By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
A blocked punt and two pass interceptions were among the big plays that helped Beechwood defeat Kentucky Country Day, 35-14, in the Class 1A regional finals on Friday in Louisville.
Beechwood quarterback Brayden Burch calls a play at the line of scrimmage during the Class 1A playoff game against Kentucky Country Day. (Photo by Shaun Birindelli)
The victory moves Beechwood a step closer to its second straight Class 1A state championship. The Tigers have to beat Campbellsville in a semifinal game next Friday to continue their bid for another title.
The Tigers took a 7-0 lead against Kentucky Country Day when Dayton Baugh returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in the first quarter and Daniel Mescher kicked the extra point.
In the second quarter, a punt return by John Odom gave Beechwood good field position and James Davis scored on a 2-yard run to make it 14-0.
Kentucky Country Day put together a long scoring drive before the half ended and cut the margin to 14-7. But two interceptions by Beechwood senior Elijah McKenney in the second half put the Tigers back in control.
After the first interception, Beechwood moved the ball 56 yards and Davis got his second TD on a 13-yard run. McKinney’s second interception led to a 10-yard TD pass from quarterback Brayden Burch to Logan Castleman that made it 28-7.
Kentucky Country Day scored on a long breakaway run in the fourth quarter and Beechwood answered with a touchdown drive of its own. Castleman finished it off with an 8-yard run into the end zone.
Davis picked up 112 of his 135 rushing yards in the second half to push his season total past the 1,100 mark. The Tigers have a 33-7 record in the small-school playoffs over the last 10 seasons.
BEECHWOOD 7 7 14 7 – 35
KY COUNTRY DAY 0 7 0 7 – 14
BEE — Baugh 15 blocked punt return (Mescher kick)
BEE — Davis 2 run (Mescher kick)
KCD — Diaz 3 run (Wright kick)
BEE — Davis 13 run (Mescher kick)
BEE — Castleman 10 pass from Burch (Mescher kick)
KCD — Caldwell 59 run (Wright kick)
BEE — Castleman 8 run (Mescher kick)
RECORDS: Beechwood 10-2, Kentucky County Day 11-2.
COVINGTON CATHOLIC 49, SOUTH OLDHAM 7
Covington Catholic senior quarterback A.J. Mayer threw five touchdown passes in the first half to put the Colonels on top and they ran their perfect record to 13-0 by winning the Class 5A regional final at South Oldham.
Mayer ended up completing 13 of 18 passes for 204 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Casey McGinness in the second quarter. McGinness had a net total of 165 yards in rushing, pass receiving and punt returns.
CovCath running back Casey McGinness eludes a tackler during his team’s Class 5A playoff game at South Oldham. (Photo by Steve Dyer)
Mayer, a University of Miami recruit, has thrown 33 touchdowns this season, five shy of the CovCath team record.
CovCath had 172 rushing yards and finished with a 376-235 advantage in total yards against the home team. South Oldham scored its only touchdown late in the fourth quarter against CovCath reserve players.
Senior linebacker Kam Butler had a team-high seven tackles for the Colonels. The defensive unit had three takeaways with Adam Schneider intercepting a pass and linebackers Grant Dyer and Tanner Bayer recovering fumbles.
Freshman placekicker David Gronotte converted all seven of his point-after kicks and now holds the team’s single-season record with 73. The Colonels have also surpassed the single-season team record for most points scored with 538.
This is the first time since 2006 that the Colonels have advanced to the state semifinals. They will play at South Warren on Friday in Bowling Green with the winner advancing to the state championship game.
CovCath, the top-ranked team in statewide power rankings, is making a bid for its seventh state title overall and first since 2006.
COVCATH 21 14 7 7 – 49
S. OLDHAM 0 0 0 7 — 7
CC — Schuh 16 pass from Mayer (Gronotte kick)
CC — Coldiron 8 pass from Mayer (Gronotte kick)
CC — Pike 22 pass from Mayer (Gronotte kick)
CC — McGinness 53 pass from Mayer (Gronotte kick)
CC — Coldiron 8 pass from Mayer (Gronotte kick)
CC — Shriver 1 run (Gronotte kick)
CC — Dyer 33 run (Gronotte kick)
SO – Bednarzcky 52 pss from Zaubi (Laws kick)
RECORDS: CovCath 13-0, South Oldham 10-2
LOUISVILLE TRINITY 49, SIMON KENTON 17
Louisville Trinity showed why it’s ranked among the top high school football teams in the nation with its performance against Simon Kenton in the Class 6A regional final.
Trinity took a 35-0 lead in the first two quarters behind the play of senior quarterback Nick Bohn and won its 28 consecutive game over the last two seasons. The Shamrocks, who were No. 9 in the latest USA Today Super 25 national rankings, need two more wins to claim their 25th state championship.
This was the fourth time that Simon Kenton lost to the perennial state power in the large-school state playoffs. The Pioneers were shutout in the previous three games, but they managed to get two touchdowns and a field goal on Friday.
Bohn threw for 246 yards and four touchdowns in the first half to put Trinity in command of the game. The Shamrocks ended up with more than 500 yards in total offense.
Trinity senior wide receiver Rondale Moore scored on a 44-yard pass play in the opening minutes and caught another TD pass later in the first quarter. He scored his third touchdown on 10-yard sweep in the third quarter that made it 49-10.
Both of Simon Kenton’s touchdowns came on passes from quarterback Matt Shearer to wide receiver Fisher Hayden.
LOU. TRINITY 21 14 7 7 – 49
SIMON KENTON 0 7 3 7 – 17
LT — Moore 44 pass from Bohn (Mata kick)
LT — Smith 1 run (Mata kick)
LT — Moore 9 pass from Bohn (Mata kick)
LT — Strohman 3 pass from Bohn ( Mata kick)
LT — Strohman 35 pass from Bohn (Mata kick)
SK — Hayden 3 pass from Shearer (Seger kick)
SK — Seger 26 FG
LT — Smith 10 run (Mata kick)
LT — Moore 10 run (Mata kick)
SK — Hayden 3 run from Shearer (Seger kick)
RECORDS: Trinity 13-0, Simon Kenton 11-2
