By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Beechwood and Brossart maintained their perfect records in high school football by winning close games on Friday.
Brossart defeated visiting Class 1A district rival Nicholas County, 14-0, to post its fourth shutout in seven games. Beechwood pushed its record to 6-0 with a 21-14 win at Dixie Heights, but the Tigers had some tense moments late in the fourth quarter
Beechwood receiver Brett Holladay makes a fingertip catch in the end zone in the win against Dixie Heights. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
With 5:47 left on the clock, Beechwood took a 21-7 lead when senior quarterback Cameron Hergott capped a 98-yard drive with a 12-yard run into the end zone.
But Dixie Heights responded with a scoring drive of its own and made it 21-14 on a 35-yard TD pass from Logan Landers to Ryan Dilts with 3:04 remaining.
Dixie Heights got the ball back by recovering an onside kick and a penalty against Beechwood put it at the 35-yard line.
After a penalty against Dixie Heights nullified a first-down play, however, the Colonels turned the ball over on downs and Beechwood was able top run out the clock.
Dixie Heights running back Pierce Rohlman scored the game’s first touchdown on 1-yard run. Hergott put Beechwood ahead with TD passes to Brett Holladay in the second quarter and Mitchell Berger in the third quarter.
The Tigers finished with a 343-284 advantage in total yards. Hergott had 149 yards rushing and 185 yards passing.
Brossart senior quarterback Jacob Leicht scored two rushing touchdowns in the first half and the Mustangs’ defensive unit protected the 14-0 lead through out the second half. Leicht finished with a team-high 133 rushing yards on 16 carries and he made eight tackles as a defensive back.
Brossart has tied a team record with its 7-0 start and will play district games on the road at Bracken County and Paris the next two weeks. Leicht has played a key role in the Mustangs’ success. He’s the team’s leading scorer with 58 points and he has a combined average of 136 yards per game rushing and passing.
Conner 21, Highlands 13
Conner senior quarterback Alex Castrucci scored on runs of 13 and 23 yards in the second half of his team’s come-from-behind victory in the Class 5A district seeding game at Highlands.
It was the fourth consecutive win for the Cougars (5-2) and the fourth straight loss for the Bluebirds (3-4). Conner and Covington Catholic both have 2-0 records in the district.
Conner had a net total of 267 yards while limiting Highlands to 202. The Cougars rushed for 224 yards with Castrucci getting 126 on 28 carries and junior Alijah Thompson picking up 96 on 28 carries. Thompson also had seven tackles and a fumble recovery on defense.
Louisville St. Xavier 13, Ryle 3
Ryle’s defense did a good job holding St. Xavier (5-1) to its lowest point total of the season, but the Raiders (4-2) couldn’t put together any touchdown drives on offense in the game between two of the top Class 6A teams in this week’s Associated Press statewide media poll.
St. Xavier, ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, took a 6-0 lead in the final seconds of the first quarter on a 2-yard run by backup quarterback Adam Boone. Ryle, ranked No. 5, cut it to 6-3 when Summer Denigan kicked a 27-yard field goal with less than two minutes left of the second quarter.
The game’s final touchdown was a 3-yard run by St. Xavier starting quarterback Jack Savoti with 4:34 left in the third quarter. Neither team was able to sustain a scoring drive in the fourth quarter.
Covington Catholic 39, Boone County 6
CovCath won its second straight Class 5A district seeding game behind a strong performance by sophomore quarterback Evan Pitzer, who had 162 yards passing and 82 yards rushing to account for most of his team’s 371-yard total.
The Colonels’ first two touchdowns came on passes from Pitzer to Nick Boydston and David Sullivan in the first quarter. Pitzer also scored this first rushing touchdown in a varsity game.
Boone County finished with 165 yards of offense and didn’t score until late in the fourth quarter when Skylar Sears caught a 24-yard TD pass from Jamarion Hocker.
High school football scoreboard
FRIDAY
Louisville St. Xavier 13, Ryle 3
Conner 21, Highlands 13
Brossart 14, Nicholas County 0
Covington Catholic 39, Boone County 6
Beechwood 21, Dixie Heights 14
Scott 35, Harrison County 14
Rowan County 14, Holmes 8
Newport 48, Bellevue 0
Walton-Verona 24, Carroll County 7
Montgomery County 41, Lloyd 6
Corbin 56, Simon Kenton 24
Mason County 32, Ludlow 9
Cooper 51, Madison, Ind. 19
