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Simon Kenton runs record to 9-0 with impressive defensive effort in 28-7 win over Ryle


The NKyTribune is offering focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week, at Northern Kentucky High School Football.

By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

The Simon Kenton football team has scored so many points this season with its talented offense that coach Jeff Marksberry seldom gets to brag about the Pioneers’ defensive unit. When the coach finally got an opportunity to do that after his team’s 28-7 win over Ryle on Friday, he didn’t hold back.

Ryle-SK game

Ryle defensive lineman Jake Rabe, No. 34, tangles with Simon Kenton blockers. (Photo by Tammy Hammons)

“Unbelievable effort by our defense,” Marksberry said. “I can’t say enough about them. We average 48 points a game and I think people overlook how good we are defensively. But I think it really showed (Friday) against a really good offense.”

Ryle opened the game with a 71-yard scoring drive and took a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tanner Morgan to slotback Colin England.

But that was the only touchdown the Simon Kenton defense allowed even though Ryle continued to move the ball and finished with 337 total yards.

“Holding them like that shows how good our team is on defense,” said Simon Kenton senior defensive tackle Tucker Mueller. “I feel like we had something to prove and we did what we had to do to win the game.”

Simon Kenton (9-0) has been the top-ranked team in the Northern Kentucky coaches poll for most of the season and Ryle (7-2) was voted No. 3 prior to Friday’s showdown.

The Raiders dominated play in the first quarter, running a no-huddle offense that gained more than 150 yards on their first three possessions. But the momentum shifted shortly after they were stopped on a fourth-down play at the 2-yard line on their third possession.

In the second quarter, Simon Kenton tied the score with a 94-yard touchdown drive that ended with Dillion Powell’s 4-yard run into the end zone.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Pioneers recovered a squib kick that bounced off a Ryle player and took the lead seven plays later when quarterback Cam Racke threw a 25-yard pass to wide receiver Logan Scott in the end zone.

“That was a huge momentum switch right there,” Racke said. “We all knew when we got the ball back that we could take the lead and get the momentum back and we took advantage of it.”

With 30 seconds left in the first half, Racke scored on a 16-yard run and Adain McNamara converted his third extra-point kick to extend the Pioneers’ lead to 21-7 at halftime.

Midway through the third quarter, Racke threw a pass to wide receiver Luke Vance and he raced past Ryle defenders to complete a 77-yard scoring play that pretty much sealed the win for the home team.

Ryle continued to move the ball on offense and picked up 152 yards in the second half, but the Raiders weren’t able to get into the end zone against Simon Kenton’s defense. On their final three possessions, the Raiders turned the ball over on downs twice and had a pass intercepted.

“Our defense is built around bending but not breaking,” Mueller said. “They might drive on us, but we’ll put together a stop and come up with something.”

Ryle ran a total of 95 plays with its no-huddle offense and gained 337 yards. Simon Kenton picked up 396 yards on 70 plays.

Both quarterbacks put up big numbers. Racke completed 13 of 26 passes for 216 yards and rushed for 56 yards on 14 carries. Morgan completed 28 of 58 passes for 259 yards, but he was sacked several times and had minus-12 rushing yards.

“We wanted to get pressure on (Morgan) and make him run,” Marksberry said. “A lot of times on film we saw him scrambling to buy time down the field. We told our secondary guys you’ve got to stay in coverage and stay on top of your man. Coach (Dave) Drake just did a tremendous job of preparing our secondary guys all week.”

KYT_SportsMed_300SIMON KENTON    0 21 7 0 — 28
RYLE                      7  0 0 0 — 7

R – England 6 pass from Morgan (Molique kick)
SK – Powell 4 run (McNamara kick)
SK – Scott 25 pass from Racke (McNamara kick)
SK – Racke 17 run (McNamara kick)
SK – Vance 77 pass from Racke (McNamara kick)
RECORDS: Simon Kenton 9-0, Ryle 7-2.

 


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