By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The Covington Catholic football team that’s won 37 of its last 38 games over three seasons can clinch a home game in the first round of this year’s Class 5A playoffs with a victory at Highlands on Friday.
CovCath has won the last four games between the two teams and the Colonels enter Friday’s game as the favorite. In this week’s Associated Press state coaches poll, CovCath (8-0) was No. 1 and Highlands (5-3) was No. 10 in the Class 5A rankings.
CovCath senior Michael Mayer, No. 87, made big plays on offense and defense in last week’s win over La Salle. (Photo by Bob Jackson)
The Colonels are coming off a 27-7 win against La Salle, one of the top teams in Cincinnati. CovCath quarterback Caleb Jacob passed for 199 yards and scored one of his team’s three rushing touchdowns. But the star of the game was senior tight end/linebacker Michael Mayer, who caught 6 passes for 97 yards, made 12 tackles and scored on an interception return.
Highlands whipped Boone County, 49-0, in a Class 5A district seeding game last week. The Bluebirds were able to rest their starting players for much of the second half in that victory. Before senior quarterback Collin Hollingsworth went to the bench, he completed 7 of 10 passes for 103 yards and three touchdowns.
In another big game on Friday, Beechwood goes to Lloyd for a battle between co-leaders in the local Class 2A district. Lloyd sophomore quarterback Jacob Davidson and Beechwood junior quarterback Cameron Hergott are both averaging more than 140 passing yards per game. Last week, however, Davidson had more rushing yards (111) than passing yards (83) in a district win against Newport.
If the current co-leaders in three other districts win games on Friday, they’ll face each other in the final district games next week to decide the top seeds. The co-leaders are Newport Central Catholic and Bellevue in Class 1A, Holmes and Scott in Class 4A and Simon Kenton and Ryle in Class 6A.
Brossart will get a home game in the Class 1A playoffs if it beats Paris on Friday. Boone County will be eliminated from Class 5A post-season playoff contention if the Rebels lose to Cooper. Walton-Verona has already clinched the top seed in its Class 2A district going into Friday’s district game at Louisville Shawnee
High school football schedule
Friday’s games
Beechwood at Lloyd, 7 p.m.
Bellevue at Ludlow, 7 p.m.
Brossart at Paris, 7:30 p.m.
Boone County at Cooper, 7:30 p.m.
Campbell County at Simon Kenton, 7 p.m.
Covington Catholic at Highlands, 7 p.m.
Dayton at Newport Central Catholic, 7 p.m.
Ryle at Dixie Heights, 7 p.m.
Harrison County at Holmes, 7:30 p.m.
Newport vs. Holy Cross at Thomas More, 7 p.m.
Scott at Boyd County, 7:30 p.m.
Walton-Verona at Louisville Shawnee, 7:30 p.m.
