By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
After their football teams won home games on Friday night, the coaching staffs at Beechwood and Covington Catholic turned their attention to next week’s annual showdown between the two perennial powers.
Beechwood whipped Simon Kenton, 49-21, behind an impressive performance by senior quarterback Cameron Hergott. He rushed for 135 yards and four touchdowns while also completing 12 of 13 passes for 275 yards.
CovCath’s offensive performance in a 24-8 win over Dixie Heights was a little erratic, but the defense did a good job holding the visitors to 148 yards (42 rushing, 106 passing) with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.
Hergott provided 4260 of the Tigers’ 578 total yards in the win that lifted their record to 4-0. Simon Kenton (0-4) became the first team to score against Beechwood’s defense this season, but the Pioneers fell behind 28-0 in the second quarter and were never able to catch up.
Nick Darpel scored one of CovCath’s two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter of the team’s 24-8 win over Dixie Heights. (Photo by Dale Dawn)
Simon Kenton put together a successful drive in the second quarter before losing a fumble at the Beechwood 25-yard line.
After Hergott completed a third-down pass to the 40, running back Avery Courtney picked up 51 yards on the next two plays. Hergott then scored his third touchdown on a 9-yard run that put the Tigers ahead 28-0.
Simon Kenton did get its first touchdown late in the second quarter. But Beechwood extended its lead to 43-7 in the third quarter on touchdown runs by Hergott and Courtney.
Simon Kenton finished with 176 total yards (99 passing, 77 rushing). Junior quarterback Chase Crone, who was sacked several times by Beechwood’s intense pass rush, scored twice in the fourth quarter.
CovCath had a slim 10-0 lead going into the fourth quarter of its home game. The team’s only touchdown at that point was a 64-yard pass from Adam Holtz to Dennis Lenihan that came late in the first quarter.
CovCath’s defensive unit protected that lead until the offense picked up and scored twice on short runs by Nick Darpel and Brayden Collins in the fourth quarter to assure the victory. Both teams now have a 2-2 record.
Collins was the game’s leading rusher with 67 yards on eight carries. Holtz completed 6 of 14 passes for 111 yards with most of that coming on his one TD pass. Dixie Heights quarterback Logan Landers completed 12 of 22 pass for 111 yards, but he had two passes picked off.
CovCath’s leading tackler was junior linebacker Aiden Jones with seven solo and one assisted. He also returned a fumble 36 yards that set up a field goal for his team’s first points. Dixie Heights got its only touchdown on a 91-yard kickoff return by Aumad Edwards with 3:21 left on the clock.
NewCath defensive back Luke Brockman, No. 10, and his teammates converge on Walton-Verona quarterback Trey Hatmaker. (Photo by Carla Martin)
NewCath 23, Walton-Verona 14
NewCath’s defensive unit allowed a net total of 40 yards and scored two points on a safety in the victory at Walton-Verona that evened each team’s record at 2-2.
Walton-Verona took a 14-10 lead in the first quarter when Wiley Baker scored on a short touchdown run and 69-yard punt return. NewCath went ahead 16-14 in the third quarter and got another touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Thoroughbreds finished with a net total of 209 yards. Sophomore running back Demetrick Welch scored both of the team’s rushing touchdowns and finished with 97 yards on 20 carries. He also caught two passes for 38 yards.
NewCath sophomore quarterback Kolton Smith completed 8 of 15 pass for 98 yards, including a touchdown pass to Luke Runyon.
The Thoroughbreds’ defensive standout was senior linebacker Kwintin Gilliam, who made eight solo tackles with four coming behind the line of scrimmage.
McNicholas 27, Highlands 21
Highlands lost its first game of the season even though junior quarterback Charlie Noon finished with more yards than the entire McNicholas team.
Noon rushed for 151 yards on 20 carries and completed 14 of 19 passes for 146 yards to account for 297 of the Bluebirds’ 382 total yards. McNicholas had 143 yards passing and 101 rushing for a 244 total. The Rockets were limited to 32 net yards in the second half of their home game.
In the third quarter, Highlands senior Clayton Lloyd caught his second touchdown pass from Noon to cut McNicholas’ lead to 27-21. But the Bluebirds did not score on their final four possessions of the game. They turned the ball over on downs inside the 10-yard line on one of those possessions.
Noon also scored a rushing touchdown for the 3-1 Bluebirds. After sitting out the season opener, he has 696 yards passing and 343 yards rushing in three games for a 1,039 total. McNicholas’ record is now 4-0.
Brossart 21, Holy Cross 0
Brossart extended its perfect record to 4-0 in its Homecoming game behind another strong performance by its defense that hasn’t allowed a point in four games.
Holy Cross (1-3) was limited to 146 total yards (90 passing, 56 rushing) and turned the ball over on downs three times. The Indians also had a pass intercepted and lost the ball on fumbles twice on kickoff returns.
Brossart scored its first touchdown on a 10-play, 70-yard drive that ended with David Govan catching a 16-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Leicht with 2:12 left in the first quarter. After a defensive stop, the Mustangs went 61 yards in seven plays and took a 14-0 halftime lead on 3-yard run by Jed Martin.
Holy Cross fumbled the second-half kickoff and Brossart recovered the ball on the 33-yard line. Five plays later, Leicht scored on a one-yard run and Andrew Schwartz kicked the extra point to make it 21-0.
The Mustangs finished with 201 total yards (174 rushing, 27 passing). Martin had 75 yards on 15 carries and Leicht had 67 yards on 19 carries.
Holmes 38, Newport 8
Holmes finished with a 247-69 advantage in total yards and scored all five of its touchdowns on rushing plays. The Bulldogs’ leading rusher was Tayquan Calloway with 140 yards on 16 carries and one touchdown. Curtez Hill picked up 65 yards on 16 carries and scored twice.
Newport committed five turnovers, including a bad snap that went out of the end zone for a safety. Mykell King scored the Wildcats’ only touchdown on a 56-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Conner 28, Scott 3
Conner junior Alijah Thompson rushed for 150 yards and four touchdowns in the game at Scott. He was responsible for most of his team’s 292 total yards. Scott netted 242 yards, but the Eagles committed two turnovers.
High school football scores
FRIDAY
Holmes 38, Newport 8
Covington Catholic 24, Dixie Heights 8
Beechwood 49, Simon Kenton 21
Newport Central Catholic 23, Walton-Verona 14
Conner 28, Scott 3
Brossart 21, Holy Cross 0
McNicholas 27, Highlands 21
Boone County 26, Lloyd 6
Ryle 49, Louisville DeSales 7
Estill County 50, Dayton 8
Paris 32, Ludlow 28
Magoffin County 40, Bellevue 14
SATURDAY
Campbell County (1-2) at Cooper (2-1), 7 p.m.
