By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After sitting out his team’s season-opening win last week, Highlands junior quarterback Charlie Noon re-established himself as the Bluebirds’ offensive leader in a 53-38 victory at Simon Kenton on Friday.
Noon accounted for 558 of his team’s 605 yards in the high-scoring game that got off to a late start due to weather delays and ended at 11:20 p.m. In addition to completing 20 of 35 passes for 394 and five touchdowns, Noon rushed for 164 yards on 13 carries and scored once.
Highlands quarterback Charlie Noon rushed for 164 yards in his team’s win over Simon Kenton, (Photo by Dale Dawn)
On the first play of the game, Noon connected with senior Jacob Welch on a 49-yard pass play that set the tone for the night. The two teams proceeded to score a total of 91 points and churn out 1,208 total yards.
Simon Kenton finished with 603 total yards thanks to two players who put up impressive numbers. Junior quarterback Chase Crone completed 16 of 35 passes for 319 yards and four touchdowns. His classmate, Jayden Lawson, was the game’s leading rusher with 233 yards on 25 carries and scored on a 60-yard screen pass.
Highlands got touchdowns on its first two offensive possessions and went on to take a 29-8 halftime lead. But Simon Kenton opened the second half with a 17-point run that cut the margin to 29-25.
Noon made one of his biggest plays of the game in the next offensive series. On a third-down play, he broke free on a 60-yard run that ended with a late-hit penalty to put the ball at the SK 10-yard line. The Bluebirds scored two plays later to ignite a 17-point run of their own and opened up a 46-25 lead.
The Pioneers kept battling and outscored Highlands, 13-7, in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, but time ran out on the rally and their record dropped to 0-2. Highlands won its second game under new head coach Bob Sphire.
Highlands senior Clayton Lloyd makes one of his two touchdown catches in the first quarter. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
The Bluebirds’ leading pass receiver was Welch with eight catches for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Simon Kenton junior Chase Williams had 10 catches for 168 yards and one TD.
With thunderstorms and lightning moving through the Northern Kentucky area on Friday evening, all of the local high school football games got off to a late start and two were moved to Saturday.
The other teams that posted wins on Friday to remain undefeated were Beechwood, Brossart and Cooper.
Beechwood scored on all five of its offensive possessions in the first half and went on to beat Paintsville, 49-0, in a game between last year’s Class 2A and Class 1A champions.
Beechwood senior quarterback Cameron Hergott got the first touchdown on a 2-yard run and threw scoring passes to wide receivers Brady Moore and Mitchell Berger during the first half.
HIGHLANDS 14 15 7 17 — 53
SIMON KENTON 0 8 17 13 — 38
H — Lloyd 20 pass from Noon (Burleigh kick)
H — Lloyd 27 pass from Noon (Burleigh kick)
SK — Morrison 29 pass from Crone (Crone run)
H — Noon 48 run (Burleigh kick)
H — Benke 12 pass from Noon (Harris pass from DeBurger)
SK — Petty 34 FG
SK — Williams 27 pass from Crone (Burleigh kick)
H — Welch 10 pass from Noon (Burliegh kick)
SK — Crone 7 run (Petty kick)
H — Burleigh 24 FG
H — Class 30 fumble return (Burleigh kick)
SK — Lawson 60 pass from Crone (Petty kick)
H — Welch 42 pass from Noon (Burleigh kick)
SK — Williams 9 pass from Crone (kick failed)
RECORDS — Highlands 2-0, Simon Kenton 1-1
FRIDAY FOOTBALL SCORES
Cooper 19, Dixie Heights 10
Ryle 40, Conner 7
Covington Catholic 42, Belfry 13
Beechwood 49, Paintsville 0
Metcalfe County 53, Bellevue 7
Woodford County 34, Campbell County 13
Newport Central Catholic 12, Holmes 8
Lloyd 62, Grant County 26
Lockland (Ohio) 20, Ludlow 13
Brossart 21, Newport 7
Highlands 53, Simon Kenton 38
Boone County 27, Scott 7
SATURDAY GAMES
Walton-Verona vs. Holy Cross at Thomas More University, 7 p.m.
Pendleton County at Dayton, 7 p.m.
