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Conner offense gets the job done without injured senior starter in 35-27 win over NewCath


Conner senior Matt Simpson returns the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown in his team’s 35-27 win over Newport Central Catholic. (Photo by Rocio Walls)


By Terry Boehmker

NKyTribune sports reporter

The Conner Cougars had to make some offensive adjustments after losing one of their most versatile players in the opening minutes of Friday’s home football game against Newport Central Catholic.

Senior wingback Matt Simpson injured his shoulder on Conner’s second play from scrimmage, but his teammates shook off that setback, opened up a big lead and then held off a late rally by NewCath to post a 35-27 win.

“We did some great things,” said Conner coach Dave Trosper. “I mean, Matt Simpson has been our guy (on offense), but he goes down and we made some huge plays without him.”

NewCath defensive back Caleb Jefferson helps bring down a Conner ball carrier during Friday’s game. (Photo by Rocio Walls)

Simpson showed his big-play capability by returning the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.

After he was injured, however, Conner had to shift players on offense and count on them to move the ball. They did so well that each of the Cougars’ next four touchdowns was scored by a different player.

“It was definitely a sudden change,” Conner senior quarterback Cooper Gullion said of losing Simpson. “But we’ve got plenty of guys who can step up and do the job, and they did that (Friday).”

Gullion certainly did his part. In addition to completing 14 of 17 passes for 113 yards and one touchdown, he rushed for 50 yards and scored on one of his 17 carries.

In previous games, Gullion and sophomore Jared Hicks shared time at the quarterback position. But Hicks had to play wingback after Simpson went down in Friday’s game and he ended up catching a TD pass from Gullion in the third quarter.

“That was a good connection,” Gullion said with a smile. “He almost knocked me over with his shoulder bump after that play.”

It looked like the game was over when the Cougars took a 35-13 lead on a 22-yard touchdown run by senior Jaylen Watkins with 4:03 left in the fourth quarter. But NewCath junior Hezekiah Miller returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown to revive his team’s spirit.

Conner wasn’t able to get a first down on its next possession and punted the ball back to NewCath. Two plays later, junior Aubrey Posey caught a short pass from quarterback Hunter Cain and took it to the end zone on a 26-yard scoring play that cut Conner’s lead to 35-27 with 1:57 left on the clock.

The Thoroughbreds got the ball back once again with 52 seconds remaining. After Cain completed two passes, he dropped back to throw once again and couldn’t find an open receiver. He tried to throw a pass on the run that was tipped and Conner defensive lineman Matt Campbell snagged the ball for an interception to seal the win.

“I was getting a little nervous at the end, but I had trust in my defense and they got it done,” Gullion said. “It was a lineman who got (the interception) so I was really excited for him.”

NewCath finished with a 257-247 advantage in total yards, but the Thoroughbreds lost a fumble and had two passes intercepted.  The team leader was junior running back Kyle Kelly, who rushed for 70 yards on 13 carries and caught two touchdown passes for 53 yards. Cain finished with 123 yards passing and 62 rushing.

NewCath entered Friday’s game with four offensive starters sidelined by injuries, including quarterback Paul Kramer. But coach Dan Wagner downplayed that disadvantage.

“We were a patchwork there for a while and doing stuff on the fly, but that’s no excuse,” Wagner said of the offensive unit. “That’s a game we could have won, but we made too many mistakes. We turned the ball over and they had two of their drives that only went 30-something yards for a touchdown.”

CONNER      14  0  14    7 — 35
NEWCATH     6   0    7  14 — 27

C — Simpson 85 kickoff return (Schul kick)
NCC — Kelly 9 pass from Cain (kick failed)
C — Courts 3 run (Schul kick)
C — Hicks 8 pass from Gullion (Schul kick)
NCC — Kelly 44 pass from Cain (Muck kick)
C — Gullion 4 run (Schul kick)
C — Watkins 22 run (Schuk kick)
NCC – Miller 80 kickoff return (Muck kick)
NCC — Posey 26 pass from Cain (Muck kick)
RECORDS — Conner 3-2, NewCath 3-3.

 

 


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