker, Landen Davis, and Luke Landrum. Daniel Craig had 5 tackles from his spot at linebacker, and defensive backs Joe Doeker & Justin Schneider each had 4 tackles. New Cath will wrap up their regular season on Friday in Fort Mitchell against 1A Beechwood (5-4). 9) Dixie Heights (3-6) – The Colonels notched their third win of the season on Friday, beating 6A Campbell County (0-9) to claim the #3 spot in 6A district 6. QB Logan Landers was 12-21 passing in the game, for 133yds and 1 TD, and also led the team in rushing with 91yds on his 7 carries. RB Leon Marshall tallied 82yds and 3 TDs on his 16 carries, and the remaining touchdown on the ground came thanks to a 4yd carry by FB Cayden Anderson. WR Kel Hawkins had 4 receptions for 49yds and 1 TD, and WR Jacob Iames had 4 receptions for 44yds. LB Colin Smith, S Pierce Rohlman, DE Zach Ernst, LB Cayden Anderson, and Dl Rhys Brown each had 5 tackles a piece, and LB Bradyen Wulfeck had 4 tackles. Rohlman also had an interception, while Wulfeck picked off another pass and returned it 65yds for Dixie’s remaining touchdown in the game. The Colonels will finish off their regular season at home on Friday against 4A Scott (6-3). 10) 4A Holmes (6-3) – The Bulldogs pulled of one of the biggest wins in recent memory on Friday, upsetting 4A Scott (6-3) 58-38 to win 4A district 6. It’s the first district championship for Holmes since 2010, and their first win over the Eagles since 2012. QB Quantez Calloway was 6-10 passing in the game for 123yds, 1 TD and 1 INT, and he also ran the ball 15 times for 78yds and 1 TD. Caloway’s twin brother Tayquan led the offense with 203yds on 14 carries, good for 3 more TDs. WR Tyelon Tate had 4 receptions in the game, good for 110 of their 123 yards through the air, as well as the team’s one touchdown passing. DL Damarcus Winn and DB Daylan Griffin both recovered fumbles in the game, while DL Damario Foster and DB Tayquan Calloway both had pick-six interceptions. The Dawgs will wrap up their regular season in Bellevue on Friday against the 1A Tigers (2-7). TRENDING UP 2A Walton-Verona (6-3) – The Bearcats got off to a rocky 2-3 start this season, but they’ve managed to put together 4 straight wins in recent weeks to finish 4-0 in district competition. Their latest win was a 42-0 victory over 2A Shawnee (0-8). 4A Holmes (6-3) – The Bulldogs are currently enjoying season under Ben Nevels who is in his 7th season as head coach. And they have reason to celebrate, after pulling off a 58-38 upset of 4A Scott (6-3) on Friday to win the district 5A Covington Catholic (10-0) – I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Colonels' roll through a third straight 10-0 regular season. Cov Cath's latest win came in the style of a 45-7 first-half running clock victory over 5A Conner (7-2) on Friday to clinch the district title. TRENDING DOWN 1A Dayton (4-5) – The Greendevils continued a backward slide on Friday with a disappointing loss to district competitor 1A Ludlow (6-3). Despite fighting back in the 3Q to briefly take a lead in the game, Dayton lost 54-46. It’s been good to see some real fight out of the Greendevils this season, though. 2A Gallatin County (1-8) – It hasn’t been very pretty for the Wildcats this season. Despite coming off a big win over 2A Shawnee (0-8), Gallatin County lost big on Friday in a 54-0 shellacking at the hands of 2A Carroll County (6-3). 5A Cooper (5-5) – The Jaguars ended their regular at the .500 mark on Friday with a disappointing loss to 5A Highlands (6-4) to finish off things at the bottom of their 5A district. GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 9 5A Covington Catholic vs. 5A Conner 2019 has seen Conner enjoying one of their better seasons in recent years, heading into their Week 9 match-up with Cov Cath with a 7-1 record and a shot at the district title. The Colonels had other things in mind though, heading into Hebron and quickly going up 21-0 in the 1Q. Conner cut the Cov Cath lead to 17 with a late 2Q touchdown, bringing the score to 24-7 with 2:18 left in the half, only to have the Colonels score a TD 7 plays later, followed by a Conner fumble on the first play after the kickoff leading to a 1-play TD for Cov Cath, a quick 3-and-out for Conner, and yet another Colonel TD with seconds left to make the score 45-7 going into the half. That would stand as the final score in the contest, with Cov Cath heading home with the #1 spot in the district and Conner claiming #2. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 10 1A Beechwood vs. 2A Newport Central Catholic With both schools’ standing among the “old guard” of northern Kentucky football programs, it’s somewhat surprising that they’ve only met on the football field 42 times in as many years. The record between the two stands at 28 wins to 14 in the favor of Beechwood, and in the last 10 years, the record has similarly stood at 7 wins to 3 in the favor of the Tigers. This year is primed as well as any for New Cath to notch their next win over Beechwood.
  7. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (8-0) – The Colonels accomplished quite a few tasks on Friday with their 27-7 victory over OH-DII LaSalle (6-1). First, they managed to maintain a now 28-game regular season win streak by beating a team ranked nationally in the top 100 teams by most national polls. Second, they ticked off their 4th ever win against a GCL South team in one of their most marquee regular season wins in program history. And third, they successfully completed a third-straight regular season of being undefeated at home. QB Caleb Jacob was 12-24 passing for 199yds in the game against a LaSalle defense, stacked with D1 college talent. TE Michael Mayer led the receiving corps with 6 receptions for 97yds, and RB Daniel Felix led the rushing attack with 15 carries for 80yds and 2 TDs. The remaining offensive TD was on a 2yd punch-in by Caleb Jacob. Mayer also led the defense from his position at linebacker, with 12 tackles including 2 for losses, a forced fumble, and a 45yd pick-6. The Colonels will take on their biggest rival, 5A Highlands (5-3) in their third district contest tonight in Ft. Thomas. 2) Conner (7-1) – The Cougars continued an undefeated streak in district competition on Friday with a 35-29 win over 5A Cooper (4-4). Conner eclipsed the Jags in offensive yards 424 to 244 despite the 6pt win margin. QB Jared Hicks was stellar, going 14-24 passing for 303yds and 2 TDs, and rushing 13 times for 52yds and 2 more TDs. RB Douglas Abdon didn’t have any TDs in the game, but led the offense in rushing with 62yds on 13 carries. WR Justin Daniels led the receiving corps with 145yds on 6 receptions, WR Colton Roy had 3 catches for 92yds and 1 TD, and WR Caleb Ervin had 4 receptions for 60yds and 1 TD. The remaining TD was scored defensively by Cody Crawford who scooped up a fumble for an 18yd TD. DL Matthew Kerr led the defense with an incredible 24 tackles, and LB Parker Hitzfield had 13 tackles in the game. The Cougars have this week off before returning to action on October 25th against 5A Covington Catholic (8-0). 3) 5A Highlands (5-3) – For a second time this season, the Birds rebounded from a frustrating loss by taking out those frustrations on the next week’s team. Highlands hung a 49-0 shutout loss on district competitor 5A Boone County (2-6). QB Collin Hollingsworth was 7-10 passing for 103yds and 3 TDs, and rushed for another 8yds. WR Adam Weyer led the receivers with 47yds on 2 receptions, WRs Hunter Ahlfeld, Jacob Brass, and Brycen Huddleston all hauled in TD receptions. And yes, you heard that right, Brycen Huddleston was on offense – and he scored. RB Sawyer Depp had 6 carries in the game for 136yds and 2 TDs, RB Griffin Richter had 14 carries for 103yds and 1 TD, and QB Jake Falhbusch had 3 rushes for 14yds and 1 TD. LB Brennan Haigis, DB Max Guetle, and DL Zach Lewin each had 4 tackles a piece to lead the team’s defensive front. The Birds will host their big regular season rivalry game tonight against 5A Covington Catholic (8-0). 4) 6A Simon Kenton (4-3) –The Pioneers continue to win every-other game, and finished their first district battle on Friday with a 43-27 win over 6A Dixie Heights (2-5). QB Chase Crone was 19-33 passing in the game for 241yds, 3 TDs and 1 INT. WR Erik Brown led in receiving with 8 receptions for 105yds, Caleb Livers had 4 receptions for 46yds and 1 TD, Trey Little had 2 receptions for 20yds and 1 TD, and RB Austin Hammack had 1 catch for a 34yd TD. Hammack also led the team in rushing with 15 carries fir 90yds and 1 TD. QB Crone rushed 13 times for 88yds and a TD, and RB Quincy North had 11 carries for 59yds and 1 TD. DB Zack Koenes led the defense with 9 tackles, while DL Vuk Sajlovic and LB Aric Hoffman each had 7 tackles. DB Isaac Bleier ha 2 interceptions in the game in addition to his 4 tackles. Simon Kenton hosts their second district match-up against 6A Campbell County (0-7) tonight in Independence. 5) 6A Ryle (4-4) – The Raiders are back at the .500 mark after a 41-0 win over 6A Campbell County (0-7). Senior Keegan Stanken spent most of the game at QB, going 9-17 for 103yds and 1 TD. WR Lee Conner was the top receiver in yardage with 4 receptions for 37yds, and Will Watkins was 1yd behind him with 36yds on 2 receptions, good for 1 TD. RB Kyle England was a scoring machine, with 18 carries for 110yds and 4 TDs. The defense was able to capitalize on 4 fumbles, including 1 that was picked up by DB Max Hungler and returned 32yds for a Ryle TD. DB Luke Bradshaw led the defense with 7 tackles, while LB Dillon Talmon had 5 tackles, and DB Johnathan Coker and LB Jackson Belk each had 4 tackles. Ryle will face 6A Dixie Heights tonight in Edgewood in their second district game. 6) 2A Beechwood (3-4) – Beechwood finally seems to have exorcised some demons with the big win they’ve been looking for thus far in 2019. They did so with a huge 68-6 win over 2A district foe Holy Cross (2-5). QB Cam Hergott was 9-12 passing in the game for 174yds and 2 TDs, and he also rushed 5 times for 25yds and 1 TD. QB Jenson Linder also saw some time in the game and was 1-1 passing good for an 11yd TD. WR Mason Williams was the top receiver in the game with 2 receptions for 72yds and 1 TD. Nick Parton also had 2 receptions for 56yds and 1 TD, and Brady Moore had 2 receptions for 23yds and 1 TD. RB Avery Courtney led in rushing with 74yds on 7 carries for 1 TD, and RB Cole Stammer had 5 rushes for 25yds and 2 TDs. Stammer also added an interception on the defensive side of the ball, and Mason Williams had an interception that he returned 20yds for a Tigers touchdown. Beechwood will have their second district game tonight in Erlanger against 2A Lloyd Memorial (5-2). 7) 5A Cooper (4-3) – Cooper fought hard on Friday, but the Jags are back on the wrong side of .500 following a 35-29 district loss to 5A Conner. QB Drew Warth was 10-18 passing in the game, good for 122yds in the air and 1 TD. He also rushed 5 times for 13yds. RB Anthony Witschey led the team in offensive yardage and scored all of their offensive touchdowns, with 10 carries for 62yds and 2 TDs, and also led in receiving with his 1 catch for a 44yd touchdown. WR Jeremiah Lee scored the remaining touchdown for the Jags on a returned kickoff. Lee also forced a fumble on the defensive side of things, in addition to his 2 tackles, and the defense was led by DB Chester Hale with 9 tackles and LB Ethan Bosway with 8 tackles and 1 sack. 8) 1A Newport Central Catholic (4-2) – The Thoroughbreds had their first district game back in 1A on Friday, and started things off with a big 49-10 win over 1A Ludlow (4-3). QB Paul Kremer was nearly flawless going 11-12 passing for 137yds and 5 TDS, and backup QB Dom Morgan was 3-4 passing for 41yds and 1 TD. RB Jahmir Ackerson led the offense with 88yds on 9 carries, and the lone rushing touchdown was scored by RB Joe Doeker on a 1yd run. Doeker also had 2 pass receptions for 16yds and 1 TD, while WR Cody Mueller led in yardage with 46yds on 2 receptions and 1 TD, Tanner Daunt had 3 receptions for 42yds and 1 TD, Coy Hunt had 1 catch for a 32yd TD, and Caleb Jefferson had 3 receptions for 21yds and 2 TDs. Freshman DB Matthew Landrum and DB Justin Schneider each tallied an interception on defense. New Cath faces 1A Dayton (4-3) tonight in their second district match of the season. 9) 4A Scott (5-2) – No action for Scott this past week. The Eagles are on the road tonight for their 3rd district match-up of the season, this time against 4A Boyd County (1-6). 10) Lloyd Memorial (5-2) – The Juggernauts came back from their bye week last Friday and put another W in the books with a 26-7 win over 2A Newport (6-2) in their first district game of the season. QB Jacob Davidson was 8-13 passing on the night for 83yds, and rushed 20 times for 111yds and 3 TDs. RB Dakota Theil carried the ball 11 times, good for 74yds and the team’s remaining TD. WR Keesean Crim had 4 catches for 53yds, Trshawn Cody had 1 catch for 18yds, Dakota Theil had 1 catch for 10yds and Keion Alexander had 1 catch for 2yds. LB Isaac Abdon led the defense again in tackles with 8, and DB Tayvonne Coleman-Ewell had 5 tackles. Keesean Crim had 4 tackles and 2 INTs from his position at defensive back. Lloyd will have their big district game of the 2019 season against 2A Beechwood (3-4) tonight at home. TRENDING UP 2A Beechwood (3-4) – The Tigers got their second straight win on Friday with a 68-6 romp over 2A Holy Cross (2-5). 1A Bellevue (2-5) – The Tigers tallied their second win in three weeks, this time with a rivalry win on the road against 1A Dayton (4-3). TRENDING DOWN 5A Grant County (3-5) – The Braves dropped their third straight game on Friday and their second straight district game of the year, losing 56-0 to 5A Scott County (7-1). 6A Dixie Heights (2-5) – Friday sealed the deal, guaranteeing that the Colonels will have to go without a winning regular season for a 5th straight season after losing 43-27 to 6A Simon Kenton (4-3). GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 7 5A Conner vs. 5A Cooper The Cougars should have won this one big, by looking at the offensive yards in the game – nearly doubling the Jaguars in offensive yards. But a special teams touchdown kept Cooper in this one. Conner held on for a 35-29 win to keep their undefeated district record intact though. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 8 5A Covington Catholic vs. 5A Highlands If this isn’t the game of the week in northern Kentucky, then what in the world is a “game of the week”? These two teams meet for a 52nd consecutive year as district competitors. The rivalry record heavily favors Highlands at 49 wins to 21 for Cov Cath, but the Colonels have won the last 4 games straight, with Colonels head coach Eddie Eviston currently holding a 4-2 record against Highlands. It’s a big night in Fort Thomas tonight.
  8. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (9-0) – The Colonels are one win away from 3-straight undefeated regular seasons after their 13-0 shutout over district rival 5A Highlands (5-4). The scoring margin might be a little different from what some were expecting, but that all depends on who you were talking to. The Colonels are now 3-0 in district competition. QB Caleb Jacob was 12-25 passin for 215yds, 1 TD and 1 INT in the game, with WR Ethan Reardon leading the offense with 174yds and 1 TD on 9 receptions. TE Michael Mayer had 23yds on 1 reception, and WR Andy Molique had 18yds on 2 receptions. Daniel Felix led the rushing attack with 15 carries for 59yds, and Michael Boydston returned to the active roster with 23yds on 5 carries. Kicker Trey Gronotte had two field goals and an extra point to give the Colonels their remaining 7 points in the game. Michael Mayer led the defense in tackles with 14, an Daniel Felix had 10 tackles, including a sack. The Colonels will play to go undefeated in both district competition and in their regular season when they head to Hebron to take on 5A Conner (8-1) tomorrow night. 2) Conner (7-1) – No action this past Friday. The Cougars return to action tomorrow against 5A Covington Catholic (8-0) in a battle for the District 5 champion. 3) 5A Highlands (5-4) – The Birds were shut out for a second time this week, this time at the hands of 5A Covington Catholic (9-0) in a 13-0 home loss. Highlands offense was stymied by the Colonels defense, coming up short with only 135yds total offense. QB Collin Hollingsworth was 4-11 passing for 45yds and 1 INT, and he ran the ball 11 times for 24yds. WR Hunter Ahlfeld has 2 receptions for 36yds, and RB Joe Buten pulled in the two remaining receptions, good for 10yds. RB Sawyer Depp led the offensive ground game with 25yds on 9 carries, and RB Buten had 22yds on 12 carries. Brycen Huddleston was the defensive leader in tackling, with 13 tackles and 1 tackle for a loss from is position at linebacker. DL Zach Lewin also logged 7 tackles in the game, including 2 tackles for loss. The Bluebirds will finish off their regular season tomorrow with a district match-up against 5A Cooper (5-4). 4) 6A Simon Kenton (5-3) –The Pioneers managed to string together two straight wins for the first time this season by beating 6A Campbell County (0-8) in a 34-7 senior night victory. Simon Kenton is now 2-0 in district competition. QB Chase Crone had a strong night going 9-14 passing for 197yds, 1 TD and 1 INT. Junior QB Marcus Courtney also spent time behind center, going 10-14 passing for 96yds in addition to leading the rushing attack with 87yds and 1 TD on 8 carries. RB Austin Hammack rushed 18 times for 69yds and 1 TD, and RB Quincy North carried the ball 14 times for 41yds and 1 TD. WRs John Ivey and Caleb Livers both had 53yds each receiving, and WR Landon Scott had the team’s 1 touchdown by air on his lone 31yd reception. Isaac Bleier also scored for the ‘Neers on a returned kickoff. LB Nate Walker led the Simon Kenton D with 11 tackles, and DB Zack Koenes had 9 tackles. The Pioneers will conclude their district schedule in Union on Friday against 6A Ryle (5-4). 5) 6A Ryle (5-4) – Ryle notched their second district win on Friday, beating 6A Dixie Heights (2-6) on the road with a final score of 13-8. The Raiders offense was held to fewer offensive yards than their opponent, but managed to get the win. QB Keegan Stanken was 11-16 passing for 151yds and 2 TDs, and added 11yds rushing. RB Kyle England ran the ball 15 times for 47yds, and RB Mathias Cusick ran 5 times for 20yds. WR Johnathan Coker led the offense with 108yds and 1 TD on his 4 receptions, and RB Will Watkins also had 4 receptions, good for 24yds and 1 TD. DB Luke Bradshaw was the Raiders’ leading tackler, with 11 total tackles. DB Mathias Cusick and LB Gabe Savage each had 8 tackles a piece, and LB Dillon Talmon tallied 7 tackles. Ryle will conclude their regular season tomorrow night with a senior night game against district rival 6A Simon Kenton (5-3). 6) 5A Cooper (5-4) – Cooper had their biggest offensive game of the season by nearly 100yds, finishing their 54-0 win over 5A Boone County (2-7) with 500 offensive yards even. QB Drew Warth had a huge night, going 12-17 passing for 257yds and 3 TDs, and rushing 3 times for 49yds. RB Anthony Witschey rushed 9 times for 84yds and 1 TD, and had 3 receptions for 45 more yards and a TD. RBs Brendon Tye and Eli White also had rushing TDs. WR Jeremiah Lee had 5 catches for 113yds and 1 TD, and ran twice for 21yds and 1 TD. The remaining touchdowns were scored by WR Bryan Yelton on a 59yds TD reception, and on a fumble pickup for a 9yd defensive TD by Brady Bond. LB Ethan Bosway was the leading tackler for the Jags’ defense with 12 tackles including 1 tackle for a loss, and LB Jake Harmeyer had 7 tackles. Cooper will finish up their regular season tomorrow night with their fight for 3rd place in District 5 against 5A Highlands (5-4). 7) 2A Beechwood (4-4) – Beechwood finally made it to the .500 mark in their regular season on Friday with a solid 37-0 shutout over 2A district rival Lloyd Memorial (5-3), giving the Tigers a 2-0 start in their district run. QB Cam Hergott put on a show, going 20-24 passing for 225yds and 2 TDs, and leading the team’s rushing attack with 55yds on 7 carries. RB Avery Courtney had 46yds and 1 TD on 6 carries, and RB Cole Stammer had 30yds and 1 TD on 9 carries. WR Mason Williams led the receivers with 85yds on 9 receptions, WR Gage Dollenmeyer had 2 receptions for 41yds and 1 TD, WR Keaton Durrett had 3 receptions for 28yds, and WR Brady Moore had 2 receptions for 28yds and 1 TD. Mason Williams also had a 42yd pick-six on defense. Beechwood will finish out their district run tomorrow night, hosting 2A Newport (7-2). 8) 1A Newport Central Catholic (6-2) – The Thoroughbreds continued their romp over their 1A district last week with a 49-0 win over 1A Dayton (4-4). New Cath has now tallied four straight games with 5 or more touchdowns. QB Paul Kremer was 13-21 passing for 199yds and 3 TDs, and backup QB Dom Morgan went 3-3 passing for 45yds and 1 TD. RB Jahmir Ackerson led the rushing game with 8 carries for 99yds and 1 TD, and FB Isaac Freppon had his first TD of the season on a 2yds goal line punch-in. WR Caleb Jefferson was the leading receiver with 4 receptions for 79yds and 2 TDs, WR Quentin Meyer had 3 receptions for 45yds and 1 TD, and RB Joe Doeker had a 9yd TD reception. DB Justin Schneider added a defensive TD on a 45yd scoop-and-score. The Breds will finish up their district schedule Friday night against 1A Bellevue (2-6) in Bellevue. 9) 4A Scott (6-2) – The Eagles took the drive down to Ashland on Friday and took on 4A Boyd County (1-7) in their 3rd district game, and came home with a 54-26 win over the Lions. QB Gus Howlett was 8-13 passing for 131yds, 2 TDs, and 1 INT, and ran twice for 4yds and a TD. RB Quincy Perring ran 16 times for 201yds and 2 TDs, and passed once, good for a 1yd TD connection to FB Nigel Robinson. RB Robert Pence ran 4 times for 28yds and 1 TD, and Jackson Hardin had a 6yd TD run. WR Cam Patterson was the top receiver with 4 catches for 86yds and 2 TDs. LB Nigel Robinson led the defense with 11 tackles, LB Zach Scheper had 9 tackles, and DE Sage Lalley had 8 tackles. Scott will finish up their district schedule on senior night tomorrow night against 4A Holmes (5-3). 10) Dixie Heights (2-6) – The Colonels make their first appearance in the NKY Power Rankings Top 10 this week despite a 7 point district loss to 6A Ryle (5-4). Dixie’s offense has struggled to find their groove this season, but they managed to best the Raiders in total offensive yards on Friday, 315 yards to 227. The defense has showed major resolve, keeping the team in numerous games this season, including their this latest loss. QB Logan Landers was 13-25 passing for 205yds and 1 INT. RB Leon Marshall led the running game with 17 carries for 77yds and the team’s lone touchdown. WR Jacob Iames had 7 receptions good for 162yds. LB Cayden Anderson led the defense with 8 tackles and CB Brayden Wulfeck had 6 tackles. Dixie will be concluding their district schedule in Alexandria tomorrow against 6A Campbell County (0-8). TRENDING UP 2A Walton-Verona (6-3) – The Bearcats have strung together a 4 game winning streak in the second half of their regular season, with their latest 42-0 shutout win coming over 2A Shawnee (0-7). 5A Cooper (4-3) – The Jaguars tallied their 5th of the season to improve themselves to a winning record for the first time this season with a 54-0 shutout win over 5A Boone County (2-7). TRENDING DOWN 5A Highlands (5-4) – The Bluebirds were handed their 5th straight loss and 3rd shutout in as many games at the hands of 5A Covington Catholic (9-0), losing 13-0 on Friday. 6A Campbell County (0-8) – The Camels are struggling badly in 2019, remaining winless after 8 straight games and having scored only 27 points to their competitors’ 285 points. Campbell County’s latest game was a 34-7 loss to 6A Simon Kenton (5-3). GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 8 5A Covington Catholic vs. 5A Highlands Covington Catholic may have continued their recent streak of wins over Highlands on Friday with a 13-0 shut-out in Fort Thomas on Friday, but Highlands managed to hold the Colonels to the least points scored since Week 1 of the 2016 football season. Covington Catholic will be battling with Conner this week for the #1 and #2 spots in 5A District 5, and Highlands will be battling with Cooper for the #3 and #4 spots in the District. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 9 5A Covington Catholic vs. 5A Conner For the second week in a row, the NKY Power Rankings Game Of The Week will feature two of the top three teams in the Power Rankings. The Cougars will be welcoming Cov Cath to Hebron tomorrow night in hopes of sending the Colonels home with a loss and earning the #1 spot in their district. Conner comes into the game on the back of a 5-game win streak, and Cov Cath is coming into the game undefeated, with 9 straight wins.
  9. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (2-0) – The Colonels absolutely rolled in their second game of the season, and in similar fashion to the last two seasons, they’ve had a running clock on their opponents in each of their first two games of the season. Cov Cath’s defense was lights out on Friday, holding Campbell County’s offense to -47 total yards in the 49-0 win. QB Caleb Jacob was 9-12 passing for 131yds and 4 TDs. Michael Mayer continued to dominate offensively when he got his hands on the ball, rushing for 1 TD on 1 carry, and scoring 2 more TDs on his 2 receptions in the game. Michael has scored a touchdown each time he has gotten ahold of the football on offense this year. Cov Cath hosts 3A Lexington Catholic (2-0) and their UK commit QB Beau Allen on Friday. 2) 5A Highlands (1-1) – Highlands made the trip down to Corbin on Friday to take on TN-5A Knoxville Catholic (2-0) in the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic. They were facing a tough opponent, with Knox Cath coming into the game bragging the four D1 recruits and the #4 spot in USA Today’s rankings of Tennessee football programs. The Bluebirds fought hard, with QB Collin Hollingsworth going 12-26 passing for 3 TDs, and rushing for another TD, and WR Adam Weyer posted 100yds on 4 receptions, but the total offensive yards told the story of the game. Knox Cath put up 544 total yards offense in the game to Highlands’ 362, and the Birds came home with a 31-28 loss. Highlands will host 6A Campbell County (0-2) on Friday. 3) 2A Beechwood (0-1) – The Tigers opened their season on Friday at Georgetown College against 1A Paintsville (2-0), and made the drive home to Fort Mitchell with a 19-14 loss. Beechwood came out and scored the first 14 points in the game, but the scoring was all Paintsville for the rest of the game, with the Blue Tigers scoring a TD in the 4th quarter to pull ahead and take home the win. Beechwood came out of the game with some injuries to key players in their linebackers and running backs, so we will see how much impact those injuries have on the team in the weeks to come. QB Cam Hergott still put up some all-star numbers in the game, going 10-17 passing for 124yds and rushing for another 173yds and 2 TDs. Beechwood will be on the road again this week when they head to Somerset to take on the 2A Briar Jumpers (2-0). 4) 6A Simon Kenton (1-1) – Simon Kenton’s second game of the season decidedly did not go the way they would have hoped, with the Pioneers hosting OH-DII Anderson (1-0) and coming away with a 44-16 thumping. Freshman QB Chase Crone was 9-25 passing for 186yds and 1TD, and junior QB also spent time behind center managing another 55yds and 1 TD in the air. The story of the game was the ‘Neers inability to get a running game going, with a paltry 21yds rushing, and begging the question: When will we see senior RB Austin Hammack, the team’s top returning rusher? On the defensive side, DL Vuk Sajlovic led the team with 12 total tackles, and LB Aric Hoffman and DB Zack Koenes each had 11 tackles. Simon Kenton will head across the river to take on OH-DI Oak Hills (0-1) on Friday. 5) 5A Cooper (2-0) – Cooper still may look a little slow to get going, but they’ve still managed to preserve an undefeated record after bringing home a 13-7 win over 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-1) on Friday. QB Drew Warth was 7-17 passing for 101yds and 1 TD, and WR Jeremiah Lee proved his mettle by scoring both TDs in the game, with 72yds and 1 TD receiving, and 95yds and 1 TD rushing. The Jags’ offense is still working out their kinks, with just under 500 total yards offense in their first two games, but the defense has held strong and kept their opponents to only 431yds in those games, including the 234yds posted by New Cath on Friday. LB Spencer Handel led the defense with 9 total tackles, and DB Zach Armour & DB Jeremiah Lee each provided an interception. Cooper hosts crosstown rival 6A Ryle (1-1) on Friday. 6) 1A Newport Central Catholic (1-1) – If you’re going to stumble during the regular season, at least you can do it in a non-district game against a team from a higher classification. That’s what happened on Friday, with the Thoroughbreds coming up short in a 13-7 loss to 5A Cooper (2-0). QB Paul Kremer couldn’t get the Breds passing game going, only going 7-20 for 74yds and 2 INTs. After only getting 32yds in New Cath’s season opener against 6A Campbell County (0-2), junior RB Joey Runyon came out strong on Friday, rushing 9 times for 113yds and 1 TD, and adding on another 5yds on 1 reception. Defensive stats were not reported for the game. The Thoroughbreds will head across the Ohio River on Friday to take on OH-DIV Roger Bacon (1-0). 7) 4A Scott (1-1) – Coach Eric Turner posted his first win over his former program as the Eagles sent 2A Lloyd Memorial (1-1) back to Erlanger with a 17-0 shutout loss. Scott’s offense is still working to find its legs, only coming up with 194 total yards in the game, but it proved to be enough, with QB Gus Howlett going 7-26 passing for 63yds and 1 TD, and RB Quincy Perrin leading the running game with 57yds and 1 TD. WR Cam Patterson led the receiving corps with 2 receptions good for 34yds and 1 TD. Defensive stats were not reported for the game. The Eagles will be headed to Crestview Hills on Friday to take on 2A Covington Holy Cross (1-1) at the Indians’ new home for football at Thomas More University. 8) 6A Ryle (1-1) – Ryle raised a few eyebrows around northern Kentucky on Friday after coming back from a 37-0 shutout loss at the hands of 5A Covington Catholic (2-0) and putting up a 34-10 win over 5A Conner (1-1), who was rolling on from a beating of 6A Madison Central (0-2) the week before. After an offensive struggle against Cov Cath only earned them 89 yards last week, the Raiders came back by putting up 143yds in the air, and 252yds on the ground, with RB Kyle England working hard for almost 200yds rushing and 4 TDs, and the remaining touchdown coming on a 19yd connection with WR Elijah Cusick. Defensive stats were not reported for the game. Ryle will be heading across town to take on 5A Cooper (2-0) on Friday. 9) 5A Conner (1-1) – After a solid showing in their season opener against 6A Madison Central (0-2), Conner took a step backwards in their game on Friday, losing 37-10 to 6A Ryle (1-1). The Cougars defense struggled badly to stop bleeding yardage to the Raiders’ running game, and their offense was unable to get a running game started. Jared Hicks had a solid performance as hurler, going 14-23 passing for 161yds, and WR Justin Daniels came up with 98yds on 6 receptions, but with 4yds total on the ground, Conner was unable to find the endzone. Senior defensive back Caleb Ervin led the defensive effort for the Cougars with 13 total tackles, including 1 tackle for a loss, and 1 forced fumble. Conner will have their 3rd straight game on the road this Friday when they head to Edgewood to take on 6A Dixie Heights (1-1). 10) Boone County (2-0) – The Rebels are off to a 2-0 start for the first time since 2011. Coach Bryson Warner has people excited about high school football in Florence, and it’s showing on the scoreboard. Boone County started off the season with a 20-6 win over 4A Holmes (1-1), and on Friday they managed a 34-28 victory over 6A Paul Laurence Dunbar (1-1). Hey diddle-diddle, they’re coming up the middle. Junior RB Evan Curee led the offensive charge with 193 yards and 3 TDs on 34 carries, while senior RB Eli Rossi had 123yards and 2 TDs on 12 carries. QBs Kaden Craft and Samuel Brown combined to go 4-4 passing for 49yds, and leading the offense to a total 407yds. Evan Curee also led the defense with 12 total tackles from his position at linebacker, while LB Dave Bodenbender had 8 tackles and a sack. Boone County will head to Erlanger to take on 2A Lloyd Memorial (1-1) on Friday. TRENDING UP 6A Boone County (2-0) – The Rebels are moving in the right direction with a 2-0 start to their season. They beat 6A Paul Laurence Dunbar (1-1) on Friday 34-28. 1A Dayton (1-1) – The Greendevils looked good in their season opener, despite a loss to 1A Bishop Brossart (1-1), and improved their own record with a win over rival 1A Bellevue (0-2). 4A Holmes (1-1) – The Bulldogs came back from a loss in their season opener with a strong 34-18 win over 5A Grant County (1-1). TRENDING DOWN 1A Bracken County (0-2) – The Polar Bears are not off to the start they had hoped for after suffering their second straight shutout loss at the hands of 1A Ludlow (1-1). 6A Campbell County (0-2) – The Camels dropped out of the top 10 in the NKY power rankings with a 49-0 shutout loss to 5A Covington Catholic (2-2) with cast of new offensive starters struggling to find itself in the first 2 games. 5A Conner (1-1) – The Cougars fall from the #5 spot to #9 after losing 37-10 to 6A Ryle (1-1) on Friday. Conner’s struggling offense only managed 4 yards on the ground in the loss. NORTHERN KENTUCKY STAR PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEK: QB Matthew Campbell (Pendleton County) – 7-14 passing for 163 yards and 2 TDs, 9 carries for 75 yards and 1 TD rushing, 1 two-point conversion. RB/LB Evan Curee (Boone County) – 34 carries for 193 yards and 3 TDs, 12 tackles. QB/DB Kaleal Davis (Newport) – 7-15 passing for 163 yards and 1 TD, 5 carries for 136 yards and 3 TDs rushing, 5 tackles. RB Kyle England (Ryle) – 17 carries for 197 yards and 4 TDs rushing. DB Logan Hearn (Gallatin County) – 12 solo tackles and 5 assists for 17 total tackles, and 1 sack. 1 fumble recovery. QB/S Cameron Hergott (Beechwood) – 10-17 passing for 124 yards, 23 carries for 173 yards and 2 TDs rushing. QB Collin Hollingsworth (Highlands) – 14-26 passing for 207 yards and 3 TDs passing, 27 carries for 76 yards and 1 TD rushing. QB Conner Knipp (Grant County) – 20-49 passing for 251 yards and 2 TDs, 6 carries for 21 yards rushing. QB Andre Mumphrey (Carroll County) – 13-25 passing for 149 yards and 2 TDs, 10 carries for 96 yards and 1 TD rushing, 6 tackles and 1 sack. GAME OF THE WEEK (RESULTS): WEEK 1 2A Lloyd Memorial vs. 4A Scott Coach Eric Turner has his first shutout win as the skipper of the Scott Eagles after beating Lloyd 17-0. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 2 5A Cooper vs. 6A Ryle This game is going to be the first of the noteworthy measuring sticks for the Northern Kentucky Power Rankings this season, where we will see how things are measuring up in high school football around Boone County. Ryle seems to have picked things up in Week 1 after their being shut out in Week 0, and Cooper has two wins, but it’s hard telling how stiff their competition has been as of yet. This week should give us a better look at how these two teams (and their competitors) measure up against one another.
  10. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (1-0) – The Colonels put up their first running clock of the season, beating 6A Ryle (0-1) in a 37-0 shutout in Park Hills. Cov Cath put up their first 6 points on a 76yd TD pass from Caleb Jacob Michael Mayer on the 2nd play of the game. On defense, they held Ryle to 79 total yards offense, intercepted the Raiders 5 times, and sacked the QB 4 times. The Colonels still have some polishing to do, particularly on offense, after having at least 3 touchdowns “left on the field” in the game, but the ship is still certainly headed in the right direction. Caleb Jacob 12-23 passing for 207yds, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs. Michael Mayer 2 receptions for 106yds and 2 TDs, 7 tackles, and 1 INT. Cov Cath will head to Alexandria on Friday to take on the 6A Campbell County Camels (0-1) in their first game on the road. 2) 5A Highlands (1-0) – Highlands may have started off a little flat on Friday, trailing 4A Scott (0-1) for most of the first quarter, but they definitely got things back into gear in the second half. Coming out of the halftime locker room with a 28-13 lead, the Birds finished off the game with two un-answered TDs to win 42-13. Jake Fahlbusch and Collin Hollingsworth double-teamed quarterbacking duties in the game, combining for 227yds in the air. The offense also had 57yrds on the ground. The Highlands defense had a strong performance in the game, coming up with 4 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery, including a pick-six by Jacob Brass. They also held Scott’s offense to 216 total yards of offense. Highlands will travel to Corbin on Saturday to take on 1-0 Knoxville Catholic (TN) in the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic. 3) 2A Beechwood (0-0) – The Tigers didn’t have any action in Week 0. They open their season on Friday at Georgetown College against 1A Paintsville (1-0). 4) 6A Simon Kenton (1-0) – Simon Kenton started things off for 2019 with one in the W column, heading down to Lexington and coming home with a 38-27 win after beating 6A Henry Clay (0-1) in the Bumblebee/Mingua Beef Jerky Showdown at Lafayette High School. The Pioneers started a freshman QB, Chase Crone, who was 7-10 passing for 50yds and 1 TD, and rushed for another 62yds and 2 TDs. Erik Brown, who also doubled as a QB last year, spent most of the game in the backfield alongside QB Crone, and rushed for 198yds and 1 TD in addition to throwing a 30yd TD pass to WR Landon Meyer. The Simon Kenton defense intercepted Henry Clay 4 times, and Jack Milton led the D with 8 tackles and 1 sack. The Pioneers will host the Anderson (OH) Redskins on Friday in the Redskins’ first game of the season. 5) 5A Conner (1-0) – Another team that was a little slow to get started on this past weekend, the game on Saturday between Conner and 6A Madison Central (0-1) was scoreless at the end of the 1st quarter. The Cougars brought a change to that, though, scoring on their first possession of the 2nd quarter and then adding on another 2nd quarter TD after the Indians’ responded with a TD of their own. Conner won 27-6, with senior QB Jared Hicks passing for 147yds and 2 TDs, and rushing for another TD. Receivers Justin Daniels and Drew Siegmundt each had a TD catch, and the remaining TD came on a 17yd jet-sweep by WR Colton Roy. The defense was able to intercept Madison Central 3 times, and forced a fumble for a 4th turnover. Conner will head to Union on Friday to challenge 6A Ryle (0-1). 6) 1A Newport Central Catholic (1-0) – The Thoroughbreds had a great start out of the gate on Friday, coming home from Alexandria with a 29-13 win over 6A Campbell County (0-1). Senior QB Paul Kremer had a very solid first performance of the season, passing for 151yds and 3 TDs, and rushing for one more TD. WR Caleb Jefferson came in with 99yds and 2 TDs on 3 receptions, and Joe Doeker had the remaining TD on a 7yd reception. The New Cath offense totaled for 272 total yards in the game, and the Breds defense was able to hold the Camels to 181 total yards of offense, in addition to having 3 interceptions and 1 fumble recovery. Newport Central Catholic will host 5A Cooper (1-0) in Newport on Friday. 7) 4A Scott (0-1) – If there was one stat that would be interesting to go back and find, it would be what the longest amount of time Scott has ever held a lead over 5A Highlands (1-0) in the history of the series. With the game at 0-0 for more than half of the 1st quarter on Friday, Scott took the lead with 5:48 left in the quarter and held on for the next 2 minutes and 16 seconds. Even still, the Eagles managed to keep the Birds from taking a lead in the game until there was only 34 seconds left in the half. Jackson Hardin and Cameron Patterson both caught TD receptions giving Scott both of their two trips to the endzone in the 42-13 loss. It was the turnover battle that sealed the deal in Highlands’ victory over Scott, though, with the Birds intercepting the ball 5 times in the contest. Scott will see action again on Friday when they host 2A Lloyd Memorial (1-0), with the Juggernauts heading to Taylor Mill fresh off of a 30-6 victory over 2A Walton-Verona (0-1). 8) 6A Ryle (0-1) – Ryle started off their season with the monumental task of taking on 5A Covington Catholic (1-0) at Cov Cath after finishing 2-9 on the season last year. Unfortunately for Ryle, they headed back to Union on the losing end of a 37-0 shutout. Ryle’s offense struggled to get anything going, finishing with only 89 total yards in the loss. The Raiders had their only 1st down of the half on the final play of the second quarter, and didn’t manage a drive into Covington Catholic territory until the Colonels had already put 30 points on the score board. RB Kyle England worked hard for the offense, but found himself stymied at the line of scrimmage more often than not. Ryle’s defense did look stout, limiting the Colonels to only 102yds rushing, but it didn’t prove enough this week. The Raiders will be looking to dust themselves off and come back on Friday in their home opener against 5A Conner (1-0). 9) 5A Cooper (1-0) – It may not have been the prettiest win, but a win is a win, and the Jaguars are 1-0 after handing 6A Dixie Heights (0-1) a 7-0 loss in the season opener on Friday. Sophomore QB Drew Warth had the start on Friday, with Jeremiah Lee starting at WR. Warth was 9-22 passing for 126yds and the team’s lone TD on a 69yd connection to WR Xavier Smith. Smith led the offense with 79yds of the team’s 126yds receiving, and RB Brendon Tye led the running game with 44yds. Senior safety Anthony Witschey led the defensive effort for Cooper with 12 tackles including 2 tackles for a loss, and 1 interception. DB Zach Armour had 2 interceptions and safey Chester Hale added a fumble recovery. The Jags will head to Newport to take on 1A Newport Central Catholic (1-0) on Friday. 10) 6A Campbell County (0-1) – The Camels are definitely working at rebuilding after being hit heavily on both sides of the ball by their 2019 graduating class. Friday’s game ended in Campbell County’s first loss of the season, with a 29-13 loss coming at the hands of 1A Newport Central Catholic (1-0). Junior QB Justin Little was 8-20 passing for 68yds and 1 TD in the game, connecting with WR Evan Barnes for a 23yd TD reception in the 4th quarter. Junior RB Crosley Gray carried 17 times for 77yds, including the Camels one remaining TD on a 3yd run in the 1st quarter. The offense totaled 184yds in the game, while the defense held the Thoroughbreds to 173 total yards of offense. Campbell County will host 5A Covington Catholic (1-0) on Friday. TRENDING UP 2A Carroll County (1-0) – Despite a coaching change for the 2019 season, the Panthers started off their season with a 14-12 win over 1A Ludlow (0-1). 2A Lloyd Memorial (1-0) – The Juggs are off to a 1-0 start after beating 2A Walton-Verona (0-1) by a final score of 30-6. This makes Lloyd’s 4th straight win over the Bearcats, with the last loss dating back to 2013. 1A Newport Central Catholic (1-0) – Things are certainly looking up for the Breds after starting their season off with a 29-13 win over 6A Campbell County (0-1) in the season opener. TRENDING DOWN 6A Campbell County (0-1) – We knew it was going to be tough for Campbell County starting off this year with so many new faces on the starting roster, but a 6A loss to a 1A team is never the way you want to start off your season. The Camels lost 29-13 to 1A Newport Central Catholic (1-0) in their first game. 5A Cooper (1-0) – After starting off ranked 5th in northern Kentucky in the pre-season power rankings, the Jags weren’t able to get much going offensively in their 7-0 win over 6A Dixie Heights (0-1), and drop to #9. 6A Ryle (0-1) – The Raiders dropped to the #8 spot in the power rankings after starting off in the #7 spot in the pre-season edition of the rankings. This comes following a 37-0 shutout loss to 5A Covington Catholic (1-0). Ryle’s offense stumbled, only managing 89 total yards in the game. NORTHERN KENTUCKY STAR PERFORMANCES OF THE WEEK: QB/DB Kaleal Davis (Newport) – Davis was 5 for 11 passing for 155yds and 1 TD, and rushed for 103yds and 2 TDs. Defensively he had 8 tackles including 1 tackle for a loss. RB/LB Samuel Howard (Bishop Brossart) – Howard had 170 total yards on offense, including 141yds and 3 TDs on 16 carries, and 29yds on 2 receptions. Defensively he had 9 tackles including 2 tackles for a loss. TE/LB Michael Mayer (Covington Catholic) Mayer had 106yds and 2 TDs on 2 receptions. Defensively he had 7 tackles and 1 interception. WR/DB Brandon McClendon (Covington Holy Cross) – Howard had 155 total yards on offense, including 148yds and 2 TDs on 6 receptions, and 7yds on 1 carry. Defensively he had 3 tackles RB Logan Sutherland (Grant County) – Sutherland had 177 total yards on offense, including 165 yards and 3 TDs on 27 carries, and 12yds on 2 receptions. RB Dakota Thiel (Lloyd Memorial) – Thiel had 247 yards and 1 TD on 25 carries. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 1 2A Lloyd Memorial vs. 4A Scott Coach Eric Turner will be facing the Lloyd Juggernauts for the first time after departing Lloyd to take over the head coaching job at Scott. The Eagles had a strong showing in the first half of their loss to 5A Highlands on Friday, and will be looking to unleash senior RB Quincy Perrin after Perrin was held to only 8yds rushing in Week 0. The Juggs will be looking to beat Scott after losing to the Eagles the last two years straight. The will be relying heavily on the rushing abilities of RB Dakota Thiel after Thiel put up nearly 250yds on the ground against 2A Walton-Verona last week in Lloyd’s win over the Bearcats.
  11. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (3-0) – The Colonels haven’t often found themselves behind in a game in recent years, but 3A Lexington Catholic (2-1) definitely had them against the ropes, leading for the vast majority of the game. After scoring the game’s first touchdown about halfway through the 1st quarter on Friday, Cov Cath trailed for most of the game by as many as 14 points, but came back to take over the lead on a 2-point conversion call with 2:52 left on the clock and held on for the 39-38 win. Caleb Jacob was 17-26 passing for 247yds and 1TD, and ran 8 times for 20yds and 2 TDs. Daniel Felix ran 9 times for 86yds and 1 TD, had 1 reception for a 29yd touchdown, and led the defense with 12 tackles. Covington Catholic hosts 6A Dixie Heights (1-2) tonight in Park Hills in the 46th edition of the Battle Of Dixie Highway and bragging rights for which color Colonels should really be. 2) 5A Highlands (2-1) – The Birds dusted themselves off after their loss in the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic, and hosted 6A Campbell County (0-3) on Friday, and sent the Camels back to the south end of Campbell County with a 47-0 loss. Collin Hollingsworth was 15-22 passing for 262yds, 3 TDs and 1 INT. WR Hunter Ahlfeld led the receiving corps with 4 receptions for 86yds and 1 TD, and Jacob Welch had 2 receptions for 38yds and 2 TDs. Highlands kept the Camels’ D guessing with 9 different ball carriers in the game as the Bluebirds rolled up 434 total yards of offense in the game. The Highlands offense held the Campbell County offense to a mere 56yds total. Brycen Huddleston led the defense with an impressive 11 tackles including 1 tackle for loss. Highlands heads to Independence tonight to take on the 6A Simon Kenton Pioneers (2-1). 3) 2A Beechwood (0-2) – The Tigers new they were going to be facing a tough first half to their season, and for a second week, it proved correct. Beechwood traveled south to Somerset and played on a very strong 2A Somerset (3-0) team. After beating the Briar Jumpers 28-0 last year in Fort Mitchell, the Briar Jumpers returned the favor this year, sending the Tigers home with a 46-14 loss. Beechwood came out looking strong with an 87yd Parker Mason return for TD on the opening kickoff, but it was tough sledding after that for the Tigers offense, which was unable to score again until there were less than 5 minutes to go in the game. QB Cam Hergott had a respectable 100yds passing on 8 completions, and the Tigers’ 1 offensive TD was scored on a 1 yd run by freshman RB Xavier Campbell, capping off a 62 yard 4th quarter drive. Beechwood hosts the 3A Corbin Redhounds (2-1) tonight in Fort Mitchell. 4) 6A Simon Kenton (2-1) – Simon Kenton put another check in the W column on Friday with their 13-10 win over OH-D1 Oak Hills (0-2). Their running game looked improved from the previous week, with Austin Hammack making his first start of the year and posting 47yds and 1 TD. Freshman Chase Crone played the entire game at TD, and was 17-25 passing for 132yds and 1 INT, and the remaining TD came on a punch-in carry by RB Quincy North. Junior LB Nate Walker led the defensive front for Simon Kenton with 10 tackles including 2 for losses, and junior DL Jake Huff came in just behind Walker with 9 tackles. The Pioneers benefitted from 2 Oak Hills turnovers, with an interception by Brennon Miller, and a forced fumble by DB Ethan Nuckols that was recovered by DB Tyler Musick. The ‘Neers host the 5A Highlands Bluebirds (2-1) this week. 5) 6A Ryle (2-1) – Ryle proved that they’ve put their first game behind them after coming out on Friday and earning another win for a second week in a row. The Raiders beat 5A Cooper (2-1) in a 20-16 defensive battle for bragging rights in Union. Coach Mike Engler appears to be decided completely on QB Bradyn Lyons, whose experience as a junior earned him the start and the exclusive QB appearance for the Raiders last week. Lyons was 8-13 passing for 110yds and 2 INTs. RB Kyle England led the offense with 25 carries for 144yds rushing and 3 TDs, and WR Connor Lee led the receiving corps with 3 receptions for 72yds. Sophomore LB Gabe Savage led the defense with 8 tackles including 3 for losses, and defensive backs Ryan Planck and Mathias Cusick both had interceptions. Ryle plays 5A Boone County (2-1) tonight at home. 6) 5A Cooper (2-1) – Cooper was dropped in their first loss of the season on Friday, losing 20-16 to 6A Ryle (2-1). QB Drew Warth was 5-13 passing in the game for 91yds and 1 INT, and Jeremiah Lee added 1 completion on 4 passing attempts. Lee also led the team rushing with 54yds and 2 TDs on 14 carries, while RB Brandon Tye added 50yds on 14 carries. The defense held Ryle to 184 total yards of offense in the game, and Jeremiah Lee & Chester Hale both managed interceptions from the Jaguars’ defensive backfield, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Ryle’s four-point victory. Cooper hosts 6A Campbell County (0-3) tonight. 7) 1A Newport Central Catholic (1-2) – Not everyone makes it a habit of heading across the river to play the teams in Ohio, but the Breds showed that they weren’t afraid to take on OH-DIV Roger Bacon (1-0) last week, despite the 41-14 loss. QB Paul Kremer had a strong 192yds passing and 1 TD on 14 completions out of 31 attempts, and was intercepted once. RB Joe Doeker led the offensive rushing attack with 33yds and 1 TD on 6 carries, but the Breds struggled on the ground with 49 total yards rushing. WR Caleb Jefferson was Kremer’s favorite receiver, with 5 receptions for 97yds and 1 TD. Defensive stats were not reported for the game. New Cath heads to 2A Walton-Verona (2-1) tonight. 8) 4A Scott (2-1) – The Eagles improved to 2-1 with a big win over 2A Covington Holy Cross, beating the Indians 42-6 on Friday. Gus Howlett nearly matched his passing yardage from the previous two games combined, going 15-20 passing for 147yds, 2 TDS and 1 INT. With #1 RB Quincy Perrin sidelined due to injury, senior RB Robert Pence stepped up and ran 19 times for 147yds and 2 TDs, while WR Philip Gallardo added 60yds and 2 TDS of his own on the ground attack. Wide Receiver Carson Craycraft had 63yds receiving and a TD on 5 catches and Cameron Patterson had 30yds and a TD on his 5 catches. Nigel Robinson led the defense with 5 tackles including 3 for losses, and Sage Lalley, Zach Scheper, and Michael Nicholas each had 4 tackles a piece. Scott hosts OH-DV Bethel-Tate (1-1) tonight. 9) 5A Conner (2-1) – After a showing against Ryle that didn’t add up to as they had hoped, the Cougars bounced back with a big 35-0 win over 6A Dixie Heights (1-2). QB Jared Hicks had a big night passing, going 20-26 for 297yds and 4 TDs. Hicks also scored the Cougars’ 1 TD from the ground, coming in just behind RB Douglas Abdon’s 51yds with the 47yds Jared racked up on 10 carries. WR Caleb Ervin led the receivers with 94yds and 1 TD. On the other side of the ball, middle linebacker Parker Hitzfield put on a show with 11 tackles and 1 sack, DB Clayton Melcher had 8 tackles, and DB Timothy Leiprecht had 7 tackles. Conner will host 2A Lloyd Memorial (2-1) tonight in Hebron. 10) Lloyd Memorial (2-1) – The Juggs make their arrival in the northern Kentucky Power Rankings tonight after putting a second tic in the win column with a 22-14 win over 5A Boone County (2-1). Sophomore QB Jacob Davidson was 4-11 passing for 60yds, 1 TD and 1 INT, and also carried 6 times for 31yds. Senior RB Dakota Thiel was the offensive workhorse on Friday, with 98yds rushing on 21 carries for 2 TDs, while RB Isaac Abdon added 55yds more on 18 carries. Abdon was also the anchor of Lloyd’s defensive front in what turned out to be a largely defensive battle of a game, coming up with 10 tackles in the game from his position at linebacker. Lloyd was able to hold Boone County to 114 total yards offense. The Juggernauts will be in Hebron tonight playing 5A Conner (2-1). TRENDING UP 2A Lloyd Memorial (2-1) – It’s always a good week when you beat a football team from three class-sizes above yours. That’s what the Juggs did with their 22-14 win over 6A Boone County (2-1) on Friday. 2A Newport (3-0) – The Wildcats are one of very few undefeated teams in northern Kentucky, and can’t but be anything but happy about that after handing 2A Carroll County (2-1) their first loss of the season in a 42-0. 4A Holmes (2-1) – The Bulldogs are 2-1 for the first time since the 2013 season, and did so by adding a 58-6 win on Friday over 2A Owen County (0-3). TRENDING DOWN 2A Beechwood (0-2) – It was a big loss for Beechwood, who came home from 2A Somerset (3-0) on the wrong side of the 46-14 scoreboard. The Tigers will have to figure out how to beat the Briar Jumpers if they want to win a championship in their first year as a 2A football program. 1A Bellevue (0-3) – The Tigers dropped their third game straight in a 26-27 loss to 1A Bishop Brossart (2-1). 6A Campbell County (0-3) – The Camels also continued their winless effort this season, losing 47-0 to 5A Highlands (2-1) in the Camels’ second shutout this year.
  12. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (14-1 in 2018) – Covington Catholic had a strong 14-1 run that earned them the 2018 5A runner-up trophy. Left with a bitter taste in their mouths after falling short of the 5A title, the Colonels have been using that to motivate themselves for the 2019 football season. Starting QB Caleb Jacob returns as a junior and will have a committee of running backs joining him, including Michael Boydston, Daniel Felix, Owen Nalley, Jadon Stava, Ryan Schneider and Luke Zimmerman. Notre Dame commit TE Michael Mayer is the obvious talk of the team after rising to the level of the national elite in the 2020 recruiting class. Mayer averaged over 22 yds per reception last season, and will be a major passing target for Jacob, along with Andy Molique, Wyatt Schwartz, and Ethan Reardon. Lucas Jones anchors the O-line, along with Zach Allen and Ago Murrer who all saw varsity time last year. Linebackers Michael Mayer, Daniel Felix & Luke Stegman will be at the core of Cov Cath’s defense, and the secondary will be filling out with Wyatt Schwartz, Andy Molique, Jack Raisbeck & Owen Nally. The Colonels open their 2019 season at home on August 23rd against 6A Ryle. 2) 5A Highlands (10-3 in 2018) – The Bluebirds made the leap back towards their traditional form in 2018, and will be returning a significant number of starters as they look to unseat Covington Catholic from the district throne. Collin Hollingsworth will get the nod at QB, after missing their scrimmage on Aug 9, but having an impressive showing in the scrimmage on Aug 16. Joe Buten will be a major player at running back after putting up over 500 yds rushing as Highlands’ #2 running back last year behind Cooper Schwalbach, who graduated in May. Receivers Hunter Ahlfeld & Ethan Houze were among Highlands’ top receivers in 2018 and will be back this year, joined by Joey Deschler, Jacob Welch, and Ryan Garvey to round out a deep primary receiving corps. On the other side of the ball, Eastern Michigan commit Brycen Huddleston will be the defensive anchor at linebacker, with LB Mason Schwalbach, DL Conner Zell, Griffin Welsch & Brennan White, DB John Kohler all back as starters. Talk from the bleachers continued in the offseason as to whether or not Huddleston’s athletic prowess will also be utilized on the offensive side of the ball for the Birds, but all signs are pointing towards Brycen playing exclusively as a defensive player. Highlands starts off their season on the road at 4A Scott on August 23rd. 3) 2A Beechwood (13-2 in 2018) – The Tigers find themselves in a new football classification for the first time in program history this year, after moving up to 2A to join traditional cross-state foe, Mayfield. With star quarterback Cam Hergott returning for his junior year, Beechwood’s passing game looks to be a major strength once again for the team, especially after graduating their biggest offensive producer from 2018 in running back Logan Castleman. Cole Stammer is going to be the primary running back for the Tigers this year, joined by Mitchell Corts and Michael Hatfield who were both significant contributors to the running game last year. Max Nordheim has moved from the offensive backfield to the O-line this year. The receiving corps was hit hard by graduation, but Mason Williams and Gage Dollenmeyer will likely be the most notable returning receivers. On defense, we can expect to see many of the same names as we do on offense, as usual, as Beechwood has created a tradition of putting their best 11 players on the field for as much time as possible. Mason Williams doubles at safety, as does Cam Hergott, Gage Dollenmeyer switches to cornerback on D, and Joshua Derry, Mitchell Corts & Max Nordheim all play both ways at LB. The Tigers are looking tough, and will be fighting for their first ever shot at a 2A championship this year. They open their season August 30th at Georgetown College against 1A Paintsville. 4) 6A Simon Kenton (10-3 in 2018) – Simon Kenton reclaimed the crown as the king of northern Kentucky 6A last season, but this season they are going to be looking to redeem themselves after losses last year to 1A Beechwood and 5A Highlands. The Pioneers had some significant losses to graduation in the offseason, including their starting QB. Their QB position has not yet been set in stone, with senior QB Erik Brown who doubles as a receiver, junior QB Reed Carmony, and a talented incoming freshman QB Chase Crone all looking to help lead the offense. The offensive line will have 3 returning in seniors Noah Brophy, Corey Cleveland, and Lucas Kreidenweis, and they will be joined by returning receiver Evan Mulberry and returning running back Austin Hammack. The defense will be led by standout lineman Vuk Sajlovic, as well as DL Jack Milton and LB Aric Hoffman. Isaac Bleier, Zack Koenes, and Tyler Parks will all be returning in the defensive backfield in hopes of helping lead Simon Kenton to a deeper run in the 6A playoffs in 2019. The Pioneers have their first game on Friday August 23 against 6A Henry Clay in the Bumblebee/Mingua Beef Jerky Showdown at Lafayette High School. 5) 5A Cooper (5-7 in 2018) – It’s no secret the last two seasons were a struggle for Cooper, but the Jaguars look to build on the steady improvement experienced from 2017 to 2018. In 2019, despite moving into 5A and a district with Covington Catholic and Highlands, Cooper should benefit from the return of multiple starters on both sides of the ball, as well as multiple players who saw significant playing time last season. And let’s not forget about Mr. Everything, Jeremiah Lee. Returning as a sophomore, Lee led the 2018 offense in rushing from his position at QB, and was a significant defensive contributor in the team’s 2018 defensive backfield – and that was all despite an injury that kept him out for the majority of 3 games last year. If Cooper’s scrimmage against Beechwood is anything more than an experiment, though, it appears that Lee has moved to WR, and sophomore Drew Warth will be taking the primary role as QB. The Jags return #2 rusher Anthony Witschey in the backfield alongside newcomer Brendan Tye. Most of the offensive line will be back, and they return several offensive skills players who saw significant varsity time last year including senior WR Jayden Maynard. On the defensive side, DE Ethan Bosway returns. He was the #1 tackler in 2018. And they also return the likes of safety Joe Poage, LB Bryan Yelton, DL Tyeon Chipwelong, DL Dominic Rulli along with Jeremia Lee and Anthony Witschey in the backfield. Cooper starts off the 2019 season at home against 5A Dixie Heights on August 23. 6) 4A Scott (7-5 in 2018) – Among football programs in northern Kentucky, Scott’s has been one of the most notable programs on the rise in the 2010s. The Eagles had to be a little disappointed when Coach Danny Woolley announced he was stepping down at the end of last season. Since then, Coach Eric Turner was hired away from Lloyd, and Coach Woolley returned as the offensive coordinator. After graduating their starting QB in May, it appears that the job will be in the hands of sophomore Gus Howlett this season. They are very fortunate to return RB Quincy Perrin, who has over 2800 career yards rushing, as well as senior WR Jackson Hardin, sophomore WR Cam Patterson, and 4 year starters Jacob Randall & Eric Linton on the O-line. On the defense, linemen Hunter Wade, Evan Ohmer, and Michael Nicholas all return after seeing significant time last season. 2018 leading tackler Nigel Robinson returns at LB along with Michael Kawaa and Kaden Krallmen, and Quincy Perrin, and the backfield rounded out with seniors Jackson Hardin and Phillip Gallardo, among others. Scott starts their 2019 campaign at home against 5A Highlands on August 23. 7) 6A Ryle (2-9 in 2018) – Ryle is another team that has proven to be very difficult to predict. Head Coach Mike Englor is fancied a “quarterback expert” of sorts, but the 2018 season was a difficult one for the Raiders, and the team struggled at the QB position in particular. It looks like starting QB for the 2019 season will be either junior Bradyn Lyons, or sophomore Luke Worley, with senior Keegan Stanken, who filled in as QB for most of last season, returning to his favored spot at WR. Stanken will be joined by Johnathan Coker and Conner Lee as returning receivers. TE Leonel Galan was a favorite receiver last season as well. In the backfield, Ryle will be looking for another big year out of 3-year starter Kyle England, who is one of the best returning ball carriers in NKY, as well as senior Elijah Cusick. Senior LB Luke Bradshaw is the top returning tackler for the defense, and will be the anchor of the Raiders’ D, along with linebackers Dillon Talmon & Devin Handorf. Elijah Cusick, Morgan Rabe, JT Lokey, Johnathan Coker & Ryan Planck all come back in the secondary, and Cooper White, Keegan Points, and Adam Mullins will all return on the defensive line. With an impressive number of players coming back as starters or significant contributors, Ryle will be hoping to see some big-time improvements on things this year when they open their season on August 23 at 5A Covington Catholic. 8) 5A Conner (9-4 in 2018) – Conner has always been a tough one to judge going into the beginning of the season. Over the last couple of decades things have stayed pretty quiet in Hebron during the off-season. The Cougars are one of the fortunate teams in northern Kentucky to have a returning starter back as QB. Jared Hicks will be a senior this year, and had a solid season passing last year. The offense will also be relying heavily on senior RB Douglas Abdon, but they are without any regular starters coming back as receivers. The offensive line will be anchored by Michael Neal and Sam Clements. On the defensive side, Conner graduated most of their leading tacklers, so they will be relying heavily on underclassmen stepping into roles on the defensive line, the linebacking corps, and in the defensive backfield. DL Chase Kurtz, DL Noah Benza, LB Colton Roy, and DB’s Colten Roy & Drew Siegmundt are the most notable players back on defense. Keep an eye out for sophomore DB Hayden Malott as well. The Cougars still have a relatively small roster, and will be dependent on many of their players spending significant time playing both ways. Conner starts off on the road against 6A Madison Central in the Roy Kidd Bowl on August 24. 9) 6A Campbell County (6-5 in 2018) – The Camels’ 2018 season saw 5 losses coming at the hands of 5 tough challengers in 5A Highlands, 6A Simon Kenton, 5A Covington Catholic, 6A Scott County, and OH-DIII Mount Healthy. Unfortunately for Campbell County, this year they will be challenged with finding new players to step into the roles of the majority of their starters on both sides of the ball. Junior QB Justin Little saw relatively few varsity snaps last season, and will likely looking to split time early on with sophomore QB Preston Agee as they work on deciding who their offensive pilot will be. RB Crosley Gray will return this season on the offense, along with WR Crew Berkley, WR Josh Pond, TE Casey Rauch, and a number of seniors on the offensive line who all saw action last year. On the defensive side, LB Casey Rauch is the strength as the leading tackler from last year, and Preston Agee will be a strong 2-way player in the defensive backfield, but the lion’s share of the remaining defensive starters will be decided from the players who were primarily backing up the starting D last season. Campbell County opens up the 2019 season at home against 1A Newport Central Catholic on August 23. 10) 1A Newport Central Catholic (5-7 in 2018) – The Thoroughbreds had a meat-grinder of a season last year, and it was reflected in their final record, but Coach Lickert will be using those hard-fought lessons as building blocks as he looks to bring in a batch of new starters this season. His mainstay offensively will be QB Paul Kremer, who comes into the 2018 as the #1 returning QB in northern Kentucky for passing touchdowns (29) and the #2 returning QB for passing yards (2,401). He will have senior Daniel Craig protecting him from the O-line, and his primary passing target will be senior WR Caleb Jefferson. Luke Landrum, Landen Davis, and Joe Doeker are the likely candidates to appear in the backfield alongside QB Kremer. On defense, look out for big senior LB Daniel Craig to lead the team alongside Luke Landrum, and sophomore Dom Morgan looking to step up and impress as he joins Craig as a linebacker. Joe Doeker, Joey Runyon, and Caleb Jefferson will round out the defensive secondary, while the defensive frontline remains to be seen. The Breds start off this year by heading down 27 to face 6A Campbell County on August 23. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 0 6A Campbell County vs. 1A Newport Central Catholic Coach Lickert is taking his team back to his old stomping grounds after losing 24-0 the Camels at home last year in his first year as the skipper for New Cath after departing Campbell County. Without looking at anything else, a 6A team should beat a 1A team. This one may be slightly more than that, though, since Campbell County’s roster was hit extremely hard by graduation in May. The Thoroughbreds have one of the best returning QB’s in northern Kentucky, Paul Kremer, to base their offense off of, and senior linebacker Daniel Craig coming back to anchor their defense, but they are looking to fill a lot of roles lost to graduation as well. HAPPENING ELSEWHERE IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY 1A Bellevue – One of several programs in NKY with a new head coach. Tiger alum Cie Cie Wood is no stranger to the program after playing for Bellevue and having spent the past 7 years there as an assistant coach. Senior WR/DB Gunner Barnes led the team last year in both receiving yards and interceptions. 1A Bishop Brossart – Brossart is quickly working towards the completion of phase 1 of the MAC - the Mustang Athletic Center. This will make them to be the 2nd Catholic high school in NKY to have their own football field. The Mustangs hope to get to play the second half of their regular season home games at the new facility. They will have senior DB Sam Howard & DE Grant Haubner back to lead the defense, and junior QB Trevor Schadler will be the leading the offense this year. 5A Boone County – Another school with a new head coach, and another head coach taking over for his alma mater. Bryson Warner started at linebacker for the Boone County in the early 90s, and has come back to take over the Rebels program after having spent 11 years as Ryle’s head coach, and most recently spent two years as an assistant on Covington Catholic’s football coaching staff. 1A Bracken County – Bracken County was another of the programs to find itself in the off-season carousel of coaching changes. After 2 seasons as head coach for the Polar Bears, Dave Brausch stepped down. No word on whether Coach Brausch is still in the football coaching game currently, but Tim Caver stepped into the role fairly late in the game, towards the end of June. Coach Carver has 35 years of experience, and was the first “official” coach for neighboring Bishop Brossart, although he gave up the position before the start of the Mustangs’ first football season. 2A Carroll County – Justin Franklin took over the Panthers program in April after Coach Hunter Cantwell was hired away by Christian Academy Louisville. Coach Franklin is a member of the cast of coaches in northern Kentucky to take over at their alma mater, but he previously spent 4 seasons as head football coach at Trimble County from 2012 to 2015. Since then he spent the last 3 years at Carroll County as the defensive coordinator and the strength & conditioning coach. 1A Dayton – Dayton is the fourth program in NKY to have a coach “come home” to take over the football program. Jesse Herbst spent 15 years as an assistant coach for Simon Kenton, before accepting the head coaching job at Dayton, where he graduated in 1990. Herbst took over a program that was faced with forfeiting 2 games due to low roster numbers last year, but he already gotten players excited about football in Dayton, and comes into the season with a 33 man roster – 60% larger than last year. 4A Holmes – Coach Nevels is looking for some leadership behind a senior-heavy returning offensive line, with most of his players doubling on the defensive side of things as well. The Bulldogs are looking to likely have a sophomore QB this season in David Commodore, and he will have two big receiving targets in brothers Quantez & Tayquan Calloway. 2A Lloyd Memorial – The Juggs are under the helm of new head coach Kyle Niederman, who has a reputation for strength and conditioning and “physical old-school ball”. Coach Nierderman will be working on replacing a lot of vacated spots on the team this year, and will rely primarily on LB Isaac Abdon for leadership. Abdon led the team in tackles last year and is also a running back for the offense. 1A Ludlow – Coach Taphouse is entering his 4th year as the Panthers’ head coach, and he has a track record of success and improvement in the program to show for it. This year Ludlow will be without Beechwood as a district foe for the first time in program history – having replaced them with New Cath – and the Panthers will be looking for leadership from QB Ian Vallandingham, who ranks as one of the top returning NKY quarterbacks in passing yards & passing touchdowns in addition to being one of the best returners in rushing touchdowns, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and total touchdowns. CWB’s PWPs (Colonels_Wear_Blue’s Players With Persistence) Some kids inevitably are going to end up playing for programs that just aren’t going to make the deep runs in the playoffs, teams that may not always be grabbing the newspaper headlines, or teams that may not even end up with winning seasons. In the case of my power rankings, there are some kids who are on teams that just aren’t going to get much of a shot at making the power rankings. They're the guys who play football despite the fact that they aren't going to get a whole lot of acknowledgement for it. They play because they just really love the game. Here are some of them for you to look out for this season. Isaac Abdon (Lloyd Memorial) – As a two-way player, Isaac put of 49yds rushing on 8 attempts, good for 1 TD last year, and was the top tackler on the defense with 77 total tackles including 50 solo tackles and 5 tackles for loss. He also had 1 interception. Jeremy Adams (Dixie Heights) – Dixie didn’t get much talk last season, finishing with one of the worst records in team history, but QB Adams still managed to put in a season of strong numbers with his 1562yds and 9 TDs passing, and 619yds and 11 TDs rushing. He is back this year as a senior. Gunner Barnes (Bellevue) – After being the Tigers’ top receiver last year, Barnes also makes for the team’s top returning scorer, as well as one of their leading tacklers and the team leader in interceptions, with 4. Colby & Colton Beane (Pendleton County) – Twin brothers, twin receivers, twin defensive backs. Colton led the team in solo tackles from safety last year, and Colby was #2 from cornerback. Colby is also the top receiver returning on the offense, and Colton is the #3 returning receiver. Quantez & Tayquan Calloway (Holmes) – The Calloway family is a major boost to the Bulldogs’ football program, to say the least. Quantez put up 355yds receiving and 79yds rushing for 3 total TDs, in addition to seeing time at QB good for 180yds passing, and contributing on defense with an interception, among other things. Tayquan had a fumble recovery and 3 interceptions on D, and 512yds receiving, and 338yds rushing for 10 total TDs. They return as juniors. Jahmaree Cosby (Newport) – Jahmaree is the kind of player you can look at and just tell he’s one of those guys who just goes hard. As a linebacker, he racked up 48 solo tackles last year on top of having 1 forced fumble, a sack, and an interception. When a coach has a player like Cosby, it’s hard not to put him on the field as much as possible, so he also plays guard on the offensive side of things. Matthew Campbell (Pendleton County) – Returning as quarterback for his senior season, Matthew was a 50% passer last year, and threw for almost 1299yds last year, in addition to being the #1 rusher for the team. Corey Cheek (Dayton) – It’s hard to write up a highlight reel for an offensive lineman, but Corey returns at tackle for his senior season as one of the team leaders after a challenging 2018 season. On the defensive side, Cheek plays DE, where he was the #3 tackler last season, making him the #1 returning tackler this year for the Greendevils. Evan Curee (Boone County) – Curee is a major bright spot for the Boone County team, which has lacked in numbers in recent years. After putting up a strong sophomore season where he finished as #3 in tackles and had 2 fumble recoveries including 1 for a TD, Evan will return for his junior year as the top tackler on the team going into the season. Kaleal Davis (Newport) – Back for his senior year, Indiana State commit Kaleal Davis was the man for the Wildcats last year. At quarterback, he had 1020yds passing for 12TDs, 540yds rushing for 7 TDs. On the defensive side, he had 62 total tackles, 5 interceptions, and 2 fumble recoveries. Tyler Gregory (Gallatin County) – Tyler is a wide receiver/cornerback for the Wildcats, and on top of led the team last year in points scored in addition to leading in forced fumbles and being the top returning tackler. Grant Haubner (Bishop Brossart) – Coming back this year as a senior, Haubner was another of the many small school two-way-warriors last year. He returns as one of the top two tacklers for the defense, with 61 total tackles last year at linebacker and 2 fumble recoveries – one for TD. And on offense, Grant contributed 62yds receiving for 2 TDs from WR. Austin Hazeres (Bellevue) – A somewhat unique combination of running back and defensive end, Hazeres had 77yds rushing and 152yds receiving for 1 TD last year in addition to leading the defense in tackles (32), fumble recoveries (2) and sacks (6). Jeremiah Hicks (Covington Holy Cross) – After spending his freshman and sophomore years without seeing a win, Hicks will be looking to be the spark the Indians need in his junior year, after leading the team last year in rushing, with 297yds, good for 3 TDs, and leading in tackles with 59 total including 45 solo tackles and 3 tackles for loss. Conner Knipp (Grant County) – After spending time watching older brother Austin at quarterback last year for the Braves, Conner managed to rack himself up 258yds passing at quarterback as a freshman for Grant County over the course of 3 games. Look for Conner to start an impressive career as a 3-year starter, beginning this year, his sophomore campaign. Cody Kramer (Ludlow) – Cody is the exact definition of reliability and a workhorse. He returns as the Panthers’ #2 receiver, their #2 rusher, their leader in fumble recoveries, their leader in sacks (with 6), and their leading tackler. Ethan Lawrence (Gallatin County) – As the go-to receiver last year at Gallatin, Ethan led the offence in total yards receiving, as well as contributing on the defensive side with a forced fumble and as being one of the top 3 tacklers returning this year for the team. Jordan Marksberry (Dayton) – Jordan quietly put in a solid season as an all-around utility man for the Greendevils last year, with 12 solo tackles, 70yds receiving, and 22yds rushing in his sophomore campaign. Look for even more out of Marksberry as he returns for his junior year. Andre Mumphrey (Carroll County) – Andre is an athlete, and it showed in his many roles last year for the Panthers. He was the quarterback, place kicker, punter, and saw time at cornerback as well. At QB, he put up an impressive 1438yds passing for 16 TDs, and rushed for another 885yds and 14 TDs. He will be one of the biggest keys to success for Carroll County this year in his senior season. Trevor Schadler (Bishop Brossart) – He can pass, rush, catch, tackle – he just does whatever coach tells him he needs to do. Schadler was the #2 QB for the Mustangs last year with 156yds passing for 2 TDs. He also put up 153yds rushing, and 205yds receiving for 2 TDs. On the defensive side, he had 37 total tackles. Trevor returns this year as a junior starter. Peyton Smith (Walton-Verona) – This year, in a season where the Bearcats are working to reload after being hit hard by graduation, the team will be looking to lean hard on the leadership of senior running back Smith, who led the team in rushing last year with 695yds and 10 TDs, as well as 205yds and 4 TDs receiving, making him their #2 returning receiver. Ian Vallandingham (Ludlow) – Stepping into the vacancy left by team record-setting quarterback Justin Blackburn’s graduating, Ian finished last year with a very solid 1037yds and 11 TSs passing, and 677yds and 12 TDs rushing. He was also a significant contributor on defense at cornerback. Cauvey Vastine (Boone County) – Vastine only saw action in 6 games last year as a sophomore, but he managed to put up enough rushing yards in that time to come in less than 100yds behind the Rebels’ leading rusher with his 568yds and 5 TDs. Emery Woods (Bracken County) – As a sophomore, it’s tough to make a big show when you have players the likes of seniors Tad Fisher & Trey Brausch making their way into most every play on both sides of the ball, but Emery Woods certainly managed, posting 121yds and 1 TD receiving, making him the team’s top returning receiver this year. Then he will also be among the top returning defensive players for the Polar Bears with his 40 total tackles, and 4 interceptions. Matthew Young (Owen County) – As a senior, the Rebels will be looking to Matthew Young for leadership on the field this year after he led the team last year in most regards – rushing, receiving and total scoring on the offense, and on defense, tackles (54), sacks (8), fumble recoveries (3) and fumbles returned for TD (1). Seth Young (Dixie Heights) – Seth Young proved to be a very reliable player for a team that was in need of reliable players last year. On offense he put up a respectable 24yds on 10 carries at running back, and 108yds on 9 receptions at wide receiver. Defensively, he is one of the top returners at cornerback with 58 tackles accrued last season.
  13. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (15-0 in 2017) – The Colonels have a heck of an act to follow after an undefeated state championship season in 2017. Job one is replacing graduates linebacker/running back Grant Dyer, linebacker/tight end Kam Butler, quarterback AJ Mayer, defensive back/receiver Malachi Pike, and safety Adam Schneider. Most indications are that sophomore Caleb Jacob will be getting the nod as QB after a very strong freshman season for the Colonels. Casey McGinness will be returning for a 3rd year at starting RB, and receivers Jack Coldiron, Zach Coburn, and Luke Summe will be returning as well, along with the entire Colonel offensive line. Notre Dame commit Michael Mayer, junior, will lead the defense, but there are a lot of positions to be filled elsewhere on the D. Sophomore kicker Trey Gronotte also returns, with the potential to be one of the best kickers in program history. 2) 6A Ryle (8-3 in 2017) – After a disappointing first round exit from the playoffs last season, Ryle will be working hard to prove in 2018 that their playoff loss to Butler last season was a flub that they won’t be dwelling on or repeating. Quarterback Jake Smith with be leading the offense along with seasoned running back Kyle England and offensive lineman Jacob Gideon. Linebacker Jackson Saladin will be leading the defensive side for the Raiders, with a strong cast of juniors and seniors coming in to fill roles vacated by last year’s graduates. Keep an eye out this season for defensive back Elijah Cusick, tackle Keegan Points, and D-ends Jack Cleveland & Cooper White. It will also be fun to see what D1 recruit Mason Molique will do this year for the Ryle kicking game. 3) 6A Simon Kenton (11-2 in 2017) – The Pioneers have two tasks at hand in 2018: regaining the title of top 6A team in NKY by beating Ryle, and getting past the Louisville powerhouse schools to advance further towards the 6A championship. Their first task for Coach Marksberry is to find a replacement for quarterback Matt Shearer, who will be playing D2 college football at Concord University in 2018, as well as replacing 8 other starters lost to graduation. Caleb Farfsing is likely to start at QB after backing up Shearer last season. They will be returning two solid RB’s this season in junior Austin Hammack and senior Jon Sergent. The offensive line will be anchored by Treyvon Nash, who will also be the big returning man on the defensive line. Defensively, senior linebackers Bryson Pernell & Clay Cogswell will be key returning seniors as well, along with D-backs Brady Nipper & David LeCount. Simon Kenton will be strong, but their success will hinge primarily on the offense coming together for them this season. 4) 1A Beechwood (12-2 in 2017) – Beechwood is one of two teams looking to defend a state championship from 2017. And like Covington Catholic, the Tigers will have to replace a star quarterback in Brayden Burch, along with athlete James Davis, and receiver/defensive backs Jake Massie & Daniel Mescher. The Tigers are likely to rely on sophomore Highlands transfer Cameron Hergott, nephew of Beechwood quarterbacking legend and current assistant coach Greg Hergott. They are also very fortunate to be returning workhorse players like senior WR/DB Logan Castleman, senior OL/DL Adam Derry, and his younger brother, junior RB/DB Josh Derry. Twin brothers Dayton & Duncan Baugh will also be back to anchor the offensive and defensive lines for their senior season. Coach Noel Rash and the Beechwood Tigers will definitely find themselves contending for the top spot in Kentucky’s 1A class for the 2018 season. 5) 5A Highlands (6-6 in 2017) – After a couple of rough seasons in ’16 and ’17, the Birds are working on fighting their way back into form for 2018. They will be starting that off on offense with returning starters Cooper Schwalbach at running back, Nate Roberts at tight end, and Austin King at wide receiver. Senior Grady Cramer will be replacing Carl Schoellman at quarterback after backing him up last season. Their offensive and defensive lines are not going to be the largest in NKY, but historically that has not been anything to stop the Birds from having their way with the ball. Still, it’s their play at the line of scrimmage that is likely to be the key to Highlands’ success in 2018. Coach Weinrich and his staff also have their work cut out replacing starters this season on D, and will be relying heavily on senior linebackers Alex Starkey and cornerback Bailey Armstrong for leadership. Junior Brycen Huddleston is also someone to watch at linebacker, as well as Max Dierig at defensive end. 6) 2A Newport Central Catholic (6-6 in 2017) – New Cath will be back in 2018 with stud running back Kyle Kelly back for his senior season, and returns junior quarterback Paul Kremer to lead the offense. Their O-line returns a good amount of beef, as well as a couple of promising up-and-comers. On defense, again, Kyle Kelly is the obvious big name, joined by junior linebacker Daniel Craig, junior defensive lineman Tanner Daunt, senior defensive backs Hunter Cain, Hezekiah Miller, and junior defensive backs Caleb Jefferson & Aubrey Posey. With a new head coach and staff, it’s going to be exciting to see what Coach Steve Lickert and the Breds can do to improve on their 6-6 season last year, and try to re-capture the top spot in their district. New Cath definitely has the potential to be a very strong 2A team in 2018. 7) 6A Campbell County (7-5 in 2017) – The Camels have a new head coach for 2018 in former Ryle assistant coach Mike Woolf. Coach Woolf is familiar with the Campbell County program, after having been an assistant there previous to moving to his position at Ryle. The first big job on offense is finding replacements for QB Austin Hoeh and all-star running back Alex Dowds. The quarterback position will be decided between senior Andrew Helton and junior Nick Cartwright, with Helton likely to get the starting nod. They have a large group of big seniors returning to the line, most of whom play both offensively and defensively. And they also have seniors RB Grant Jolly, WR Brady Singleton and WR Reid Jolly to help with the offensive game. The defense will be led by DE Tanner Lawrence and LB Peyton Anderson, with Brady Singleton and Reid Jolly joining in the defensive backfield as well. It will be interesting to see whether or not Coach Woolf will continue to use so many of the players on this 6A program on both sides of the ball this season. 8) 6A Cooper (2-9 in 2017) – The Jags are hoping to put last year behind them this season, after having a disappointing 2-9 season in the wake of graduating nearly all of their starting talent from the season before. Cooper is likely to have a sophomore quarterback this season in Jeremiah Lee, after Lee became the primary QB out of 3 contenders last season in his freshman year. Mikey Armour, who also spent some time as QB, is likely to spend all of his offensive time this season at WR, while also playing in the defensive backfield. Junior Jayden Maynard is also going to be a likely target at WR. Senior Michael Spencer, who spent much of last season waiting for transfer approval, looks to be a real talent for the Jags at tight end and linebacker, and Michael Attabary will be the anchor on both the offensive and defensive lines in his senior season. Cooper was young last season, and will be looking to make much better on things this season after spending a year rebuilding. 9) 6A Conner (4-7 in 2017) – The Cougars will be back in 2018 with one primary mission: beat more 6A teams. The team only managed a single win last season over a team from their same classification with their Week 1 win over Boone County. Their remaining wins came against two 2A teams and a 4A team. They will have senior RB Christian Webster back, helping to spark the offense, with junior Jared Hicks coming in at QB. They will also be relying heavily on senior receivers Tate Niederman & Ayden Camp. Their offensive line will be anchored by senior David Seal, alongside juniors Michael Neal & Zane Cahill who both play OL/DL and Noah Benza who plays TE/DE. Conner’s linebacking corps will be led by senior Clayton Boyd, who led the team in tackles last season. D-back Andrew Davis will be another big defensive player, joined by two-way players Ayden Camp & Tate Niederman to round out the defensive backfield. 10) 4A Scott (8-4 in 2017) – In his 6 years as Scott’s head coach, Dan Wooley has led the Eagles to 38 wins. You would have to tally wins back over the course of more than fifteen seasons to find 38 total wins prior to Wooley taking over the program. This season, the mission is the same: keep improving. To do that, the Eagles will have senior quarterback Chad Ohmer to lead the offense this season, with junior RB Quincy Perrin in the backfield with him along with senior RB David Patrick. Senior receiver Sabeon Turner and junior O-linemen Eric Linton and Jacob Randall will also be part of their offensive backbone. Linton and Randall will also be on the D-line, with Perrin also playing both ways in the defensive backfield, as does Patrick at LB. Seniors Jerad Kelsey & Justin Grindstaff will also be leading the linebacking corps, and corner Kyren Simpson will round out the senior leadership on D. HONORABLE MENTION 2A Lloyd Memorial (8-4 in 2017) – Lloyd beat Newport Central Catholic last season for the first time in over 20 years to win their district. They graduated quite a few starters, including QB Jordan Fann who will be playing college ball at Thomas More this year. They have a solid group of offensive and defensive linemen returning, but the team’s success will depend largely on replacing starters in their skill positions. 5A Dixie Heights (3-8 in 2017) – Last season was a re-building year for Dixie. They were a young team with a lot of un-tested players. They have graduated a few starters again, but will have a good group of juniors coming in who saw significant playing time last season. Coach Brossart has turned over offensive play-calling to Kevin Siple, a very experienced assistant who brings a lot of knowledge from over a decade of previous head coaching experience. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 0 1A Ludlow vs. 2A Carroll County It's Panthers versus Panthers. Carroll County heads up the river to take on Ludlow on the banks of the Ohio at James Rigney Memorial Stadium. Ludlow handle Carroll County comfortably last year, winning 56-39, but after losing team all-star Justin Blackburn, this game could make for a much more interesting match-up this year.
  14. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (2-0) – The Colonels are 2-0, and extended their streak of running clock victories in Kentucky to fourteen with a 41-0 win on Friday over 6A Henry Clay (1-1). After Michael Mayer’s Week 0 defensive performance, we got to see what makes him a D1 tight end, with his team leading 79yds and 2 TDs on 6 pass receptions. QB Caleb Jacob finished the game with 10 completions on 13 attempts, good for 167yds passing and 3 TDs, and RB Casey McGinness was good for 136yds on the ground, with 1 TD. The Cov Cath defense allowed only 67 total yards of offense for the Blue Devils, who had netted negative rushing yard in the game. LB Jacob Shriver led the defense with 4 tackles, DB Duncan Summe had 1 INT, and DB Nick Koenig forced a fumble that was picked up by teammate Zach Coburn, who ran it in for a defensive TD. The Colonels take on 6A Cooper (1-1) this week on the road. 2) 6A Simon Kenton (2-0) – The Neers don’t appear to have their passing power from the 2017 season, but they were more than happy to make up for it with running strength on Friday, pounding out 407yds on the ground in their 37-20 win over 6A Bryan Station (0-2). QB Caleb Farfsing led the team in rushing with 196yds and carrying it in for 1 TD, while RB Austin Hammack was no slouch with 124yds rushing and a TD of his own. RB Jon Sergent had 46yds and 2 TDs, and the remaining Pioneer TD was provided by RB Quincy North, who had 27yds rushing. LB Clay Cogswell and DL JJ Courtney led the defensive attack with 10 tackles a piece, and the Simon Kenton D managed to tackle the Defenders an impressive 6 times for losses. The Pioneers have 6A Conner (1-0) this week at home. 3) 5A Highlands (2-0) – It was another check in the win column for the Bluebirds this week after they put up a commanding 34-7 win Friday night over 6A Campbell County (1-1). Highlands compiled over 300yds total offense in the game, with QB Grady Cramer going 17-29 with 179yds and 4 TDs passing, and RB Cooper Schwalback leading on the ground with 79yds and 20 more yards receiving. The remaining TD was scored by RB Joe Buten, who rushed for 56 yards in the game. The Birds defense was able to capitalized on Campbell County turnovers 6 times, with 3 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions made by defensive backs Jacob Brass, Casey Greene, and Jason Noe. Highlands will be hosting 6A Scott County (2-0) this week. 4) 1A Beechwood (1-0) – Beechwood opened up their season with a big 42-8 win, beating 2A Lloyd (1-1) in Fort Mitchell on Friday. Tiger newcomer Cam Hergott’s premier was as advertised, with a very strong first performance at quarterback. The sophomore went 8-15 passing with 105yds and 2 TDs, and rushed for another 104yds and 1 TD. RB Logan Castleman had 170yds and 2 TDs rushing, while senior FB Tyler Donoho tacked on 21yds and another TD. The remaining touchdowns came on pass receptions from WR Josh Derry and WR Luke Bolger. The Beechwood offense put up a very impressive 504 total yards in the game, with 399 of those yards earned via rushing. Defensively, the Tigers only allowed the Juggs a total 181 total yards and a mere 8yds rushing. Beechwood has 2A Somerset (2-0) this 5) 6A Campbell County (1-1) – After a solid 34-3 win in Week 0, the Camels were left licking their wounds after a 34-7 loss to the 5A Highlands Bluebirds (2-0) on Friday. It would appear that the run game may be an issue for Campbell County, as the team has only netted 207 total rushing yards this season. They had 69yds total on the ground on Friday, while QB Andrew Helton managed to pass for 191yds and the Camels’ only TD on a reception by WR Nick Cartwright, who also led the team with 82yds receiving. Defensively, they allowed just shy of 350yds to the Birds, and DB Brady Singleton added an interception to highlight the Campbell County defensive showing. The Camels will have 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-1) this week in their second straight week of cross-county competition. Game will be played in Park Hills at Covington Catholic. 6) 6A Ryle (0-2) – Ryle hasn’t started things off the way they had hoped, losing a second game on Friday in a 50-34 loss to 3A Lexington Catholic (2-0). RB Kyle England led the Raider offense with 138yds on 14 carries, and 1 TD. Senior QB Jake Smith passed for 82yds and was intercepted twice, and junior QB Keegan Stanken was able to put up 133yds passing after going 4-4, including a touchdown to WR Brandon Soden. RBs Elijah Cusick and Max Inabnit also ran for Ryle TDs. Linebackers Luke Bradshaw and Jackson Saladin led the team in tackles with 8 each, and DB Morgan Rabe had a pick-6 for the Raiders. Ryle will head to Florence to play 6A Boone County (0-1) this week. 7) 6A Cooper (1-1) – After their 2017 season, Cooper has to feel good to have to have their first win of the season in after only two games. They did that by hosting 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-1) and sending the Breds home with a 42-36 loss. Friday was a big night for QB Jeremiah Lee, who passed for 168yds and 3 TDs, and then rushed for another 198yds and 2 TDs. Junior RB Anthony Witschey and senior WR Mikey Armour also had big performances for the Jags, with Witschey rushing for 101yds and 1 TD, and Armour contributing 149yds and 3 TDs receiving. Junior LB Ethan Bosway was the defensive standout for Cooper, tallying up 10 tackles in the game. DL Michael Attabary also had 2 sacks, while DB Joe Poage and LB Michael Spencer both had INTs for the Jags. Cooper will host 5A Covington Catholic (2-0) this Friday. 8) 6A Conner (1-0) – A win is a win. The Cougars didn’t start off their game as they might have liked to, trailing the 6A Boone County Rebels until about the halfway point of the 3rd quarter, but Conner fought it out and came home with a 34-13 win. Neither team has reported stats. 9) 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-1) – New Cath played hard on Friday, but it was obvious that they had changed a lot of plans in their game resulting from the absence of stud RB/LB Kyle Kelly following a Week 0 injury. The Breds ended up losing 42-36 to 6A Cooper (1-1). Without a doubt, the biggest positive coming out of the loss was New Cath’s ability to take some of the responsibility that often lies on Kelly’s legs, and move their offensive plan more to the air. The Thoroughbred offense had an impressive 346yds passing in the game, and a total 458yds of offense. Defensively, they were lacking their Mike linebacker, which ended up being the difference in the game as they just couldn’t quite stop Cooper when they needed to. Cooper ended up edging out the Breds with 58yrds more total offense, which ultimately ended up making the 6pt difference on the scoreboard. Newport Central Catholic hosts 6A Campbell County (1-1) at Covington Catholic on Friday. 10) 2A Walton-Verona (2-0) – The Bearcats are one of four teams in the NKY Power Rankings top ten to have opened up the season with a 2-0 record. This week Walton-Verona had a 21-12 win over 2A Kentucky Country Day (0-2). This week, once again, it was all about the running game, as the team had a total of 6 ball carriers combine for a total of 225yds rushing. RB Peyton Smith led the rushers with 69 yards, and also provided a 15yd TD reception. QB Garret Jones rushed for 51yds and 1 TD, and passed for 61yds and 2 TDs. The remaining TD came on a reception by TE Josh Walton. LB Grant Grubbs led the team on defense with 10 tackles and 1 sack, and sophomore DE Dawson Catlett had 7 tackles and 1 sack. For a second week in a row, the D held their competitors to under 200yds of total offense. Walton-Verona will head to Covington to take on 4A Holmes (0-1) this Friday. TRENDING UP: 1A Bellevue (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Tigers, who remain un-ranked, lost in Week 0 to 1A Nicholas County, who is now 2-0 after beating 3A Pendleton County (1-1). Then Bellevue turned around after their 16 point loss to Nicholas County and routed 1A Dayton on Friday, beating the Green Devils 49-6. 4A Scott (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Eagles remain un-ranked, but rebounded from a Week 0 loss to 2A Newport Central Catholic by beating 5A Dixie Heights on Friday, 21-14. 6A Cooper (Previously #8) – Cooper didn’t get their first win until eight games in last year. It only took two games this year, with the Jags beating 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-1) on Friday, 42-36. Cooper moves up to #7 in the NKY Power Rankings. TRENDING DOWN: 2A Newport Central Catholic (Previously #7) – The Breds fell two spots to #9 in the NKY Power Rankings after a 42-36 loss to 6A Cooper. GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 1 5A Highlands vs. 6A Campbell County The Birds got to flex some muscles again on Friday, beating 6A Campbell County 34-7 on the road. will host the Bluebirds on Friday in what looks to be one of the most exciting games in NKY this week. Both teams have a solid win under their belt, and will be fighting for bragging rights in Campbell County. QB Grady Cramer was the star of the game for Highlands, with his 17 passing completions, good for 179yds and 4 TDs. Highlands had to come home happy, though, with a second straight 25+ point win, and solid performances out of numerous players. It’s looking like the Birds are getting close to their classic form. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 2 1A Beechwood vs. 2A Somerset More often than not, the game of the week will feature two teams that are both from the NKY region…but this one is too tough to ignore. Two of the old-classic football teams in the state, and BGP has both teams currently ranked in the top 5 of their respective classes. The Beechwood Tigers (1-0) are ranked as the #1 team in 1A, and the Somerset Briar Jumpers (2-0) are headed up to Fort Mitchell currently ranked #5 in 2A. This oughta be a good one to watch! PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 1 RB/DB Will Ryan (1A Bellevue) – Will put on a clinic with the Bellevue Tigers offense this past Friday in Bellevue’s 49-6 win over 1A Dayton (0-2). Will rushed for an incredible 234 yards and 4 touchdowns, as well as catching one of the team’s three pass receptions for 10 yards, accounting for almost 60% of the Tigers’ total offensive performance.
  15. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (4-0) – Cov Cath checked off a 19th straight win and a 4th win this season when they routed the OH-DII Kings Knights 42-9 on Friday. The running clock victory didn’t count towards the team’s in-state streak, but puts the Colonels at 4-4 on running clock wins this season. RB Casey McGinness put on show in the game, with 235 all-purpose yards and 4 TDs. QB Caleb Jacob went 11-16 passing for 204yds and 1 TD, and junior TE Michael Mayer led receiving with 5 receptions for 86yds. On the defensive side, LB Wyatt Schwartz, DE Grant Hemmer, DE Ross Halverstadt, and LB Michael Mayer each had 4 tackles. The Colonels will host 1A Beechwood (2-1) this week in their annual rivalry game against the Tigers. 2) 5A Highlands (3-1) – The Bluebirds are looking more and more like the Birds we’re accustomed to, and only moreso after their 40-3 win over 6A Ryle (1-3) on Friday. QB Grady Cramer passed for 153yds and 2 TDs in the victory, and RB Cooper Schwalbach led the rushing game for Highlands with 146yds and 2 TDs on 17 carries. WR Nate Roberts led the receiving corps with 4 receptions for 67yds and 1 TD, and WR Hunter Ahfeld had to receptions for 48yds and 1 TD. Kicker Nick Bowman added 2 field goals and 4 PATs good for 10 points. The Birds’ defense aided in the game with 2 forced fumbles by Mason Schwalbach and Nelson Bibb, along with 3 interceptions, including a 24 yard pick-6 by LB Jackson Hagedorn. Highlands will be headed south this week to take on 3A Lexington Catholic (4-0) in Lexington. 3) 6A Simon Kenton (4-0) – The ‘Neers improved to 4-0 on Friday with a 55-20 win over 5A Dixie Heights (0-4). The offense had an impressive 323 total rushing yards, with FB Jon Sergent carrying 9 times for 126yds and 2 TDs, RB Austin Hammack with 68yds, QB Caleb Farfsing with 59yds and 2 TDs, RB Kamron Anderson with 2 carries for 50yds, and RB Gunner Fisher with 8yds and 1 TD. Caleb Farfsing was 5-8 passing for 112yds and 1 TD completion on a 78yd pass to WR Erik Brown. LB Clay Cogswell led the Pioneer D with 9 tackles, while defensive linemen JJ Courtney & Vuk Sajlovic each adding 7 tackles a piece. Simon Kenton will host the 6A Cooper Jaguars (1-3) on Friday. 4) 1A Beechwood (2-1) – The Tigers had a big road game on Friday, but ended up coming up short, returning to Fort Mitchell with a 21-14 loss to the 3A Corbin Redhounds (4-0). Beechwood was held the least offensive yards in 15 games, with a total 181yds in the game: 36yds rushing, and 145yds passing. QB Cam Hergott was 10-19 passing for 145yds and 2 TDs. RB/WR Logan Castleman rushed for 25yds, and had 42yds and 1 TD receiving, while WR John Odom had 1 for a 40yd TD. DL Duncan Baugh had one sack on the defensive side of the ball, and LB Josh Derry had another sack. Cornerbacks John Odom and John Odom each had an interception as well. Beechwood will be headed to Park Hills this week to take on 5A Covington Catholic (4-0). 5) 6A Campbell County (3-1) – The Camels are writing up their game on Friday under “a win’s a win” after squeaking out a 21-20 win over 6A Cooper (1-3). Campbell County trailed the Jags for most of the game, and pulled off the win with a 1yd TD run by RB Grant Jolly as time expired in the game. QB Andrew Helton was 17-23 passing for 173yds, and he also had 72yds rushing for 1 TD. RB Grant Jolly had 71yds rushing for 2 TDs, while WR Reid Jolly led the receiving corps with 121yds on 10 receptions. Kicker Peyton Anderson added 4 points on 1 field goal and 1 PAT. Defensively, the Camels held Cooper to 234 total offensive yards. Campbell County will face 6A Ryle (3-1) this week at Ryle. 6) 6A Conner (2-1) – The Cougars hosted the 4A Scott Eagles (2-2) on Friday, and sent the Eagles home with a 27-0 shutout loss. Friday night was all about the running game for Conner, with only 3 pass attempts by starting backup QB Garret Coghlan and 1 reception for 0yds gained. Senior RB Christian Webster rushed 23 times for 174yds and 1 TD, while Garret Coghlan ran the ball 14 times for 147yds and 2 TDs. The Cougars totaled 350 total offensive yards in the game, all tallied on the ground. LB Zane Cahill led the D with 10 tackles, while LB Tyler Thompson had 9 tackles, and DBs Ayden Camp & Tate Niederman each had 7 tackle a piece. Conner will host 5A Dixie Heights (0-4) this week. 7) 6A Ryle (1-3) – After getting their first win of the season on September 1st against 6A Boone County (1-2), the Raiders were back on the losing side this past Friday, with a 40-3 loss to 5A Highlands (3-1). Ryle’s offense was held to less fewer than 100 total yards in the game, with 13yds rushing, and 69yds passing. The Raiders’ only points in the game came via a 44yd Mason Molique field goal in the 2nd quarter. Ryle will head to Claryville on Friday to take on 6A Campbell County (3-1). 8) 6A Cooper (1-3) – The Jaguars came out strong on Friday, leading from the 2nd quarter through the final second of the game when 6A Campbell County (3-1) ran in a TD as time expired to beat the Jags 21-20. The turning point of the game came when QB Jeremiah Lee left the game in the 3rd quarter with an injury while the Jaguars were leading 14-7. Lee was 7-9 passing for 113yds and 1 TD, and Mikey Armour was 2-2 passing for 51yds and 1 TD. Amour also rushed for 31yds and had 72yds receiving for 1 TD. Jayden Maynard was also good for 53yds and 1 TD on 2 receptions. The remaining Cooper TD came on a 98yd kick return by Jeremiah Lee. LB Ethan Bosway led the defense with 14 tackles, and LB Michael Spencer had 11 tackles. Cooper faces 6A Simon Kenton (4-0) this week on the road. 9) 2A Walton-Verona (4-0) – The Bearcats came out hard on Friday, putting up 35 points in the first quarter of their game against 1A Covington Holy Cross (0-4), before going on to beat the Indians 48-0. Remaining a bit apprehensive with the passing game, QB Garret Jones was 3-4 passing for 50yds and 2 TDs. RB Peyton Smith led the running game with 119yds and 2 TDs, FB Micah Alford rushed for 86yds and 1 TD, RB Tyler Schrader rushed for 55yds and 1 TD, and RB Dawson Catlett ran for 13yds and 1 TD. Tyler Schrader also had a 22yd reception for a TD, and WR Kameron Pardee had a 21yd reception for a TD. Grant Grubbs led the defense from linebacker with an interception and 8 tackles, including a sack. Walton-Verona will host 2A Lexington Christian (2-2) this week. 10) 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-3) – The Breds dropped their third straight game on Friday, losing 42-12 to the 3A Belfry Pirates (2-1). Belfry scored at will for most of the first half, with touchdowns on each of their first three offensive plays, and leading New Cath 35-6 only seconds into the 2nd quarter. The Breds only tallied 164 total offensive yards in the game, compared to Belfry’s 360 total yards on offense. No further stats have been posted by New Cath, but they will be face another tough road trip this week when they head to Louisville to take on 2A Christian Academy - Louisville (4-0) on Friday. TRENDING UP: 1A Ludlow (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Panthers remain un-ranked, but they 3-0 for a second straight year after winning two straight shutouts, the latest with a 56-0 win over 2A Gallatin County (0-4). Ludlow has outscored their opponents 132-14 thus far this season. 2A Walton-Verona (Previously #10) – The Bearcats moved up to #9 in the NKY Power Rankings after beating 2A Covington Holy Cross (0-4) with a 48-0 shutout win. 5A Highlands (Previously #3) – The Bluebirds moved up to #2 in the NKY Power Rankings after beating 6A Cooper (1-4) in a 40-3 running-clock win. TRENDING DOWN: 2A Newport Central Catholic (Previously #9) – The Thoroughbreds fell to #10 in the NKY Power Rankings after losing big to 3A Belfry (2-1). The 42-12 route was a third straight loss for the Breds. 4A Scott (Previously Un-Ranked) – After beginning 2018 at #10 in the pre-season edition of the NKY Power Rankings, the Eagles have struggled to play consistently, with a 2-2 record thus far on the season, and a 27-0 loss last Friday to 6A Conner (2-1). 6A Ryle (Previously #6) – The Raiders dropped to #7 in the NKY Power Rankings after losing 40-3 to 5A Highlands (3-1). Ryle only had 82 total yards of offense in the loss. GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 3 5A Highlands vs. 6A Ryle For a game of the week, this one didn’t end up making for much of game. The Birds dominated this one on Friday, beating the Raiders 40-3 in Union. You need only look at the offensive stats to see how this one went: Highlands with 344 total yards of offense, and Ryle with 82 total yards of offense. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 4 1A Beechwood vs. 5A Covington Catholic Not only is this a rivalry game between Beechwood and Covington Catholic, but it is also a game played between two teams currently ranked #1 in their respective classes. The Colonels are come into the game 4-0 this season, while the Tigers are coming in 2-1 after a loss to 3A Corbin (4-0), who is currently ranked #2 in the 3A Class. Regardless of the anticipated outcome, this looks to be a great game played between two of the premiere 2018 teams in Kentucky high school football. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 3 RB Casey McGinness (5A Covington Catholic) – Casey led the Colonels offense this past Friday in a 42-9 win over OH-DII Kings (2-1). McGinness had 10 carries for 159 rushing yards and 3 TDs, plus 2 receptions for 44 receiving yards and 1 TD, and 32 yards on returns for a total 235 all-purpose yards and 4 TDs. His performance even gained the attention of USA Today, who currently has him placed in voting contention for their weekly Super 25 Top Star award.
  16. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (3-0) – Despite weather forcing the game to be played over the course of two days, Covington Catholic rolled through their 3rd win of the season, beating 6A Cooper (1-2) by a score of 54-7. RB Casey McGinness led the offense, rushing for 176yds and 2 TDs, while receiving for another 47yds and 1 TD. Casey both tied the school's record for career rushing TDs during the game this week, and set the new record at 46 TDs. QB Caleb Jacob went 10-13 passing for 154yds and 3 TDs. Defensively, they Colonels were able to tackle the Jags for a loss 6 times, and juniors Jack Raisbeck & Michael Thelen led the team with 4 tackles each. The Colonels will face their toughest challenge yet this season in the OH-DII Kings Knights (2-0). The Knights held Cov Cath to their smallest margin of victory last season. 2) 6A Simon Kenton (3-0) – Simon Kenton is still in the undefeated category after beating 6A Conner (1-1) in one of the numerous two-day football contests around NKY. The game was postponed on Friday night just before the half with the Neers leading 18-13, and Simon Kenton held on to their lead, finishing the game 31-13 on Saturday. QB Caleb Farfsing carried the offense once again, passing for all 22 of the team's yards in the air, and rushing for 120 or the team's 163yds on the ground. Farfsing and RB Jon Sergent both rushed for TDs, and Sergent also ran back a kick for another Pioneer TD. Christian Seger had 7 points on one field goal and 4 PATs, while the remaining 6 points came on a fumble recover for TD by senior defensive lineman JJ Courtney. LB Clay Cogswell once again led the defense in tackles, with 9 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles in the game. Simon Kenton has 5A Dixie Heights (0-3) this week. 3) 5A Highlands (2-1) – The Birds had their first loss of the season on Friday, electing to end their game against 6A Scott County (3-0) with about 3 minutes to go in the 1st half after lighning stopped the game play. The Birds's concession made for a 28-7 loss to the Cardinals. Highlands' offense only mustered 22yds total offense in the first half, compared to Scott County's 248yds of total offense. The Bluebirds' points came via a Brycen Huddleston 83yd kickoff return for touchdown, capped off by a Nick Bowman PAT. This week Highlands will head to Union to take on 6A Ryle (1-2). 4) 1A Beechwood (2-0) – The Tigers showed up big on Friday, despite only having just over one quarter of play in their game against the 2A Somerset Briar Jumpers (2-1). Beechwood led 21-0 at the end of the first quarter with 2 rushing TDs by Logan Castleman and a 50yd punt return by WR/CB John Odom. Odom also added the final TD in the second quarter on a 23yd reception. QB Cam Hergott was 4-4 passing for 125yds and 1 TD, and Castleman rushed for 101yds on 12 carries good for 2 TDs. The game was called with about 8:30 to go in the second quarter due to lightning. Beechwood will head to Whitley County this week to take on 3A Corbin (3-0). 5) 6A Campbell County (2-1) – The Camels rattled off a quick 2 TDs and 1 FG in the first quarter against 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-2) on Friday, and then followed that up with a second quarter touchdown to make it 24-0 Campbell County before the game was called off in the second quarter due to lightning. AB Andrew Helton passed for 168yds and 2 TDs, and added in another 38yds rushing, while RB Grant Jolly ran for 58yds and 1 TD. Kicker Peyton Anderson scored the remaining points for the Camels on the first quarter 29yd field goal and 3 PATs. Campbell County will host the 6A Cooper Jaguars (1-2) on Friday. 6) 6A Ryle (1-2) – The Raiders notched their first win of the 2018 season by beating 6A Boone County (0-2) in yet another two-day affair for Northern Kentucky football. The game was posponed at halftime on Friday with Ryle off to a slow 13-0 lead, and they picked up steam on Saturday evening, finishing off the Rebels in a 41-13 victory. Junior QB Keegan Stanken went 14-20 passing for 321yds and 3 TDs in his first official start. RB Kyle England rushed 11 times for 115yds and 1 TD, and WR Elijah Cusick had 164yds and 1 TD on 4 receptions. Senior DB Dylan Green led the defensive attack with an impressive 15 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. Ryle will be hosting 5A Highlands (2-1) this week. 7) 6A Conner (1-1) – Cooper started off strong against 6A Simon Kenton (3-0) on Friday, nearly going blow for blow with the Pioneers up until the game was postponed with a score of 18-13 in Simon Kenton's favor just before the half. The game resumed on Saturday, and the Neers pulled away, handing the Cougars a 31-13 loss. QB Jared Hicks went 11-19 passing for 132 yards and 1 TD reception to WR Emmanuel Merkel. Kicker Teddy Schul had all the remaining points for Conner, with 1 PAT and 2 FGs. On the defensive side, senior LB Clayton Boyd led the defense with 8 solo tackles, 4 tackles for losses including 2 sacks and 1 forced fumble. The Cougars will take on 4A Scott (2-1) this week. 8) 6A Cooper (1-2) – It wasn't just a bad night for the Jags on Friday, it was a bad morning on Saturday as well as Cooper lost 54-7 to 5A Covington Catholic (3-0). Cooper was trailing 27-0 when the game was suspended less than 2 minutes into the second quarter on Friday, and by halftime it was 48-0. The Jags' lone TD came on a 34yd pass from Jeremiah Lee to Mikey Armour late in the third quarter. Cooper had a total 119yds of offense on Friday, with 112 of those yards coming in the air. QB Jeremiah Lee was 8-19 with 122yds and 1 TD. Jayden Maynard led the receiving corps with 66yds on 5 receptions. Defensively, DL Michael Attabary, LB Ethan Bosway, and DB Joe Poage led the charge with 6 tackles a piece. Cooper will be heading across the Licking River this week to take on the 6A Campbell County Camels (2-1). 9) 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-2) – New Cath didn't have the showing they had hoped for against 6A Campbell County (2-1) on Friday. This was one of the many games called off due to weather, with the Breds falling 24-0 to the Camels in less than 2 quarters of play. New Cath had stud RB/LB Kyle Kelly back in action following a week off due to an injury suffered in their first game of the season, but they were still no match for Campbell County, who posted 276yds total offense in the game, compared to the Breds' -1yd total offense. No further stats have been posted by New Cath, but they will be taking on 3A Belfry (1-1) this week down in Pike County. 10) 2A Walton-Verona (3-0) – The Bearcats remain as one of four teams in the NKY Power Rankings top ten to have stayed undefeated thus far in 2018. This week Walton-Verona blanked 4A Holmes (0-2) in a 48-0 victory. The Bearcats have struggled to find their passing game thus far, only passing 3 times for 29 total yards against Holmes, and a net 153yds in the air in their first 3 games this season. Fullback Micah Alford led the Bearcats' rushing attack on Friday with 106yds, tailback Tyler Schrader had 98yds and 2 TDs, RB Peyton Smith had 64yds and 3 TDs, and RB Dawson Catlett had another 46yds and 1 TD. Offensively, Walton-Verona compiled 323 of their total 352yds of offense on the ground. Dawson Catlett led the defense at DE with 8 tackles and 2 sacks. The Bearcats will play 2A Covington Holy Cross (0-3) this week. TRENDING UP: 2A Newport (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Wilcats, who remain un-ranked, are currently celebrating their first 2-0 start to the season since 1999. Newport had a 33-0 victory over 2A Owen County (0-3) in their game on Friday, which was called at halftime due to weather. TRENDING DOWN: 6A Cooper (Previously #7) – The Jaguars fell to #8 in the NKY Power Rankings after a 54-7 loss to 5A Covington Catholic (3-0). GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 2 1A Beechwood vs. 2A Somerset Somerset came into the game ranked #6 in 2A, but failed to impress in their abbreviated game against 1A Beechwood (2-0) on Friday. In less than a quarter and a half of game play, the Tigers played a very unwelcoming host to the Briar Jumpers, sending the Jumpers home on the losing end of a 28-0 shutout. The Tigers offense combined for 227 total yards in the game, compared to the Jumpers 14 total yards of offense. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 3 5A Highlands vs. 6A Ryle 5A Highlands (2-1) appeared to come out strong in their first two games of the season, beating both teams by more than 3 TDs, but their 28-7 loss to 6A Scott County (3-0) this past Friday made it apparent that the Birds definitely still have work to do. 6A Ryle (1-2) hasn't looked their best yet this season, but appeared to really come to life in the second half of their 41-13 win over 6A Boone County (0-2) this past weekend. This game has the makings to be a real battle between these two teams. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 1 DB Dylan Green (6A Ryle) – Dylan led the Raiders in tackles over the course of their two-day contest against 6A Boone County (0-2), with 15 tackles and 2 forced fumbles.
  17. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (1-0) – With sophomore Caleb Jacob getting the starting nod at QB, the Colonels came out swinging on Friday against 6A Ryle, beating the Raiders 40-7. Caleb was an impressive 12 for 15 passing for 294yds and 2 TDs, connecting with Johnny Schuh and D1 commit Jack Coldiron for TD receptions. Zack Coburn and Duncan Summe also look to be favorite receivers this season. Senior RB Casey McGinness started off his 3rd year starting for Cov Cath with a 188yd game on the ground and 4 TDs. On the defensive side, the Colonels have moved junior Notre Dame commit Michael Mayer from DE to middle LB. Mayer had 9 tackles in the game, 3 of which made for Ryle loss of yards. The Colonel D also forced three turnovers in the game: an interception by Duncan Summer, a fumble forced by Michael Mayer, and a Jack Coldiron pick-6. Cov Cath takes on 6A Henry Clay (1-0) this Friday at Lexington Catholic in the Bluegrass Bowl. 2) 6A Simon Kenton (1-0) – One game into the season, and the Pioneers have already moved up a spot in the NKY power rankings. Simon Kenton hosted the 6A Meade County Green Wave on Friday and came away with a 29-28 Week 0 win, despite a rally by Meade County in the second half. Senior QB Caleb Farfsing was 11 for 19 passing for 166yds and 1 TD. Receiver Brennan Gangwish led the team receiving with 110yds and 1 TD, while tailback Jon Sergent led in rushing with 63yds and 1 TD. Farfsing and RB Austin Hammack also added rushing TDs. Senior defensive tackle JJ Courtney led the D with 8 tackles, while senior linebackers Clay Cogswell and Bryson Pernell added 7 tackles each. Simon Kenton will host 6A Bryan Station (0-1) this week in Independence. 3) 5A Highlands (1-0) – Rome wasn’t built in a day…but Highlands’ rebuilding efforts are paying off. The Bluebirds started off the 2018 season right, with a solid 36-7 win over the 6A Cooper Jaguars. QB Grady Cramer was at the offensive helm on Friday, passing for 121yds and 1 TD. RB Cooper Schwalbach was the #1 ball carrier for the Birds, rushing for 109yds and 1 TD. Highlands also seemed to have been feeling out their kicking talent on Friday, with Nick Bowman and Brennan Haigis splitting duties to kick PATs in the game. Junior DL Zach Lewin led the defensive effort with a sack and a forced fumble with recovery, while senior DB’s Bailey Armstrong and Casey Greene both had interceptions. Highlands will head down 27 to Claryville to play 6A Campbell County (1-0) on Friday. 4) 1A Beechwood (0-0) – No action in week 0. The Tigers will open up their 2018 season at home in Friday against 2A Lloyd (1-0). 5) 6A Campbell County (7-5 in 2017) – Coach Woolf is returned to his old digs, this time as a head coach. In his head coaching debut, the Camels handed a 34-3 walloping to 5A Dixie Heights. Senior quarterback Andrew Helton had his first varsity start, and wowed with 338yds passing and 4 TDs. Reid Jolly was his favorite receiver, catching for 203yds and 3 TDs, while Grant Jolly led things on the ground, with 86yds rushing and 1 TD. The Campbell County defense completely shut down the Dixie Heights rushing attack, allowing 0 yards rushing, and it held the Colonels to 161yds passing, forcing them to settle for a single field goal. The Camels should have a solid test this Friday when they play host to the 5A Highlands Bluebirds, a team they lost to last year in a 27-20 overtime contest. 6) 6A Ryle (0-1) – Ryle is working on dusting themselves off and recollecting this week after a disappointing 40-7 loss to Covington Catholic, the 5A defending state champs. The Raiders offense struggled to consistently follow through on their more successful drives, turning the ball over four times in the game, including two turnovers in the red zone. QB Jake Smith was 14-26 passing, connecting with six different receivers for 179yds and 1 TD in the air. They were held to just under 100yds total rushing in the game. Junior LB Luke Bradshaw led the D with 11 tackles, and senior LB Jackson Saladin added 8 more tackles. The Raiders head to Lexington to take on the 3A Lexington Catholic Knights (1-0) in the second game of the Bluegrass Bowl on Friday. 7) 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-0) – I wouldn’t say that the Breds “dropped” this week in the rankings, so much as 6A Campbell County skipped ahead this week. New Cath had an impressive opener on Friday, routing 4A Scott in a 41-0 shutout, making for a third straight win over the Eagles in their annual season opener. The Breds offense had nearly 400 total yards, with QB Paul Kremer going 8-14 passing for 170yds and 2 TDs, and rushing for 1 more TD. RB Kyle Kelly carried the ball for 113yds and 1 TD, while RB Hezekiah Miller, WR Hunter Cain, WR Luke Landrum, and WR Aubrey Posey also provided TDs for New Cath. The Breds’ defense held the Eagles to a mere 115 total yards of offense, and Caleb Jefferson added an interception for the D. New Cath will return to action on Friday when they take on 6A Cooper (0-1) on the road. 8) 6A Conner (0-0) – No action in week 0. The Cougars will open up their 2018 season on the road this Friday against 6A Boone County (0-0). 9) 6A Cooper (0-1) – Cooper is still a young team, but they’re definitely looking at an uphill battle if they want to make any kind of splash in 6A this year. They started off with a disappointing 36-7 loss to 5A Highlands on Friday. The offense was able to put together just over 200 total yards on the back of junior RB Anthony Witschey, who rushed 23 times for 74 of the Jags’ 98yds on the ground. Sophomore QB Jeremiah Lee connected with receivers on 6 of his 17 pass attempts for 109yds in the air. Senior defensive lineman Conner Bridges had a forced fumble with recovery and an interception in the Cooper defensive effort. 10) 2A Walton-Verona (1-0) – The Bearcats opened up their 2018 season with a W against 4A West Jessamine in the Visit Jessamine Bowl, beating the Colts 14-0. The Bearcats ground it out on Friday with 5 different running backs toting the pigskin, and senior FB Micah Alford accounting for 110 of Walton-Verona’s 205 rushing yards. Alford ran in both of the Bearcats’ touchdowns. Senior QB Garrett Jones was able to complete 4 of his 11 pass attempts for the remaining 63yds of the offensive effort. At linebacker, Micah Alford also led the team on defense with 9 tackles, and senior LB Grant Grubbs had 7 tackles and helped hold West Jessamine to under 200yds of total offense. Walton-Verona will host 2A Kentucky Country Day (0-1) this Friday. TRENDING UP: 2A Walton-Verona (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Bearcats were able to win out the defensive battle against 4A West Jessamine on Friday to start off their season on a 14-0 high note and moved into the #10 slot in the NKY Power Rankings. 3A Pendleton County (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Wildcats haven’t yet made the top 10 in the NKY Power Rankings, but Pendleton County opened their season with a 35-6 win over 2A Gallatin County on Friday, only allowing Gallatin County 141 total yards of offense. 6A Campbell County (Previously #7) – Campbell County isn’t showing any signs of growing pains after getting a new head coach this year. They trounced the 5A Dixie Heights 34-3 on Friday and moved up to #5 in the NKY Power Rankings. TRENDING DOWN: 4A Scott (Previously #10) – The Eagles dropped out of the top 10 in the NKY Power Rankings after a 41-0 blowout by 2A Newport Central Catholic. 5A Cooper (Previously #8) – The Jaguars struggled to find much offensive groove on Friday in a 36-7 loss to 5A Highlands, and fell to #9 in the NKY Power Rankings. 6A Ryle (Previously #2) – The Raiders dropped four spots to #6 in the NKY Power Rankings following a rough showing in a 40-7 route at the hands of 5A Covington Catholic. GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 0 1A Ludlow vs. 2A Carroll County Surprise…the Panthers won. The 1A Ludlow Panthers beat the 2A Carroll County Panthers 28-14 on Friday. Senior RB Sean Stratton accounted for almost 1/3 of Ludlow’s total 3437 rushing yards last season, allowing star QB/ATHL Justin Blackburn to run the show and carry for over 2000yds, but on Friday Stratton had the opportunity to show that he still has more to give for the team, carrying 20 times for 119yds and 2 TDs. Junior LB Cody Kramer accounted for 10 of Ludlow’s tackles on defense. Junior LB Welch Gage highlighted the Carroll County defensive effort with a 55yd pick-6, while senior WR David Duncan provided the team’s only offensive touchdown on a reception from junior QB Andre Mumphrey. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 1 5A Highlands vs. 6A Campbell County The Camels will host the Bluebirds on Friday in what looks to be one of the most exciting games in NKY this week. Both teams have a solid win under their belt, and will be fighting for bragging rights in Campbell County. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 0 QB Andrew Helton (6A Campbell County) – Helton was 15-27 passing for an impressive 338yds and 4 TDs in the Camels’ win over Dixie Heights, with an additional 4 times carrying the ball for 13yds.
  18. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (10-0) – Covington Catholic has put together their second straight and second only undefeated regular season after beating the 6A Campbell County (6-4) in Park Hills on Friday, beating the Camels 28-0. QB Cam Jacob was 8-13 passing for 192yds and 1 TD and rushing for another TD. RB Casey McGinness logged his 10th straight 100yd+ game of the season, rushing for 167yds and 1 TD, and receiving for another 37yds. RB Jacob Shriver also had 1 rushing TD. TE Michael Mayer was Jacob’s favorite receiver, with 4 receptions for 87yds and 1 TD. Mayer was also the co-leader tackling from his position at linebacker, with 4 tackles, and LB Daniel Felix also had 4 tackles. Safety Jackson Blank also had 2 interceptions in the game. The Colonels will begin their playoff run at home on Friday when they host 5A Woodford County (2-8). 2) 5A Highlands (8-2) – The Bluebirds finished off their regular season on Friday with a 55-15 romp over the 6A Boone County Rebels (2-8). QB Grady Cramer was 12-18 passing for 110yds and 2 TDs, with WR Ethan Houze leading the receiving corps with 4 receptions for 57yds and 2 TDs. RB Collin Hollingsworth rushed once for 52yds and 1 TD, RB Wesley Bowling had 3 carries for 38yds and 1 TD, and RB Joe Buten rushed twice for 38yds and 2 TDs. Brycen Huddleston had yet another return for TD in the game, and Alex Starkey added a defensive TD on a fumble recovery that he picked up and ran into the endzone. The Birds’ defense was able to pick up fumbles 4 times in the game off of the Rebels offense. Highlands will begin the 5A playoffs at home, hosting 5A Madison Southern (2-8). 3) 1A Beechwood (8-2) – Beechwood slugged it out with 2A Newport Central Catholic (4-6) on Friday to finish their regular season with their eighth win, beating the Breds 33-21 in Newport. QB Cam Hergott was 9-15 passing for 131yds and 2 TDs, and rushed for another 9yds. RB Logan Castleman carried the ball 26 times, good for 170yds and 3 TDs on the ground, and RB Tyler Donoho had 67yds and 1 TD on 7 carries. Donoho also led the game receiving with 3 receptions for 58yds, while WR Gage Dollenmeyer had 1 catch for 35yds for 1 TD, and WR Luke Bolger had 1 TD on his sole 6yd reception. Defensively, brothers Dayton and Duncan Baugh each tallied 1 sack a piece. Beechwood will have a bye week in the first round of the 1A playoffs, and on November 9th will face the winner of 1A Kentucky Country Day (5-5) vs. 1A Bellevue (5-5). 4) 6A Simon Kenton (8-2) – Simon Kenton had their bye week last week after knocking off 6A Ryle (2-7) on October 19th. The Pioneers will be returning to action on Friday when they host 6A Bryan Station (2-8) in the first round of the playoffs. 5) 6A Campbell County (6-4) – Campbell County lost their final regular season game on Friday, being defeated 28-0 by the 5A Covington Catholic Colonels (10-0). The Camels offense really struggled to get anything going in the game, totaling 74 offensive yards in the game. QB Andrew Helton was 3-16 passing for 18yds, with WR Nick Cartwright making 1 reception for 10yds, and WR Reid Jolly making 2 receptions for 8yds. RB Grant Jolly had 42yds on 14 carries, and RB Dallas Cloyd had 10yds on 3 carries. Defensive statistics were not reported for the game. Campbell County will host 6A Scott County (7-3) on Friday in the first round of the 6A playoffs. 6) 6A Conner (7-3) – The Cougars were shut out in their final regular season game this year, losing 20-0 to 6A Frederick Douglass (10-0) on Friday. The offense only just cleared 100 total offensive yards, totaling 116yds, with 28yds rushing, and 88yds passing. QB Jared Hicks was 13-24 passing for 88yds, and rushed 5 times for another 21yds. Tate Niederman led the receiving corps for Conner with 55yds on 7 receptions. The defense managed to hold the Stallions to only 50yds passing, but they gave up 248yds on the ground. DB Clayton Boyd led the defense with 6 tackles, and DB Colton Roy had 5 tackles. Conner will host 6A Lafayette (1-9) on Friday in the opening round of the playoffs. 7) 2A Walton-Verona (8-2) – Walton-Verona has only allowed 77 points this season, and didn’t allow any on Friday when they pulled off their SEVENTH shutout of the season with a 42-0 win over 2A Bellevue (5-5). QB Garrett Jones was 2-3 passing for 24yds and 1 TD. RB Peyton Smith rushed for 83yds and 1 TD in the game, RB rushed for 63yds and 2 TDs, RB Blake Wolfe rushed for 35yds and 1 TD,and RB Micah Alford had 3 carries for 8yds and 1 TD. WR Johnny Martin caught both receptions, good for 24yds and 1 TD. LB Grant Grubbs led the Bearcats’ D with 7 tackles, including a sack. Micah Alford and Sean Spillman each had 5 tackles, and Gannon Jones, Gavin Knight, and Johnny Martin each had an interception a piece. Walton-Verona will host 2A Metcalfe County (2-8) in the first round of the playoffs, Friday. 8) 6A Cooper (4-6) – Cooper finished their regular season on a high note, with a 23-7 upset win over 6A Henry Clay (5-5) at home. QB Jeremiah Lee was 2-8 passing for 75yds, and rushed 23 times for 94yds and 2 TDs. WR Mikey Armour caught both receptions in the game, good for 75yds, and RB Anthony Witschey ran 25 times for 157yds and 1 TD. On the defensive side, Michael Attabary, Michael Spencer, and Bryan Yelton each had 7 tackles a piece. Michael Spencer logged 3 sacks, Michael Attabary had 1 sack, and Dominic Rulli also had 1 sack. Mikey Armour also added on an interception for the Jags’ D. Cooper will travel to Clark County on Friday to take on 6A George Rogers Clark (7-3) in the first round of the playoffs. 9) Newport Central Catholic (4-6) – The Breds fought hard, but lost their regular season closer 33-21 to longtime rival 1A Beechwood (8-2). Paul Kremer and Hunter Cain both spent time at QB, with Cain going 4-10 for 84yds, and Kremer going 4-7 for 29yds. Hunter Cain also led the New Cath rushing attack with 86yds on 18 carries, while RB Kyle Kelly rushed 8 times for 24yds and 1 TD. Colin Wefer also scored a TD for the Breds on a blocked Beechwood punt, and Evan VanLierop scored on a kickoff return for TD. New Cath did not report defensive stats for the game. The Thoroughbreds will host 2A Shawnee (0-9) on Friday in the opening round of the playoffs. 10) 6A Ryle (2-8) – The Raiders had a dismal 41-14 loss on Friday to 5A Dixie Heights (1-9). Jake Smith, Keegan Stanken, and Max Inabnit each spent time behind center, and combined for 6 pass completions, good for 75yds and 1 TD. Inabnit threw the lone passing TD to Jake Smith, who had a team high 46yds receiving and 1 TD in the game. Inabnit also led the rushing game, with 72yds on 14 carries and 1 TD. RB Kyle England also had 20yds on 9 carries, as well as 24yds receiving on 2 receptions. Dillon Talmon led the Raiders D with 14 tackles, and Luke Bradshaw had 13 tackles. Luke Collette, Tyson Keller, and Cooper White each tallied a sack a piece for the defense. Ryle will host 6A Tates Creek (4-5) in the first round of the playoffs on Friday. TRENDING UP: 6A Cooper (Previously #9) – The Jaguars climbed up a spot, to finish at #9 in the NKY Power Rankings after an upset win over 6A Henry Clay (5-5) on Friday. TRENDING DOWN: 6A Ryle (Previously #8) – The Raiders fell to #10 in the NKY Power Rankings after losing an 8th game, this time to 5A Dixie Heights (1-9).
  19. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (9-0) – Covington Catholic is one win away from a second straight undefeated regular season after beating the 5A Dixie Heights Colonels 50-8 on Friday to win out the district. QB Caleb Jacob had 166yds passing for 2 TDs in the game, while RB Casey McGinness had 119yds rushing for 4 TDs. RB Luke Stegman also had 61yds and 1 TD rushing. Through the air, TE Michael Mayer had 89yds and a TD on 1 reception, and WR Jack Coldiron had 16 yds and a TD on 1 reception. Kicker Trey Gronotte added a field goal on top of things. Jack Coldiron led the defense with 5 tackles from his position at linebacker, and Andrew Molique had 2 interceptions in the game. The Colonels will look to finish out the regular season against 6A Campbell County (6-3) in Park Hills on Friday. 2) 5A Highlands (7-2) – The Bluebirds hosted 5A Greenwood (2-7) on Friday and easily handled the Gators in a 42-7 route. QB Grady Cramer was an impressive 17-22 passing for 247yds and 2 TDs. RB Cooper Schwalbach led the ground attack with 62yds and 2 TDs on 6 carries, and WR Nate Roberts had 142yds and 2 TDs on 6 receptions. Brycen Huddleston added another return for touchdown to his stat sheet for the year, and DB Jacob Brass added the remaining Highlands touchdown on a 40yd pick-6. Highlands, who finished second in their 3-team 5A district, will finish out the regular season against 6A Boone County (2-7) on Friday in Ft. Thomas. 3) 1A Beechwood (7-2) – The Tigers finished out their sweep of district competition by scoring 60+ points on each of their district competitors. Their final win came against 1A Dayton (0-9) in a 62-6 mauling. QB Cam Hergott was 5-5 passing for 130yds and 2 TDs in the game, and rushed for an additional TD. WR Hank Birindelli led the receiving corps with 52yds, WR John Odom had 51yds receiving and 1 TD, and WR Tyler Donoho had 14yds receiving and 1 TD. Rushing, Michael Hatfield led the Tigers with 63yds and 1 TD, Logan Castleman had 55yds and 2 TDs, and Cole Stammer and Jensen Linder each added a TD. Tyler Donoho also added an interception for touchdown on the defensive side of things. Beechwood will finish out their regular season at home on Friday with their annual match-up against 2A Newport Central Catholic (4-5). 4) 6A Simon Kenton (8-2) – Simon Kenton knocked off 6A Ryle (2-7) on Friday with a 28-7 win for the Pioneers. QB Caleb Farfsing made a return to action after missing a week to injury, and was 7-14 passing for 88yds and 2 TDs, and rushed for another 77yds. Wide receivers Brennan Gangwish and Austin Hammack each had TDs receiving in the game. RB Jon Sergent led the game in rushing with 118yds and 2 TDs. DL Vuk Sajlovic had 11 tackles to lead the defense, while DL JJ Courtney and LB Bryson Pernell had 9 tackles and 2 sacks each. David LeCount also had an interception, and Tyler Parks tacked on a pick-6 for the D. Friday’s win over Ryle finished out the regular season for the Pioneers, and they will return to action on November 2 against 6A Bryan Station (1-8) in the first round of the playoffs. 5) 6A Campbell County (6-3) – Campbell County notched their 6th win of the season with a 35-7 win on the road against 6A Boone County (2-7). QB Andrew Helton was 7-12 passing for 126yds and 3 TDs, and rushed for another 61yds. RB Grant Jolly led the running game with 87yds on 13 carries. WR Brady Singleton had 76yds and 1 TD receiving and WR Reid Jolly had 40yds and 1 TD receiving. DBs Gavin Terhaar and Brady Singleton each had a pck-6 for the Camel defense. Campbell County will finish out their regular season on the road against 5A Covington Catholic (9-0). 6) 6A Conner (7-2) – The Cougars scratched out another win on Friday by beating 6A Cooper (3-6) by a score of 19-14 in Union. Jared Hicks was 6-17 passing for 31yds at QB, with another 81yds and 1 TD rushing. RB Christian Webster had 110yds and 1 TD on 20 carries. Roy Colton led Conner’s defense with 10 tackles, while Clayton Boyd and Tate Niederman each had 9 tackles a piece. Niederman also added a 70yd pick-6 for a defensive score. Conner will host 6A Frederick Douglass (9-0) this Friday in their final game of the regular season. 7) 2A Walton-Verona (7-2) – Walton-Verona handed out their sixth shutout of the season with a 63-0 win over the 2A Gallatin County Wildcats (1-7). QB Garrett Jones was 4-5 passing for 50yds and 2 TDs. RB Tyler Schrader had a team high 90yds rushing and 1 TD in the game, and RBs Peyton Smith, Micah Alford, Tyler Wagner, Wiley Baker, Tristen Spalding, and Jacob Gaines each scored rushing touchdowns as well. WRs Travis Brauer and Johnny Martin each had a receiving TD as well. LB Grant Grubbs led the Bearcats’ defense with 6 tackles. 8) 6A Ryle (2-7) – The Raiders lost their 7th game of the season on Friday, being beaten 28-7 by the 6A Simon Kenton Pioneers (8-2). QBs Jake Smith and Keegan Stanken combined for 6 pass receptions and 52 yards through the air. RB Kyle England led in yardage for the Raiders’ running game, and Elijah Cusick had 36yds and scored the team’s sole TD in the game. LB Jackson Saladin led the defense with an impressive 16 tackles, including 2 sacks. DB Max Hungler added another sack, and DE Johnathan Coker had an interception. Ryle’s last regular season game will be on Friday against 5A Dixie Heights (0-9) at home. 9) 6A Cooper (3-6) – Cooper took their 6th loss of the season on Friday, losing 19-14 at home to the 6A Conner Cougars (7-2). QB Jeremiah Lee was the man of the game again for Cooper, passing for 47 yards and rushing 19 times for 79yds and 1 TD from his position at quarterback. RB Joe Page also rushed 12 times for 61yds. Jeremiah Lee also scored defensively on a 12yd fumble scoop-and-score. DB Ethan Bosway had 10 tackles in the game, and Joe Poage also had 9 tackles from defensive back. The Jaguars will wrap up their regular season when they host 6A Henry Clay (5-4) on Friday. 10) Newport Central Catholic (4-5) – The Breds put together their third straight win on Friday with a 40-12 win over 2A Newport. QB Paul Kremer had a strong passing performance in the game, going 12-15 for 253yds and 3 TDs. RB Hezekiah Miller rushed 18 times for 118yds and 2 TDs. WR Aubrey Posey had 7 catches for 148yds and 3 TDs, and WR Caleb Jefferson had 3 catches for 67yds and 1 TD. Caleb Jefferson also had 1 interception from the defensive backfield. New Cath will finish out their regular season on Friday in Fort Mitchell against 1A Beechwood (7-2). TRENDING UP: 2A Newport Central Catholic (Previously #10) – The Breds didn’t move up in the NKY Power Rankings, but have managed to lace together 3 straight wins for the first time this season. 4A Scott (Previously Un-ranked) – The Eagles are not currently in the top 10 of the NKY Power Rankings, but notched off two straight wins by beating 4A Bourbon County (3-6) and 4A Holmes (4-5). TRENDING DOWN: 6A Cooper (Previously #9) – The Jaguars didn’t drop in the NKY Power Rankings this week, but had their 6th loss of the season at the hands of 6A Conner (7-2). 6A Ryle (Previously #7) – The Raiders fell to #8 in the NKY Power Rankings after losing for a 7th time this season to 6A Simon Kenton (8-2). GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 9 2A Newport vs. 2A Newport Central Catholic The Newport Wildcats might have stepped up this season compared to seasons in the recent past, but they were not able to put together enough to overcome crosstown rivals, Newport Central Catholic. The Breds were just too much, and beat Newport 40-12 on Friday. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 10 2A Lloyd Memorial vs. 4A Scott 5-4 Scott versus 6-3 Lloyd. The Kenton County battle of first names. Both teams have had strides forward and stumbles backwards this season, and this game should prove a good challenge for both teams as well. Game will take place on Friday in Erlanger. PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: WEEK 9 QB Paul Kremer (Newport Central Catholic) – Kremer had very impressive 12-15 passing in the Breds win over the Newport Wildcats, throwing for 253yds and 3 TDs. He also rushed an additional 5 times for 22 yards in the game. LB Jackson Saladin (Ryle) – Saladin had an impressive 16 tackles in the Raiders’ game on Friday against Simon Kenton. He had 11 solo tackles, and 5 assists, including 5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks.
  20. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (8-0) – On Friday, the Colonels extended an undefeated that dates back to August of 2017 by pulling out a nail-biter of a win, beating 5A Highlands (6-2) by a score of 21-14. The outcome of the game was still in question until Cov Cath defense managed to make a big 4th and 7 stop at their own 33 yard line with only 40 seconds left in the game. The passing game was lacking on Friday, with QB Caleb Jacob only at 4-10 passing for 45yds and no TDs through the air. RB Casey McGinness carried for 203yds and 2 TDs, and Duncan Summe added the other TD on a 9yd carry. Jack Coldiron and Duncan Summe were both able to contribute interceptions on the defensive side of the ball, while LB Michael Mayer led the D with 10 tackles, and Coldiron followed that up with 8 tackles. The blue Colonels will be hosting the red Colonels from 5A Dixie Heights (0-8) on Friday. 2) 5A Highlands (6-2) – The Bluebirds were oh-so-close to pulling an upset win over 5A Covington Catholic (8-0) on Friday, after forcing the Colonels to turn over on downs in the 4th quarter and taking the ball back down the field into Cov Cath territory before turning the ball over on downs themselves with only seconds left on the game clock. The Birds’ offense out-gained the Colonels’ offense 299yds to 256yds in the game, but two Highlands turnovers in their own territory ended in touchdowns for Cov Cath and ultimately decided the game. QB Grady Cramer was 14-29 passing for 114yds and 1 TD, and rushing for another 15yds and 1 TD. The TD reception came via a connection with WR Hunter Ahlfeld, who had 34yds receiving in the game. Sophomore RB Joe Buten led the ground attack for Highlands with a solid 134yds and 1 TD. Highlands will host 5A Greenwood (2-6) on Friday. 3) 1A Beechwood (6-2) – The Tigers continued their romp over district competition on Friday with a 62-13 win over 1A Ludlow (5-3) on Friday. Averaging 20yds per completion, QB Cam Hergott was 7-10 passing for 140yds and 2 TDs, while also rushing for 47yds and 1 TD. RB Jacob Sherron led the rushing game for Beechwood with 1 carry for 53yds and a TD, RB Max Nordheim had 46yds rushing and 2 TDs, and RB Logan Castleman had 26yds and 1TD. WR John Odom led the receiving corps with 66yds on 4 receptions, WR Hank Birindelli had 1 reception for 43yds and a TD, and WR Luke Bolger had 1 reception for 25yds and a TD. John Odom added a pair of interceptions returned for touchdowns, making for both of the Tigers’ defensive scoring contributions in the game. Beechwood will face the final third of their district competition when they play 1A Dayton (0-7) in Dayton on Friday. 4) 6A Simon Kenton (7-2) – Simon Kenton knocked off 6A Campbell County (5-3) on Friday with a 27-7 win for the Pioneers. The game started slow, with no score at the end of the 1Q, and Simon Kenton only leading 3-0 at halftime thanks to one of kicker Christian Seger’s two FGs in the game. QB Caleb Farfsing missed the game due to injury, so sophomore backup Reed Carmony stepped in, going 6-12 passing for 66yds and rushing for 56yds. RB Jon Sergent led the ground game, rushing 26 times for 165yds and all 3 of the Pioneers’ touchdowns. LB Bryson Pernell led the defense with 9 tackles, and LB Clay Cogswell and DL Vuk Sajlovic each had 8 tackles in the game. The defense was able to find the Camels’ quarterback an impressive 8 times with sacks. Simon Kenton will play their final regular season game this Friday, traveling to Union to play 6A Ryle (2-6). 5) 6A Campbell County (5-3) – In the first half of the game on Friday, it looked like Campbell County may have had a shot at overtaking the #4 spot in the NKY Power Rankings, managing to head into halftime holding 6A Simon Kenton (7-2) to a single field goal, and only down 0-3 after the first two quarters. But the Camels couldn’t pull it off in the second half, eventually losing 27-7. QB Andrew Helton was 8-22 passing for 89yds, and rushing for 30yds. RB Grant Jolly led the team in rushing with 93yds and 1 TD on 10 carries, and WR Reid Jolly leading the team in receiving with 38yds on 3 receptions. Campbell County defensive stats were not reported for the game, although Reid Jolly was able to intercept Simon Kenton’s QB once in the game. The Camels will head to Florence to play 6A Boone County (2-6) this Friday. 6) 6A Conner (6-2) – The Cougars hosted 6A Ryle (2-6) on Friday, and managed to beat a second of their three competitors in Boone County with a 34-17 win over the Raiders. Conner’s passing game continued its notable uptick, with QB Jared Hicks going 11-23 passing for 236yds and 2 TDs, in addition to rushing for 20yds and 1 TD. Christian Webster contributed 104yds and 1 TD from his position at RB, and RB Douglas Abdon rushed for 49yds and 1 TD. WR Tate Niederman had 4 receptions good for 145yds and 1 TD, and Christian Webster had 3 receptions for 61yds and 1 TD. On the defensive side of the ball, Clayton Boyd led with 11 tackles and Colton Roy had 9 tackles. The Cougar D also had 4 interceptions, one each by Clayton Boyd, Jared Hicks, Emmanuel Merkel, and Tate Niederman. Conner will play 6A Cooper (3-5) on the road this week. 7) 6A Ryle (2-6) – The Raiders took their 6th loss of the season when they were beaten 34-17 by 6A Conner (6-2) in Hebron last Friday. QB Jake Smith was 9-23 passing in the game, for 135yds and 1 TD, and he rushed for an additional 75yds. RB Kyle England carried the ball 14 times for 94yds and 1 TD, and WR Brandon Soden led the team in receiving with 2 catches good for 59yds and 1 TD. Kicker Mason Molique added 1 FG for the Raiders. LB Luke Bradshaw had a team high 8 tackles, while DB Johnathan Coker, DE Tyson Keller, DL Brandon Nipper, and DE Cooper White each had 7 tackles. Ryle hosts 6A Simon Kenton (7-2) on Friday. 8) 2A Walton-Verona (5-2) – The Bearcats looked a little flat on Friday when they came out of their bye week and beat 2A Carroll County (4-4) by a score of 13-0. The offense only had 57yds passing in the game, although QB Garrett Jones’ 4-7 passing was able to account for both of the team’s touchdowns. RB Peyton Smith led the rushing attack for Walton-Verona with 17 carries for 86yds, and RB Tyler Schrader had 78yds on 9 carries. WR Travis Brauer caught all 4 of the pass receptions, good for 57yds and 2 TDs. LB Grant Grubbs led the defense with 1 forced fumble and 11 tackles including 2 sacks. DL Sean Spillman and DE Josh Walton also had sacks, LB Tyler Wagner added another forced fumble, and Garrett Jones had an interception from DB. The Bearcats will host 2A Gallatin County (1-6) on Friday. 9) 6A Cooper (3-5) – Cooper squeaked by 6A Boone County (2-6) on Friday with a 7-6 win over the Rebels. This made for the fifth game this season where the Jags were only able to muster a single touchdown in a game, and fortunately it was enough for a Cooper win after the Rebels’ offense, missing both its starting QB and RB, was unable to convert on an attempt for a 2-pt conversion. QB Jeremiah Lee accounted for 116 of the offense’s total 183yds in the game, with 27yds passing, and 89yds rushing, including the only TD of the game. DB Joe Poage put up 12 tackles for the defense, and LB Brian Yelton had 10 tackles. Poage also provided the team’s 1 interception on a key play to end a 68yd Boone County drive at the 1 yard line. Cooper will host 6A Conner (6-2) on Friday. 10) Newport Central Catholic (3-5) – Friday marked the first time this season where the Breds were able to put together a second straight win, improving to 3-5 with a 26-8 win over 2A Lloyd Memorial (5-3) on the road. QB Paul Kremer was 4-12 passing for 54yds and 1 TD in addition to rushing for 58yds and 1 TD. RB Hunter Cain carried the ball 19 times for 124yds and 1 TD, and RB Hezekiah Miller rushed 7 times for 81yds and 1 TD. WR Caleb Jefferson had 1 catch in the game, good for a 34yd New Cath TD. Hunter Cain also had one interception on the defensive side of the ball. New Cath will take on cross-town rival 2A Newport (5-3) on Friday. TRENDING UP: 2A Newport Central Catholic (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Breds dropped off of the NKY Power Rankings after their September 21st loss to 6A Conner (6-2), but have fought their way back into the #10 spot of the rankings thanks to a 26-8 win over 2A Lloyd Memorial (5-3) this past week. TRENDING DOWN: 6A Cooper (Previously #9) – The Jaguars fell to #9 in the NKY Power Rankings this week. They may have won on Friday, but they only barely pulling out a win over un-ranked 6A Boone County (2-6), who was playing without their starting QB and starting RB. GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 8 5A Covington Catholic vs. 5A Highlands This one was might have been closer than many folks across the NKY and the state expected, and it was really even closer than the 21-14 final score let on. Highlands won the battle for total offensive yardage in the game, and may well have pulled off an upset were it not for a 1st half Bluebirds fumble recovered by Cov Cath deep in Highlands territory, and a second half interception that gave the also gave Colonels the ball in Highlands territory. Both turnovers resulted in Cov Cath touchdowns. This rivalry is likely to have a rematch in the playoffs, and should make for another great game to watch. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 9 2A Newport vs. 2A Newport Central Catholic Although New Cath is the favorite to win this one, this contest stands as one of the oldest rivalries in northern Kentucky, with both teams having a “home field advantage” in the game. New Cath comes in towards the end of a 3-5 season that has proven difficult as of yet, and Newport has done pleasingly well for themselves this season with a 5-3 record. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 8 RB Joe Buten (5A Highlands) – As a sophomore running back, Buten has seen his fair share of time in the backfield for the Birds, but his best performance of the season, to date, has to be his game on Friday. At 5’8” and 180lbs, Buten proved to be an impressive foil to the Covington Catholic defense, rushing for 134yds and 1 TD against a defense that had only allowed 357 total rushing yards in their previous 7 games combined.
  21. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (7-0) – The Colonels headed up to Indianapolis on Friday to take on IN-3A Bishop Chatard (6-2), and came home with an important 52-36 win over the Trojans. The Colonels had their hands full at halftime, but were able to pull away in the second half, thanks largely to sophomore Caleb Jacob’s phenomenal work at QB. Caleb was 19-30 passing for 385yds and 3 TDs. WR Jack Coldiron stacked up 145yds and 1 TD receiving, and TE Michael Mayer added 129yds and 2 TDs receiving, while RB Casey McGinness came in strong, as always, with 158yds rushing for 2 TDs. Defensively, Michael Mayer shined again at linebacker with 7 tackles and a 76yd pick-6, while Jackson Blank and James Schwartz each added 7 more tackles and safety Andrew Shelton had one more interception for the D. Cov Cath will take on the rival Highlands Bluebirds (6-1) in Ft. Thomas on Friday night. 2) 5A Highlands (6-1) – The Bluebirds played 5A Dixie Heights (0-8) on Thursday, and made easy work of the Colonels, heading back to Ft. Thomas with a 49-6 over Dixie, making for a second running clock victory this season for Highlands. QB Grady Cramer was 20-33 passing for 330yds and 3 TDs. WR Nate Roberts was Cramer’s favorite receiver, with 192yds and 2 TDs, and WR Hunter Ahlfeld had another 67yds and 1 TD to add to that. RB Cooper Schwalbach rushed 16 times for 166yds and 2 TDs, and the remaining touchdowns came on runs by RB Joe Buten and RB Collin Hollingsworth. The Highlands D intercepted Dixie 4 times in the game, with INTs coming from Jacob Brass, Casey Greene, Jackson Hagedorn, and Brennan Haigis. Highlands hosts 5A district rival Covington Catholic (7-0) on Friday. 3) 1A Beechwood (5-2) – It was a quick game on Thursday, and Beechwood didn’t play the kindest of hosts, sending 1A Bellevue (4-3) home with a 63-0 shutout loss. The Tigers offense had 464 total yards in the game. Starting QB Cam Hergott passed 8 times for 6 receptions, 139yds and 1 TD, and rushed for another 33yds. Cole Stammer and Logan Castleman led the running attack with 73yds and 72yds, respectively, and Castleman led the scoring effort with 3 rushing TDs. The remaining rushing TDs came via Tyler Donoho, Max Nordheim, Mitchell Corts, and Jacob Sherrin, and WR Hank Birindelli had the lone TD receiving. Logan Castleman and Mason Williams also had interceptions for the defense. Beechwood will play 1A Ludlow (5-2) at Ludlow on Friday. 4) 6A Simon Kenton (6-2) – Simon Kenton returned to putting games in the W column on Saturday by beating 6A Boone County (2-5) by a score of 39-7. Pioneer quarterbacks Caleb Farfsing and Reed Carmony combined for 172 yards of passing on 13 receptions, and 1 TD on a connection between Farfsing and WR Evan Mulberry. RB Austin Hammack compiled 128yds and 1 TD on the ground, and FB Jon Sergent added 2 TDs and 70yds rushing. Bryson Pernell led the defense with 11 tackles, and Clay Cogswell returned from two weeks of injury to put up 10 tackles. Pernell had 2 sacks, and Jack Milton had 1. The Pioneers will be returning to the road on Friday to head east and play the 6A Campbell County Camels (5-2). 5) 6A Campbell County (5-2) – Campbell County was another team that got back to winning last week, with a 13-9 win over 6A Conner (5-2). QB Andrew Helton was 14-27 passing for 162yds, and he also rushed for 45yds and 1 TD. WR Reid Jolly had 91yds receiving, while RB Grant Jolly had 23yds rushing for 1 TD, and 26yds receiving. No defensive stats have been reported for the game. Campbell County will face 6A Simon Kenton (6-2) this week. 6) 6A Conner (5-2) – The Cougars may have won the battle for offensive yards on Friday, outgaining 6A Campbell County 296yds to 206yds, they failed to win the battle on the scoreboard, with Conner losing 13-9 at the end of regulation. QB Jared Hicks was 20-34 passing for 194yds, and Christian Webster rushed for 79yds on 16 carries and had the team’s only TD. The remaining 3 points came on a field goal by kicker Teddy Schul. Clayton Boyd, Tate Niederman, and Colton Roy each had 6 tackles a piece for the Cougars’ defense, and Caleb Ervin tallied 1 sack. Conner has 6A Ryle (2-5) coming to visit this Friday for their next game. 7) 6A Ryle (2-5) – The Raiders finally got their second win of the season on Friday, beating 6A Cooper (2-5) by a final score of 26-7. QB Jake Smith was 5-13 passing for 95 yards, and he rushed for 87yds and 1 TD in the game. The running game was led by Jackson Saladin, with 169yds and 3 TDs on 5 carries, and Elijah Cusick added 81 yds on 21 carries. Jackson Saladin also led the defense from linebacker, with 9 tackles including 4 tackles for loss and 1 sack. Johnathan Coker had 1 interception for the D as well. Ryle faces 6A Conner (5-2) on Friday. 8) 6A Cooper (2-5) – For a fourth time this season, Cooper was only able to score a single time in a game in their 26-7 loss to 6A Ryle (2-5). They did have QB Jeremiah Lee back from injury this week, and Lee was 10-26 passing for 148yds and 1 TD in addition to rushing for 66yds. WR Mikey Armour accounted for 143 of the teams 148yds receiving with 9 receptions and the Jags’ single TD in the game. LB Ethan Bosway led the defense with 13 tackles, while LB Brian Yelton had 10 tackles, and DB Joe Poage had 8. Cooper plays 6A Boone County (5-2) at home this Friday. 9) 2A Walton-Verona (5-2) – No action this week. The Bearcats will return to action this week against 2A Carroll County (4-3). 10) Lloyd Memorial (5-2) – The Juggs handed out their second shutout of the season last Friday, beating the 2A Newport Wildcats 30-0 in Erlanger. The passing game was sparse, with QB Dakota Thiel only making 5 attempts good for 3 receptions and 21yds. Travon Mason ran the ball 24 times for 156yds and 1 TD, Jonathan Williams had 7 carries for 50yds and 2 TDs, and QB Thiel ran it 4 times for 14yds and 1 TD. Darian Jackson and Nathan Jarvis each had 6 tackles a piece, and Isaac Abdon, Jalen Huntley, and Jonathan Williams each had 5 tackles. Darian Jackson and Tyson Maynard each had an interception in the game as well. Lloyd hosts 2A Newport Central Catholic (2-5) this week at home. TRENDING UP: 2A Lloyd (Previously #10) – Their place hasn’t changed in the NKY Power Rankings, but Lloyd continues to do what it takes to put wins in the record book. 5A Covington Catholic (Previously #1) – The Colonels haven’t moved up from the #1 spot, but with a big win over a top Indiana team in Bishop Chatard (6-2), Cov Cath is defending their case to remain the #1 ranked team in 5A, and the #1 team in the NKY Power Rankings. TRENDING DOWN: 1A Dayton (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Greendevils started out the season with less than 30 players on their roster, and due to ongoing injuries, Dayton was forced to forfeit their game last week against 1A Ludlow (5-2). GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 7 6A Cooper vs. 6A Ryle Both teams are obviously working on rebuilding this season, with each having a 2-5 record at this point, but Ryle defended their title as the best team in Union for a third year straight by beating the Cooper Jaguars 26-7 last week. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 8 5A Covington Catholic vs. 5A Highlands The game of the week is going to be #1 versus #2 this week in the NKY Power Rankings, with one of Northern Kentucky’s premier rivalries facing off in Fort Thomas on Friday night when Highlands (6-1) hosts Covington Catholic (7-0). This game has gone in the Bluebirds’ favor the vast majority of the meetings in the last decade, but the Colonels have managed to beat Birds the two time they’ve faced one another in the last two seasons. This won’t be one to miss. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 7 QB Caleb Jacob (5A Covington Catholic) – Caleb stepped into some big shoes this season, coming in as a sophomore to replace All-State QB AJ Mayer, and has done a heck of a job. In his latest performance, Caleb helped the Colonels beat IN-3A Bishop Chatard (6-2) last week by going 19-30 passing for 385yds and 3 TDs.
  22. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (6-0) – No action this week. The Colonels face IN-3A Bishop Chatard (6-1) in Indianapolis this Friday. 2) 5A Highlands (5-1) – No action this week. The Bluebirds will take on 5A Dixie Heights (0-7) in Edgewood this Thursday. 3) 1A Beechwood (4-2) – Beechwood looks to have sloughed off their two losses by quickly putting together two wins in a row, the latest being a 28-21 victory over 6A Simon Kenton (5-2). QB Cam Hergott led the offense on Friday night, going 13-24 passing for 178yds and 2 TDs, and rushing for another 71yds. RB Logan Castleman was also a standout in the game with 24 carries for 220yds and 2 TDs, as well as 47yds and 1 TD receiving. The remaining touchdown came on a 29yd connection from Hergott to WR Jacob Sherron. The Tigers’ defense was able to find the Pioneers’ quarterback 3 times for sacks, in addition to intercepting him 3 times. Beechwood will host 1A Bellevue (4-2) this Friday. 4) 6A Simon Kenton (5-2) – The ‘Neers have now dropped two straight games, with their latest defeat coming via a 28-21 loss at the hands of 1A Beechwood (4-2). QB Caleb Farfsing was back following an injury in the Highlands game the week before, and was 14-27 passing for 232yds and 3 TDs in addition to rushing for 111yds. RB Jon Sergent rushed 15 times for 44yds and 1 TD. Receivers Alec Kaiser and Erik Brown both had receiving touchdowns for the offense. Linebacker Byrson Pernell led the defense with 11 tackles, including 2 for losses, and the Pioneers D was able to tally 4 sacks and 2 interceptions in the game. Simon Kenton will host 6A Boone County (2-4) this week. 5) 6A Campbell County (4-2) – Campbell County suffered their second loss of the season on Friday, losing 28-20 to the OH-III Mt. Healthy Owls (3-3) at Mt. Healthy. QB Andrew Helton had 19 completions for 218yds and 2 TDs, and also led the Camel rushing attack with 42yds and 1 TD. Reid Jolly was Helton’s favorite receiver in the game, with 11 receptions good for 157yds and 1 TD. WR Nick Cartwright also had 1 reception in the game, good for a 15yd TD. No defensive stats were reported for the game. Campbell County will play 6A Conner (5-1) this week at home in Claryville. 6) 6A Conner (5-1) – Despite facing a 3 point deficit at halftime, the Cougars pulled out their fifth win of the season by beating 1A Lloyd (4-2) with a final score of 34-22. Sticking with their very run-centric offensive plan, WR Emmanuel Merkel made Conner’s single reception in the game, good for 38yds. QB Garrett Coghlan led the team in rushing with 170yds and 3 TDs on 20 carries. RB Christian Webster also had 124yds and 1 TD in the game. LB Clayton Boyd led the defense with 13 tackles, including 1 sack. DL Kurt Chase also had a sack, and DBs Colton Roy & Emmanuel Merkel both had interceptions in the game, with Merkel returning his INT for a Cougar touchdown. Conner will take on 6A Campbell County (4-2) on Friday at Campbell County. 7) 6A Ryle (1-5) – The Raiders returned from their bye week on Friday by heading up to Indianapolis to play IN-5A Indianapolis Cathedral (4-3), but were sent home with a 42-20 loss. The Ryle offense stalled in the game, only putting together 150 total yards. QB Jake Smith was 8-19 passing for 55yds and 1 TD. The passing TD came on an 11 yard connection with WR Tyler Phillips. Jake Smith and RBs Jake England, Max Inabnit, and Elijah Cusick combined for 95yds rushing. DB Dylan Green led the defense with 11 tackles, and LB Jackson Saladin also had 10 tackles, including 1 sack. DB Ryan Planck had an interception for the Raiders. Ryle will host 6A Cooper (2-4) on Friday. 8) 6A Cooper (2-4) – The Jaguars notched their second victory of the season with a 20-16 win over 5A Dixie Heights Colonels (0-7) on Friday. Even with starting QB Jeremiah Lee sidelined with an injury, Mikey Armour and Ty Conner were able to stand in and combine for 88yds passing and 1 TD on a Armour to Michael Spencer reception. RB Anthony Witschey carried 23 times for 113yds, QB Mikey Armour rushed for 68yds and 1 TD, and RB Joe Poage rushed for 41yds and 1 TD. In addition to his touchdown catch, Michael Spencer also led the defense from LB with 11 tackles, and LB Ethan Bosway had 7 tackles, including a sack. Joe Poage had an interception from DB. Cooper will play 6A Ryle (1-5) on Friday at Ryle. 9) 2A Walton-Verona (4-2) – The Bearcats faced a tough competitor on Friday in the 1A Paintsville Tigers (5-2), and came up short with a 27-15 loss. Walton-Verona jumped out to a quick lead, going up 13-0 in the first quarter, but the offense stalled out after that, and the only remaining points for the Bearcats came on a safety in the last minute of the 4th quarter. No further stats have been reported. 10) Lloyd Memorial (4-2) – Lloyd had their second loss of the season on Friday when they lost 34-22 to 6A Conner (5-1). The Juggs were looking strong in the first half, taking a quick lead and heading into the locker room at the half with a 16-13 lead, but fell short in the second half. Lloyd’s offense had 38yds passing and 148yds rushing for a total 186 offensive yards in the game. No further offensive stats have been reported. DB Darian Jackson had 11 tackles for the defense, DB Nathan Jarvis had 10 tackles, and DB Johnathon Williams had 8 tackles. Lloyd will play 2A Newport (4-2) on Friday in Erlanger. TRENDING UP: 1A Beechwood (Previously #4) – The Tigers overtook the #3 spot in the NKY Power Rankings with a 28-21 win over the #4 team, 6A Simon Kenton (5-2). 2A Newport (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Wildcats improved to 5-2 on the season with a 35-25 win over 1A Bellevue (3-2). Newport has more wins this season than they have had in their past three seasons combined. TRENDING DOWN: 6A Simon-Kenton (Previously #3) – The ‘Neers dropped their 2nd straight game with a 28-21 loss to 1A Beechwood (4-2). GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 6 2A Walton-Verona vs. 1A Paintsville There have been some questions about strength of schedule for Walton-Verona in recent seasons while the Bearcats have enjoyed good success during the regular season, but have had early exits from the 2A playoffs. After Trimble County cancelled their season, Walton-Verona scrambled to fill the opening with their schedule by adding a game against 1A Paintsville (5-2). Paintsville is a traditional power in the 1A class, and proved their strength with a 27-15 win over the Bearcats, despite Walton-Verona taking an early 2 touchdown lead in the 1st quarter of the game. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 7 6A Cooper vs. 6A Ryle Both teams have been facing their fair share of struggles in the 2018 season, Ryle with only 1 win and Cooper with 2. All the same, these two teams are going to be battling it out for the sake of pride in Union this Friday. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 6 RB Logan Castleman (1A Beechwood) – Logan had a stellar game on Friday to help the Beechwood Tigers beat 6A Simon Kenton on Friday. He had 24 carries for 220 yards and 2 touchdowns, and 47 yards receiving good for 1 more touchdown. He also added in 1 interception on the defensive side of things.
  23. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (5-0) – Cov Cath’s streak of consecutive running clock wins in the state may come to an end on Friday, but not their streak of wins. The Colonels beat 1A Beechwood (2-2) by a score of 49-14. RB Casey McGinness had another phenomenal game, rushing for 195yds and 3 TDs, and receiving for 70yds and 1 TD. QB Caleb Jacob was 17 for 23 passing for 311yds and 3 TDs, while TE Michael Mayer was 93yds receiving with 1 TD, and WR Jack Coldiron was 91yds receiving with 1 TD. Andrew Shelton and Michael Mayer led the defense with 6 tackles each, and Jackson Bland and Daniel Felix each added 5 tackles each. The Colonels will head up to Columbus on Friday to face OH-III Saint Francis DeSales (3-1). 2) 5A Highlands (4-1) – Things may have been close at halftime on Friday between Highlands and 3A Lexington Catholic (4-1), but the Bluebirds made their adjustments at the half, and came home with a 44-27 win over the Knights. QB Grady Cramer was 18-26 passing for 271yds and 1 TD, and RB Cooper Schwalbach carried 12 times for 46yds and 2 TDs. WR Hunter Ahfeld had 102yds receiving, and WR Nate Roberts had 92yds and 1 TD. RB Joe Buten had the remaining offensive TD. One of the biggest defensive highlights of the game on a fumble picked up and returned 52yds for a touchdown. The Birds will face off with 6A Simon Kenton (5-0) this week in Fort Thomas. 3) 6A Simon Kenton (5-0) – Simon Kenton ticked off their fifth win of the season on Friday with a 46-3 route of 6A Cooper (1-4). QB Caleb Farfsing was 9 for 16 passing for 180yds and 2 TDs, and Farfsing also led the rushing game with 143yds and 3 TDs. WR Jon Sergent had 104yds and 1 TD receiving, and WR Evan Mulberry had 71yds and 1 TD. RB Austin Hammack had 76yds on the ground, while RB Erik Brown had 57yds and 1 TD. LB Clay Cogswell led the Pioneer D once again with 7 tackles, while JJ Courtney & Val Sajlovic had 6 tackles each. The ‘Neers will head to Fort Thomas to take on the 5A Highlands Bluebirds (4-1) on Friday. 4) 1A Beechwood (2-2) – The Tigers had a big game on the road for a second straight week, and for a second week fell short, losing 49-14 to 5A Covington Catholic (5-0). Beechwood came out roaring with a first possession TD and keeping the game close at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter, but then things stalled for the Tigers. QB Cam Hergott was 13-26 passing for 130yds and 1 TD, hitting WR John Odom 6 times for 94yds and WR Hank Birindelli twice for 11yds and 1 TD. Beechwood’s running game struggled against the Colonels, with the offense only putting up 50yds on the ground. Defensively, DE Gage Dollenmeyer had a sack in the game, while CB Mason Williams added an interception. The Tigers will take on 2A Covington Holy Cross (0-5) this week on the road. 5) 6A Campbell County (4-1) – The Camels added another one in the win column with a 14-0 win over 6A Ryle (1-4) on Friday. QB Andrew Helton was 14-26 passing for 126yds, rushed for 44yds and 1 TD. RB Grant Jolly carried 14 times for 79yds and 1 TD, while WR Reid Jolly led the receiving corps with 8 receptions for 61yds. Reid Jolly also had an interception for the Campbell County defense, as did DB Brady Singleton. The Camels have the week off this week, and will return to action on Sept. 28th against the OH-III Mt. Healthy Owls (1-3) at Mt. Healthy. 6) 6A Conner (3-1) – Conner hosted 5A Dixie Heights (0-5) on Friday, and sent the Colonels home with a 21-13 loss. The Cougars running game drove the offense again, with RB Christian Webster rushing for 71yds and 1 TD, and RB Doug Abdon rushing for 56yds and 1 TD, and QB Garrett Coghlan rushing for 48yds and 1 TD. Coghlan also had 5 pass completions good for 81yds. DB Clayton Boyd & DL Chase Kurtz led the defense with 8 tackles each, while LB Tyler Thomas had 7 tackles. The Cougars will face 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-4) at home in Hebron. 7) 6A Ryle (1-4) – The Raiders are still hunting for their second win of the season after a 14-0 shutout at the hands of 6A Campbell County (4-1) on Friday. Ryle’s offense struggled to get yardage for a second straight week, with only 151 total yards in the game. Quarterbacks Jake Smith and Keegan Stanken combined for 112yds passing. RB Kyle England was held to 34yds rushing, and the offense only managing to net 39yds on the ground.LB Jackson Saladin led the defense with 11 tackles, including 2 sacks. DB Tyson Keller also had 7 tackles for the Raiders’ D. Ryle has the week off this week, and will return to action on Sept 28th against IN-5A Indianapolis Cathedral (2-3). 8) 6A Cooper (1-4) – Cooper came up short for a fourth time this season, losing 46-3 on Friday to 6A Simon Kenton (5-0). The Jags were one of multiple NKY teams to struggle offensively on Friday, only tallying 119yds in the game. RB Anthony Witschey led the offense with 59yds rushing, while backup QB Ty Conner was 3 for 10 passing for 51yds. DL Mike Attabary led the defense with 6 tackles, and LB Bryan Yelton had 5 tackles. Cooper will take this Friday off and will return on Sept 28th against 5A Dixie Heights (0-5). 9) 2A Walton-Verona (4-1) – The Bearcats suffered their first loss of the season on Friday, losing 21-38 to 2A Lexington Christian Academy (3-2). QB Garrett Jones was 4-8 passing for 70yds and 1 TD. WR Peyton Smith had 69yds receiving and 1 TD. RB Tyler Wagner led the rushing game with 112yds on 7 carries and 1 TD. Defensively, the team was led in tackles by LB Grant Grubbs with an impressive 16 tackles, and DE Dawson Catlett had 13 tackles. Catlett also tallied one sack and one forced fumble. Walton-Verona will head to 2A Owen County on Friday to take on the 0-4 Rebels this week. 10) 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-4) – The Breds were shut out for a second time this season, losing 31-0 to 2A Christian Academy-Louisville (5-0) on Friday. It was an ugly game for New Cath’s offense, with a net of 7 total yards in the game after negative 27 yards rushing wiped out the vast majority of the 34 yards receiving. The CAL offense posted 442 total yards against the New Cath defense, and no further stats have been posted for the game. The Thoroughbreds will face 6A Conner (3-1) on Friday. TRENDING UP: 2A Lloyd (Previously Un-Ranked) – The Juggs remain un-ranked, but they are knocking at the door of the top 10 in the Northern Kentucky Power Rankings after 2A Walton-Verona and 2A Newport Central Catholic both struggled in their latest games. TRENDING DOWN: 6A Cooper (Previously #8) – Although they haven’t quite given up their #8 spot in the NKY Power Rankings, things aren’t looking good right now for the Jags after losing their starting QB last week, and then losing big to the 6A Simon Kenton Pioneers on Friday. GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 4 1A Beechwood vs. 5A Covington Catholic Despite the recent record in this series, this is still definitely a rivalry. Beechwood came out fast and hard with an 80 yard touchdown drive to following the opening kickoff. The Tigers led the first quarter in offensive yardage, but that was about as far as things went on Friday, with the Colonels dominating the rest of the game and coming away with a 49-14 win. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 5 5A Highlands vs. 6A Simon Kenton After this series was renewed in 2015, the Pioneers have beaten the Bluebirds three years straight. With Highlands currently 4-1 and ranked #2 in the NKY Power Rankings, and Simon Kenton currently 5-0 and ranked #3 in the NKY Power Rankings, this is bound to be a great game on Friday at Highlands’ David Cecil Memorial Stadium. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 4 QB Caleb Farfsing (6A Simon Kenton) – Caleb led the Pioneers offense this past Friday in a 46-3 win over the 6A Cooper Jaguars (1-4). Caleb went 9 for 16 passing for 180yds and 2 TDs, and Farfsing also led the ‘Neers rushing game with 143yds and 3 TDs. Heck of a performance!
  24. 1) 5A Covington Catholic (5-0) – The Colonels had to dig down and show their mettle after the 1st quarter against Beechwood, and they faced a similar situation, heading into halftime tied at 14 with OH-DIII St. Francis DeSales (3-2) before pulling ahead in the second half to win 35-14 up in Columbus. RB Casey McGinness had another great performance, rushing for 194yds and 2 TDs, and QB Caleb Jacob was 8-17 passing for 88yds and 1 TD. WR Jack Coldiron led the receiving corps with 56yds receiving and 1 TD, and the other TD’s were scored on short runs by Jacob and RB Daniel Felix. McGinness also subbed in on defense for the Colonels to provide a clutch 4th quarter interception with a 60yd return, while LB Michael Mayer had 10 tackles with 1 tackle for loss, and Dan Felix added on 9 more tackles with 2 for losses. Covington Catholic is on their bye week this week, and will play IN-3A Bishop Chatard on the road on October 5th. 2) 5A Highlands (5-1) – The Birds had their 4th win this season over a 6A competitor on Friday with a 38-9 victory over 6A Simon Kenton (5-1), and also cemented their spot as the #2 team in the NKY Power Rankings. The game started off with an opening kickoff return for TD by Brycen Huddleston. QB Grady Cramer was 8-23 passing for 103yds and 1 TD, and backup QB Collin Hollingsworth was 5-6 for 49yds and 1TD. 6 of the Highlands WRs combined for 13 receptions in the game, with TDs coming on receptions by Adam Weyer and Austin King. RB Joe Buten led the rushing attack with 5 carries for 70yds and 1 TD. LB Jackson Hagedorn also scored defensively with a fumble scoop-and-score, in addition to a sack. LB Brycen Huddleston and DL Zach Lewin also tallied sacks for the Bluebirds D. Highlands takes the week off with a bye before playing 5A Dixie Heights (0-6) on October 4th. 3) 6A Simon Kenton (5-1) – Simon Kenton’s undefeated start to the season was ended on Friday when the Pioneers lost 38-9 to 5A Highlands (5-1), despite outgaining the Birds on offense by 24yds in the game. QB Caleb Farfsing was 7-18 passing for 64yds and backup QB Jack Nelson was 4-10 for 18yds. Farfsing also led the team in rushing with 93yds and 1TD, and FB Jon Sergent added on 75yds rushing. DL JJ Courtney led in tackles for the defense, with 11 tackles including 3 sacks. DL Vuk Saljovic had a solid defensive performance with 8 tackles and 2 sacks. DL Jack Milton and LB Bryson Pernell also were able to bring down the Highlands quarterback for sacks. Simon Kenton will take on 1A Beechwood (3-2) in Independence this week. 4) 1A Beechwood (3-2) – After tough losses in the last two weeks, the Tigers made quick work of the 2A Covington Holy Cross Indians in a 63-6 win on Saturday. The game kicked off at 11:00am, Beechwood had started a running clock less than 2 minutes into the 2Q, and the Tigers were walking out to their buses by 1:00pm. QB Cam Hergott was 7 for 8 passing for 139yds and 3 TDs. WR Mason Williams led the receivers with 3 receptions for 51yds and 3 TDs, and WR John Odom caught 1 pass for 10yds and the remaining TD through the air. RB Logan Castleman led things on the ground with 112yds and 1 TD on 6 carries, and RB Cole Stammer, RB Mitchell Corts, and Cam Hergott added the remaining rushing TDs. Castleman also added a 28yd pick-6 from the safety position. Beechwood will head out to Independence to take on 6A Simon Kenton (5-1) on Friday. 5) 6A Campbell County (4-1) – No action this week. The Camels face the OH-III Mt. Healthy Owls (2-3) on the road this Friday at Mt. Healthy. 6) 6A Conner (4-1) – Conner hosted 2A Newport Central Catholic (1-5) on Friday, handed the Breds a 34-18 loss. To say that the Cougars’ running game drove the offense would be an understatement, seeing as Conner had 342yds rushing and not a single passing attempt in their win. RB Christian Webster led the offense with 21 carries for 230yds and 3 TDs, and QB Garrett Coghlan carried 13 times for 107yds and 2 TDs. DB Caleb Ervin led the defense with 11 tackles, and DB Clayton Boyd & LB Zane Cahill each had 10 tackles and a sack each. DL Chase Kurtz added in 7 more tackles and a sack as well. Conner will play the 2A Lloyd Juggernauts (4-1) this Friday. 7) 6A Ryle (1-4) – No action this week. The Raiders face IN-5A Indianapolis Cathedral (3-3) on the road this Friday in Indianapolis. 8) 6A Cooper (1-4) – No action this week. The Jaguars will face the 5A Dixie Heights Colonels (0-6) on the road this Friday in Edgewood. 9) Lloyd Memorial (4-1) – The Juggs notched off their 3rd straight win on Friday with a 26-12 victory over Grant County. There haven’t been any offensive stats reported for the game. Lloyd’s defense was led in tackles by DB Nathan Jarvis with 8, DB Johnathon Williams with 7, DL Mike Wallington with 6, and DB Isaac Abdon & DL Anthony Hall with 4 each. Defensive backs Isaac Abdon and Keesean Crim each had an interception in the game as well. Lloyd will host 6A Conner (4-1) this week. 10) 2A Walton-Verona (4-1) – The Bearcats are celebrating their 3rd shut-out win of the season this week after a 34-0 victory over 2A Owen County (0-5) on Friday. Walton-Verona was a second team in the NKY Power Rankings to rely entirely on the run-game this week, with all 301 of their offensive yards coming on carries. FB Micah Alford led the offense with 21 carries for 132yds and 2 TDs, RB Catlett Dawson had 49yds and 1 TD, RB Tyler Wagner had 42yds and 1 TD, and RB Peyton Smith had 31yds and 1 TD. Linebacker Grant Grubbs led the defense with 8 tackles. The Bearcats will face their biggest challenge yet this season when they host the 1A Paintsville Tigers (4-2). TRENDING UP: 2A Lloyd Memorial (Previously Un-Ranked) – Things are continuing to move in a positive direction in Erlanger as the Juggernauts improved to 4-1 on Friday with a 26-12 win over Grant County. TRENDING DOWN: 2A Newport Central Catholic (Previously #9) – The Breds dropped their 5th straight loss to 6A Conner (4-1), and falls off the NKY Power Rankings this week. New Cath still has big games in 2A Lloyd (4-1) and 1A Beechwood (3-2) remaining on their regular season schedule. GAME OF THE WEEK RECAP: WEEK 5 5A Highlands vs. 6A Simon Kenton This game was leaning in Highlands favor from the very first seconds of the game when Brycen Huddleston returned the opening kickoff for a Bluebirds touchdown. The Pioneers responded quickly with a solid offensive drive good for a touchdown, but that was about it for Simon Kenton in the game. Highlands took over for the rest of the game, and sent the ‘Neers home on the short side of a 38-9 final score. GAME OF THE WEEK: WEEK 6 2A Walton-Verna vs. 1A Paintsville There has been a lot of talk in the last couple of seasons about the scheduling at Walton-Verona and whether or not they are able to compete with tough teams in the playoffs if they aren’t facing tough teams in their regular season. Well, whether or not the Bearcats wanted it, they’ve got it. Following Trimble County’s cancellation of their 2018 football season, Walton-Verona agreed to a home game with Paintsville this season and we will get to see how they fare against the 1A #5 Tigers. PLAYER OF THE WEEK: WEEK 5 RB Christian Webster (6A Conner) – Christian Webster’s performance on Friday was so good that the Conner Cougars didn’t even have to try passing in their win over New Cath. Christian carried the ball 21 times on Friday, good for 230yds and 3 TDs.
  25. Thanks to Northern Kentucky Family & Cosmetic Dentistry -"Making Northern Kentucky Smile" for sponsoring our 2017 Northern Kentucky Power Rankings! We encourage everyone to patronize all of our sponsors, and you can visit Northern Kentucky Family & Cosmetic Dentistry at 2047 Centennial Boulevard in Independence, KY. [ATTACH=CONFIG]64214[/ATTACH] THE RANKINGS: 1) 5A Covington Catholic (10-0) – Covington Catholic managed to pull off their second 10-0 regular season in their program’s 50 year history. The Colonels wrapped up their regular season competition for the year with a 49-13 win over 6A Campbell County (6-4). QB AJ Mayer was 7-14 passing with 103yds and 2 TDs, and he rushed for another 13yds and 1 YD. RB Casey McGinness had a solid game, breaking to 1,000 yard mark 77yds rushing for 3 TDs. TDs were also scored by WRs Malachi Pike & Jack Coldiron, and backup QB Tyler Reusch. The Colonels 5A playoff battle begins against 4-6 Bullitt East, with a rematch against the 5-5 Highlands Bluebirds battle looming probable in the third round. Cov Cath will also have to get past 8-2 Bowling Green in the semifinals in order to reach the 5A finals in Lexington. 2) 6A Ryle (8-2) – The Raiders were undefeated in 6A competition during the regular season, and finished their season with a 43-18 win over Dixie Heights (3-7). QB Easton Pilyer was 7-12 with 78yds passing and 1 TD in the air. RB Jake Chisholm rushed for 182yds and 3 TDs, and Peyton Howorka ran for another 106yds and 1 TD. Jake Smith added another TD receiving, while Jackson Saladin led the D with 11 tackles and Spencer McKinney had another 10 tackles. The Raiders star off their playoff hunt in 6A against the Butler Bears (6-4). It will be one of the tougher first round battles in the state in the 6A classification. Male (8-2), St. Xavier (8-2) and Scott County (8-2) will also stand between Ryle and a spot in the 6A finals. 3) 6A Simon Kenton (9-1) – The Pioneers had their bye week this last week, and undoubtedly spent their week off busily preparing for the first round of the 6A playoffs. Simon Kenton has 7-3 Jefffersontown this Friday in the first round of the 6A playoffs, and will likely see 5-5 Ballard in the second round. Their biggest challenge of the season is the likelihood of facing 10-0 Trinity in the third round, two weeks before the 6A finals. 4) 1A Beechwood (8-2) – Beechwood finished out the regular season with yet another win against their out-of-district rival 2A Newport Central Catholic (5-5). The Tigers beat the Breds 34-6 on Friday, with QB Brayden Burch going 7-16 for 69yds and 1 TD passing. RB James Davis had 207yds rushing with 2 TDs, Logan Castleman added 1 TD rushing and another receiving, and RB Luke Jeffriesrushed for Beechwood’s remaining TD. Beechwood begin the 1A playoffs with a bye, before starting their work for the 1A title against the winner of the Bellevue (5-5) vs. Frankfort (6-4) game in round 2. The biggest competitor on the Tiger’s side of the 1A bracket is the Kentucky Country Day Bearcats (9-1), which they will be up against in the 3rd round. 5) 6A Campbell County (6-4) – The Camels faced 5A Covington Catholic (10-0) on Friday, and suffered a disappointing senior-day 49-13 loss to the Colonels. QB Austin Hoeh was held to 70yds passing and 26yds & 1 TD rushing, while RB Alex Dowds ran for 123yds and 1 TD in the loss. Campbell County takes on Eastern (5-5) in the 1st round of the 6A playoffs, and has a daunting 2nd round matchup against Trinity (10-0) lurking the week after. The Camels will have to dig deep for a hope at the 6A finals on December 3rd. 6) 5A Highlands (5-5) – The Birds managed to overt their second straight regular season losing record with a fifth win against the 6A Boone County Rebels (9-1). Highlands relied heavily on their running game, with a mere 60yds and no TDs passing. RB Larry Wilson ran for 142yds, while QB Cooper Schwalbach added another 91yds rushing and 2 TDs on the ground. The Bluebirds also had 2 TDs on Rebel turnovers, including a fumble recovery that junior Alex Starkey picked up and ran 67yds for a TD. The Birds will start off the 5A playoffs against the 6-4 Oldham County Colonels. South Oldham (9-1) has a 1st round bye and will play the winner of that game, before a likely match against Covington Catholic (10-0) in round three. 7) 6A Conner (4-6) – The Cougars’ struggle to find a groove has plagued them all season long, and it continued on Friday in a 28-3 loss to 6A Frederick Douglass (8-2). Conner’s offense only managed a total 129yds against Douglass, with 87yds passing and 42yds rushing. Jared Hicks and Clayton Boyd led the defense with 8 tackles a piece. Conner will have to put things together early in the 6A playoffs, as they face the 8-2 Male Bulldogs in the first round. If they make it past Male, they will be facing the winner of the Ryle (8-2) vs. Butler (6-4) game in round 2. The Cougars lost to Ryle 54-28 back on October 14th. 8) 4A Scott (7-3) – Scott put together a 7th win for their regular season, fending off the threatening 2A Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts late in the 4th quarter on Friday and pulling off a 23-22 win. The Eagles passing game struggled, with QB Chad Ohmer going 2-8 passing for 57yds and no TDs in the air. Nelson Perrin led the offense with 83yds rushing, and RBs Alex Thurza and David Patrick had TDs in the game. The remaining TD came on a short yardage rush by Chad Ohmer. The Eagles will have Rowan County (3-7) in the first round of the 4A playoffs, and will see the winner of the Johnson Central (8-2) vs. Mason County (7-2) game in week 2. Ashland (8-2) and Wayne County (9-1) are also lurking on Scott’s side of the 4A bracket. 9) 2A Lloyd Memorial (7-3) – Lloyd Memorial fought hard on Friday in their game against 4A Scott (7-3), but came up just short, losing 23-22 after a 4th quarter interception on their final possession. QB Jordan Fann was 3-9 with 73yds passing, and rushed for 85yds and 1 TD. RB Travon Mason rushed 17 times for 185yds and 2 TDs. Lloyd will see the 5-5 Green County Dragons in the first round of the 2A playoffs, and will have a likely game against Monroe County (7-3) if they make it past the Dragons. Glasgow (7-3), Newport Central Catholic (5-5), Lexington Christian (9-1) and defending 2A champs Danville (10-0) are all also on the Juggs’ side of the 2A playoff brackets. 10) 2A Newport Central Catholic (5-5) – The Thoroughbreds played three defending state championship teams this season, and came up with one win amongst the three, beating 2A Christian Academy Louisville (8-2) back on Sept 15th. They saw their third defending champ on Friday, and lost 34-6 to the 1A Beechwood Tigers (8-2). Stats have not been reported yet for the Breds’ loss, but the offense only managed a total 146yds against the Tigers. New Cath will face the 7-3 Metcalfe County Hornets in the first round of the 2A playoffs. If they move past the Hornets, they will likely have the Glasgow Scotties (7-3) in the second round. On the same side of the brackets as Lloyd Memorial (7-3), the Breds also have Lexington Christian (9-1) and defending 2A champs Danville (10-0) to beat in order to get to Kroger Field on December 2nd. HONORABLE MENTION: 1A Bracken County (8-2) – New Polar Bears coach Mike Brausch led Bracken County to a second straight eight win regular season, with the teams only losses coming from 1A Ludlow (8-2) and 1A Paris (9-1). Bracken County takes on Fairview (4-6) in the first round of the 1A playoffs. 1A Ludlow (8-2) – The Panthers had their best regular season in over two decades this year, with their only losses coming at the hands of 1A Beechwood (8-2) and 1A Paris (9-1). Ludlow takes on Louisville Holy Cross (5-5) in the first round of the 1A playoffs. 2A Walton-Verona (8-2) – The Bearcats bested their 2016 regular season by two wins this year, suffering their only losses to 1A Kentucky Country Day (9-1) and 2A Lexington Christian (8-2). Walton-Verona takes on Shawnee (0-10) in the first round of the 1A playoffs. PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: QB/LB Justin Blackburn (Ludlow) – During the regular season, Blackburn did it all for the Panthers. At QB, he went 56-103 with 1,060yds and 13 TDS passing, and rushed 197 times for 1,989yds and 33yds. That’s an average 199yds and 3.3 rushing TDs per game, on top of 1.3 TD passes per game. On the defensive side, he has led the team in tackles with 77 tackles, and also had 2 interceptions including one pick-6. RB Jake Chisholm (Ryle) – In his 10 games played this season, Chisholm has carried 233 times for 2,159yds and 32 TDs. He has averaged 216yds and 3.2 TDs per game. He also made his way to #7 all-time in the KHSAA’s record book for yards gained in a single game in his 449yd/6TD performance against Simon Kenton on October 20th. QB AJ Mayer (Covington Catholic) – During the regular season, Mayer has thrown for an average of 12 completions each game, with an average of 17yds per completion. Passing, he has gone 120-194 with 2,045yds and 23 TDs. He was only intercepted 3 times, and averaged over 200yds per game passing. He also rushed 38 times for 261yds and 9 TDs.
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