NKyTribune staff
With less than a minute remaining Friday night, Dixie Heights appeared on the verge of knocking off host Corbin in the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic.
Corbin trailed 22-20 when quarterback Cameron Combs connected with Treyveon Longmire for a 74-yard touchdown pass that lifted the Redhounds to a 26-22 victory over a stunned Dixie Heights squad. Longmire’s decisive touchdown came with just 34 seconds remaining on the clock.
It marked the second straight week that Dixie Heights (0-2) suffered a narrow defeat. The Colonels dropped a 21-14 decision to Covington Catholic to open the season on Sept. 11.
Corbin’s Seth Mills (10) eludes the Dixie Heights defense. (Photo by Darrin Spencer, The Times-Tribune)
Dixie Heights opened the game against Corbin by putting together a 14-play, 60-yard drive that was capped by Pierce Rohlman’s 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down. The Colonels added the two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead. Dixie Heights converted on two fourth-down plays to extend the opening drive.
Corbin (1-1) responded by marching 75 yards in 14 plays, and Seth Mills’ 14-yard touchdown run cut the Redhounds’ deficit to 8-7 with 11:52 remaining in the second quarter. Corbin later gained the lead as Mills’ second touchdown run gave the Redhounds a 13-8 advantage with 4:04 remaining in the first half.
Dixie Heights, though, found the end zone in less than four minutes with a 17-yard touchdown pass and another two-point conversion that allowed the Colonels to regain a 16-13 lead at halftime.
But Dixie Heights’ lead didn’t last long. Combs hit Mills for a 32-yard touchdown connection, giving Corbin a 20-16 edge. The Redhounds were able to hold on to their four-point advantage until the 9:27 mark of the fourth quarter. Dixie Heights managed to find the end zone with an 11-yard touchdown pass that gave the Colonels a 22-20 advantage.
Charlie Noon
NOON IGNITES HIGHLANDS WIN: Sophomore quarterback Charlie Noon rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns Friday night as Highlands rallied from an 11-0 deficit to post a 23-14 victory at Ryle. The Bluebirds improved to 1-1, while Ryle dropped to 1-1.
Highlands plays host to powerful Boyle County next Friday night (Sept. 25) at 7:30 p.m. in Fort Thomas. Boyle County improved to 2-0 with a 56-21 win at Christian Academy of Louisville on Friday. The Rebels have outscored their opponents 107-28 in the first two weeks.
Boyle County opened the campaign on Sept. 11 with a 51-7 win over Mercer County. The Rebels finished 14-1 last season, with their only loss a 21-20 setback to Johnson Central in the Class 4A state championship game.
CASTRUCCI, CRAWFORD KEY CONNER VICTORY: Alex Castrucci passed for 124 yards and added another 59 yards on the ground with a touchdown to lead Conner to a 29-6 win at Campbell County on Friday night. The Cougar defense returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns, including a 103-yard score from Cody Crawford after a pickoff.
Offensively, Crawford added 71 yards on two receptions. He also made five tackles. Conner is 1-0, while Campbell County is 1-1.
EAGLES WIN LEXINGTON SHOWDOWN: Lexington Christian kicker Andrew Dobbs drilled a 37-yard field goal as time expired Friday night to give the Eagles a 23-20 win at Lexington Catholic. The Eagles (2-0) rallied from a 20-7 deficit in the final 9:22 of the game to defeat their city rival for the third time in the past four years.
Lexington Christian’s Xavier Brown is one of the top players in the state. (LCA photo)
And they did it in heart-stopping fashion.
Trailing by 13 points, Lexington Christian quarterback Drew Nieves connected with Xavier Brown for an 80-yard touchdown pass to cut the LexCath lead to 20-14. With less than three minutes remaining, Brown caught his third touchdown pass to even the score at 20-20, but LexCath blocked the extra point to keep the game tied.
Lexington Christian forced a LexCath punt, setting up the final drive that set up Dobbs’ winning field goal.
A year ago, Lexington Christian posted a 43-42 win over LexCath. The Eagles, who were ranked No. 1 most of the season in the Class 2A poll, finished with a 10-2 record in 2019.
PLENTY OF POINTS: Ludlow outscored Bishop Brossart 54-33 on Friday night. The Panthers (1-1) bounced back from a 48-28 loss the previous week to Carroll County.
Brossart, which dropped a 26-14 decision to Newport in Week 1, fell to 0-2.
(Information compiled from The Times-Tribune, the KHSAA and staff reports)
