By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Beechwood, Lloyd and Newport Central Catholic are the Northern Kentucky high school football teams that will play for region championship trophies in the third round of the state playoffs next week.
All three teams won second-round playoff games by wide margins on Friday, but the season ended for seven other local teams on a chilly night in early November.
Lloyd defensive players chase down a Walton-Verona ball carrier in their Class 2A playoff game on Friday. (Photo by Carla Martin)
Beechwood knocked off Carroll County, 62-14, in a Class 2A game to post its 12th consecutive playoff victory. The two-time defending state champions will host Shelby Valley (10-2) in next week’s region finals.
Lloyd defeated Walton-Verona, 41-0, to advance to the Class 2A region finals for the first time since 2015. It was the first shutout of the season for the Juggernauts (9-3), who will play a home game against Breathitt County (9-2) next week.
Lloyd got 267 of its 302 total yards on the ground against Walton-Verona. Senior running back Kaiden Zulager, who rushed for 220 yards and three touchdowns.
Walton-Verona quarterback Jackson Smith had 147 yards rushing and 102 yards passing, but he had four passes intercepted and the Bearcats lost the ball twice on fumbles. Lloyd sophomore defensive back Isaiah Sebastian picked off four passes and he returned one for a touchdown.
NewCath running back Luke Runyon
NewCath (10-2) took a 30-0 lead in the first half and coasted to a 50-13 win over Frankfort in the second round of the Class 1A playoffs on Friday. The Thoroughbreds will visit Kentucky Country Day (9-2) in the next week’s region finals.
Four players scored rushing touchdowns for NewCath on Friday with senior Luke Runyon getting two. The others were by Matthew Landrum, Caleb Cole and Demetrick Welch, who rushed for a game-high 119 yards.
Chad Adkins and Landrum caught TD passes from NewCath junior quarterback Kolton Smith, who completed 7 of 10 passes for 90 yards.
Highlands lost to Scott County, 29-23, in the closest playoff game involving local teams on Friday. After falling behind 14-0, the Bluebirds kept battling and pulled to within 22-16 in the third quarter.
With 3:30 left in the fourth quarter, Scott County running back Jacob Fryman, who had 149 of his team’s 286 rushing yards, scored on a 1-yard run to give the Cardinals a 29-16 lead. Highlands responded with a touchdown drive of its own that ended with quarterback Brody Benke’s 16-yard run into the end zone and Davis Burleigh’s extra-point kick made it 29-23 with 1:49 remaining.
The Bluebirds attempted an onside kick, but Scott County recovered it and was able to run out the clock. Highlands ended the season with a 9-3 record.
High school football playoff scores
CLASS 1A
Kentucky Country Day 36, Dayton 8
Newport Central Catholic 50, Frankfort 13
Paintsville 42, Brossart 16
CLASS 2A
Lloyd 41, Walton-Verona 0
Beechwood 62, Carroll County 14
CLASS 5A
Scott County 29, Highlands 23
Frederick Douglass 33, Covington Catholic 6
CLASS 6A
Louisville Ballard 26, Ryle 14
Louisville Trinity 51, Simon Kenton 20
