By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
High school football teams that win playoff games on Friday will advance to the region finals in their respective classes. The last time the Lloyd Juggernauts made it that far was 2015 when all of the players on this year’s roster were still in grade school.
To reach the Class 2A region finals once again, Lloyd will have to get past Walton-Verona in one of nine playoff games involving local teams on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Walton-Verona sports complex.
Lloyd senior running back Kaiden Zulager has rushed for 1,106 yards in 11 games.
After posting a 3-7 record last season, Lloyd made one of the biggest turnarounds in Northern Kentucky under head coach Kyle Niederman. The Juggernauts have an 8-3 record that includes a pair of one-point losses in their first three games.
Lloyd ended the regular season with a 24-20 win over Holmes, a Class 4A team, and then overwhelmed Owen County, 42-7, in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs.
In those two victories, senior running back Kaiden Zulager had 149 yards rushing to raise his season total to 1,106. The team leader in total yards is sophomore quarterback Isiah Sebastian with 1,428 (743 rushing, 685 passing) in his varsity debut.
Zulager and Sebastian are also the team’s top two scorers with 90 and 84 points, respectively. Two of Sebastian’s touchdowns came on an interception return and a punt return.
Lloyd’s defensive unit is allowing 217 yards per game and has 32 quarterback sacks. The leading tackler is junior Elijah Westwood with 83 (56 solo, 27 assisted). He has also scored 39 points as the team’s place kicker.
The primary goal of the Lloyd defense on Friday will be containing Walton-Verona’s running game. The Bearcats are averaging 204 yards rushing compared to 84 yards passing.
Walton-Verona’s offense revolves around junior quarterback Jackson Smith, who has 866 yards passing and a team-high 877 yards rushing. He threw a pair of touchdown passes in last week’s 22-12 playoff win over Newport that pushed the Bearcats’ record to 9-2.
Friday’s high school football playoff games
CLASS 1A
Dayton (6-5) at Kentucky Country Day (8-2), 7:30 p.m.
Newport Central Catholic (9-2) vs. Frankfort (7-4) at Covington Catholic, 7 p.m.
Paintsville (5-5) at Brossart (9-2), 7:30 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Lloyd (8-3) at Walton-Verona (9-2), 7:30 p.m.
Carroll County (7-4) at Beechwood (10-1), 7:30 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Scott County (10-1) at Highlands (9-2), 7:30 p.m.
Covington Catholic (9-2) at Frederick Douglass (11-0), 7:30 p.m.
CLASS 6A
Ryle (6-5) vs. Louisville Ballard (9-2), 7 p.m.
Simon Kenton (8-3) vs. Louisville Trinity (7-4), 7:30 p.m.
