Looking back . . .

1950

Forty Kentucky high school football players make official applications for SEC grant-in-aid scholarships to UK. The players include Bob “Bullet” Hardy of Paducah, Delmas Curnutte of Ashland, Jerry Beatty of Paintsville . . . In basketball, Don Sutherland hits a 30-foot set shot with 30 seconds left as Mount Sterling upsets Clark County 62-60. Linville Puckett has 17 points for Clark County . . . On a trip to western Kentucky, Lafayette beats Central City 76-54 and Owensboro 56-34. Both games draw more than 1,000 fans. Charles Hadden totals 43 points in the two victories . . . Henry Clay jumps to leads of 29-1 and 47-5 on its way to a 91-23 rout of Versailles. Raymond Rupured has 15 points off the bench to lead the Blue Devils . . . Coach King Richeson’s U-High Purples roll over Madison Kingston 75-36 as Frank Tilton and Jimmy Flynn lead the way . . . Dunbar’s Bearcats, who beat Mount Sterling 101-14 in their season opener, host Madisonville Rosenwald, which handed S.T. Roach’s team one of its two losses the season before.

1970

Henry Clay, which has played its home games for the last several decades in the antiquated gym on East Main and Lexington Junior High, makes its debut in its new gym adjacent to its new school. Coach Al Prewitt’s Blue Devils also sport new uniforms, without the traditional horizontal blue stripes. Danville spoils the occasion, however, by beating Henry Clay 54-52 in overtime. Joey Frankel and Wayne Hawkins lead the Admirals with 12 points each. Joe Gay’s 11 points lead the Devils . . . Anderson Coach Coach Jack Upchurch says his 6-foot-4 star Jimmy Dan Conner is “shoots well, is a really good passer, and is our leading rebounder. He’s just so physically strong and a tremendous jumper.” Conner is averaging 24 points after three games and has the Bearcats rated sixth in the state . . . Pat Tallent of Maytown, averaging 30 points, says he has narrowed his college choices to UK, Duke, Georgia, George Washington, LSU and Vanderbilt . . . Brothers Chuck and Jerry Bartleson combine for 37 points as Burgin beats Sayre 71-69 to win the Bluegrass Conference tournament title. Don Rardin has 27 points for Sayre . . . Bryan Station’s Ted Hundley, a 6-foot-5 sophomore who had 13 points off the bench against Woodford County, gets his first start against Mount Sterling.

1990

Reigning state champ and No. 1 Fairdale, led by Maurice Morris’s 18 points and 8 rebounds, holds off third-ranked Tates Creek 69-66 in the finals of the Hall of Fame Classic at Memorial Coliseum. John Mark Stuart and Keith Willard lead the Commodores with 18 points apiece . . . UK signee Chris Harrison of Tollesboro is averaging 40.2 points, including a school-record 54 against Rowan County. He can’t believe it when, while attending the UK-Kansas game, he’s asked for an autograph by an older woman. “That’s the first time an adult has asked me,” Harrison said. “I gave it to her, but I still don’t know why she wanted it. My name is just like anybody else’s. The way I look at it, if I give people my autograph, I should get theirs because there’s no difference.” . . . Coach Billy Ray Reynolds’ Scott County team is 9-0 after beating Boyd County in the Coca Cola Thoroughbred Classic at Memorial Coliseum. Andy Cook has 26 points for the winners . . . Male sophomore Jason Osborne has 11 points and 10 rebounds, but the Bulldogs lose to Lafayette, which gets 18 points and 4 assists from 5-foot-3 George Gentry.

Class 6A: Trinity 34, St. Xavier 28 (OT)

Updates from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville:

• Trinity won its sixth state title in seven years and a record 18th overall in dramatic fashion. The Shamrocks drove 60 yards in the closing minutes of regulation and tied it 28-28 on a short TD pass from Will Stein to Jeff Neagli. Trinity then won it in overtime. On defense first, the Rocks’ Donovan Sims intercepted a St. X pass in the end zone. When it got the ball in OT, Trinity scored on Wes Weitlauf’s 1-yard run — the first time he carried the ball all season.
• Trinity is now 8-0 in overtime playoff games. It spoiled St. X’s perfect season. This was Bob Beatty’s sixth title in his eight years as coach.
• St. X may have just sealed its 12th state title. Trinity was at the Tigers’ 6-yard line looking to tie it up. But Will Stein’s pass intended for Alex Dutton was overthrown and intercepted by St. X’s Zach Kamber. The Tigers have the ball with 4 minutes left.
• St. X had driven inside the Trinity 30 but a halfback option pass was intercepted by the Rocks’ Scott Radcliff. Trinity is on the move, hoping to tie it. There are 8 minutes left.
• St. X leads 28-21 after three quarters. The Tigers have 277 yards to Trinity’s 230. St. X’s Deuce Finch has rushed for 102. Tim Phillips has rushed for 98 for Trinity.
• St. X had a chance to increase its lead when it had the ball at the Trinity 1-yard line. But on fourth down, QB Ben Zoeller fumbled the snap and Trinity dodged the bullet.
• The crowd announced at 15,696, isn’t what was expected. Maybe the cool, wet weather kept people away. St. X-Trinity usually guarantees a crowd of at least 20,000.
• HALFTIME: St. X 28, Trinity 21. The Tigers forced a Trinity fumble in the closing seconds of the half and cashed in on a fake field goal attempt. Brent Sweeney threw a 22-yard TD pass to Ben Brown as time expired.
• Halftime stats: St. X has 265 yards, led by Deuce Finch’s 90 yards rushing on 11 carries. Trinity has 192 yards. Tim Phillips has rushed xx times for 73 yards. Will Stein has hit 13 of 18 passes for 134 yards and a TD.
• With 50 seconds left in the half, St. X has tied Trinity for the third time. It’s 21-21 after Ben Zoeller’s 8-yard TD pass to Aaron Botner. St. X looked in trouble when it fumbled at its own 34, but the Tigers’ defense did its job and got an 11-yard sack from Chad Showalter that forced Trinity to punt. St. X took over and drove for the tying score.
• Tim Phillips’ 3-yard TD run has regained the lead for Trinity at 21-14 with 4:49 left in the first half. The Shamrocks got a key first down on third-and-9 on a pass from Will Stein to William Leach.
• St. X has tied it again at 14-14 thanks to Ben Zoeller’s 15-yard TD toss to Kevin Brinkman. The Tigers had to convert a fourth-and-2 at the Trinity 17 to keep the drive alive. Ducee Finch got the first down easily. With 8 minutes left in the first half, St. X has 146 yards to Trinity’s 102.
• We may be in for a high-scoring battle. Trinity has come right back with another TD to take a 14-7 lead. Nathan Dutton caught a 5-yard TD pass from Will Stein, who has 53 TD passes this year.
• St. X QB Ben Zoeller (above, in a photo by Ed Reinke of the Associated Press) has scored on a 2-yard run to tie it at 7-7. Deuce Finch’s 30-yard run set up the TD.
• In the clash of the titans, Trinity has jumped ahead 7-0 on Tim Phillips’ 30-yard TD run four minutes into the game.

Class 4A: LexCath 49, Lone Oak 7

Updates from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville:

• LexCath won its second state title in three years in a lopsided finals that featured a running clock for most of the fourth quarter in front of 7,063 fans. Shane Israel  rushed for 194 yards and three TDs to lead the Knights’ offense. Nic Ward passed for 154 yards and a TD. Winston Guy (shown at right in photo by Charles Bertram) ran for a score and caught a TD pass. He was also a terror on defense.
• Lone Oak came into the game averaging 53 points, but could get much done against LexCath’s swarming defense. QB Corey Robinson had a national record 90 TD passes and a state record 5,631 yards coming into the game. His only highlight in the finals was a 49-yard TD pass to Jamarielle Brown against LexCath’s reserves in the closing minutes. Robinson finished the night 21 of 37 for 241 yards and 1 TD. Brown established single-season state records for receptions (106) and receiving yards (2,201). Robinson finished his career with 91 TD passes and 5,872 yards. He had 132 career TD passes, one shy of Tim Couch’s record.
• It’s all over but the shouting. LexCath leads 49-0 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter after Shane Israel scored his third TD of the night. Under KHSAA rules, there will be a running clock for the last 11 minutes. Israel has rushed 27 times for 194 yards and LexCath has 473 yards.
• Shane Israel’s 20-yard TD run up the middle has pushed LexCath’s lead to 42-0 in the closing minutes of the third quarter. The Knights already have 445 yards of offense, with Israel rushing 24 times for 182 yards. to Lone Oak has a net 111 yards. QB Corey Robinson’s numbers: 16 of 29 for 144 yards.
• HALFTIME: LexCath 35, Lone Oak 0. Purple Flash QB Corey Robinson’s passing stats: 13 of 25 for 119 yards. LexCath has 315 yards to Lone Oak’s net 92.
• Can you say blowout? Winston Guy snagged a 21-yard TD pass from Nic Ward to increase LexCath’s lead to 35-0 with 47 seconds left in the first half. LexCath has 315 yards to Lone Oak’s 55.
• A bit of good news for Lone Oak. Receiver Jamarielle Brown has broken state records for receptions and receiving yards in a season. He has 5 catches today, giving him 101, eclipsing the record of 99 set by J.T. Britt of Lewis County this year. Brown has 59 yards receiving, bumping his season total to 1,924 to break the record of 1,896 set by John Cole of Somerset last year.
• It’s turning into a rout here at Papa John’s. Shane Israel broke up the middle for a 27-yard TD to give LexCath a 28-0 lead with 4:37 left in the first half. Israel has 122 yards on 12 carries. The Knights already have 243 yards to Lone Oak’s net 40. Corey Robinson is 8 of 16 passing for 62 yards.
• LexCath has stretched its lead to 21-0 with 8 minutes left in the first half. Knights QB Nic Ward ran 8 yards for the TD to cap a 62-yard drive. The LexCath defense has limited Corey Robinson to 6-for-12 passing for 42 yards.
• At the end of the first quarter, Lone Oak QB Corey Robinson has barely had time to blink. Winston Guy has sacked him twice, and hurried him a couple other times. Robinson is 5-for-10 for 31 yards and his Purple Flash trail 14-0.
• It’s all Lexington Catholic so far. Shane Israel’s 1-yard TD run has given the Knights a 14-0 lead with 5 minutes left in the first quarter. Israel has 51 yards on 4 carries. Lone Oak QB Corey Robinson is 2-for-5 for zero yards.
• Winston Guy, taking a snap in the shotgun, runs 21 yards for a TD to put LexCath on top 7-0 with 8:32 left in the first quarter. The Knights went 64 yards in 7 plays.
• Lone Oak QB Corey Robinson’s first series –1-for-3 passing for 2 yards. LexCath’s rush put the heat on him all three times. Lone Oak had to punt.
• A few minutes before kickoff . . . are the coaches trying to psyche their players? Despite the chilly, overcast conditions, Lone Oak Coach Jack Haskins is wearing shorts on the sidelines. Several of Lexington Catholic’s coaches, including head man Bill Letton, are wearing eye black.

Class 2A: Fort Campbell 21, Newport Catholic 7

Updates from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville:

• Fort Campbell has won its fourth state title, its first since 1979, and denied NewCath a third straight championship in front of 5,679 fans. (In the photo at right, by Ed Reinke of the Associated Press, Fort Campbell coach Shawn Berner celebrated the win. )
• Fort Campbell had two players rush for more than 100 yards — Troy Turner (109) and Dexter Durrante (120). C.J. Croft passed for 143 yards and 2 TDs. The Falcons had more than 400 yards to NewCath’s 255.
• Dexter Durrante’s 68-yard TD run down the left sideline has all but sealed Fort Campbell’s state championship. His long run gives the Falcons a 21-7 lead with 2:54 left in the game.
• NewCath was in prime position to tie the game when it had first down at the Fort Campbell 1-yard line, but the Thoroughbreds couldn’t score. They had a pair of 5-yard penalties, an incomplete pass and wound up losing a fumble at the 4 with a little more than 5 minutes left. Raquan Durrante’s hit on NewCath receiver Matt Ritter caused the turnover. Fort Campbell takes over, trying to hold onto a 14-7 lead.
• Fort Campbell has edged ahead 14-7 after driving 80 yards in 14 plays. C.J. Croft hit Lorenzo Hines on a 7-yard quick slant for the TD in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
• We’ve still got a tie — 7-7 — after three quarters. Both teams are moving the ball until they get to the red zone. Fort Campbell has 287 yards. Troy Turner has rushed for 109 yards on 17 carries. NewCath has 180 yards.
• HALFTIME: Fort Campbell 7, NewCath 7.
• NewCath converted a fourth-and-6 with a 6-yard pass from Rob Kues to Matt Ritter, and on the next play the two hooked up again on a 26-yard TD pass to tie the game with 35 seconds left in the half.
• Fort Campbell has 205 yards at halftime, led by Troy Turner’s 76 yards rushing. C.J. Croft has passed for 108 yards and a TD. NewCath has 137 yards, led by Rob Kues’ 90 yards passing and 21 rushing. Matt Ritter has 4 catches for 48 yards.
• Fort Campbell has taken a 7-0 lead on a 10-yard TD pass from C.J. Croft to Chris Allen. On instant replay, the ball appeared to have grazed the ground as Allen made a diving catch in the back of the end zone. The Falcons drove 79 yards in 12 plays to score with 7:27 left in the first half.
• No score after one quarter. Fort Campbell has moved the ball well, but failed on fourth down twice. The Falcons have 118 yards, led by Troy Turner’s 56 yards rushing. NewCath has 60 yards.
• The defenses have prevailed so far. Fort Campbell couldn’t convert on fourth-and-3 at the NewCath 35 on its first possession. NewCath took over and drove to the Falcons’ 25 but it failed on fourth-and-7 with 4 minutes left in the first quarter.

A preview of Saturday’s title matchups

CLASS 2A: Fort Campbell vs. Newport Catholic

Kickoff: 11:30 a.m.
Records: Fort Campbell 12-2; Newport Catholic 13-1
Wins keep him young: Bob Schneider is in his 42nd year at NewCath and is the state’s all-time winningest coach with 325 victories. He has his Thoroughbreds racing toward a possible third state title in a row, and fourth overall.
Glory days again: Fort Campbell was a perennial power under Marshall Patterson 30 years ago. He led the Falcons to state titles in 1976, ’78, ’79, and a runner-up finish in ’80. This is Fort Campbell’s first trip to the finals since ’80.
Fort Campbell leaders: QB C.J. Croft has thrown for 1,771 yards, 9 TDs. RB Troy Turner has rushed for 1,579 yards, 21 TDs. WRs Lorenzo Hines and Chris Allen have combined for 74 catches, 963 yards, 7 TDs. LB Josh McWherter’s 118 solo tackles lead the Falcons’ defense.
NewCath leaders: QB Rob Kues, a long-snapper on last year’s team, has thrown for 2,205 yards, 21 TDs, and run for 707 yards, 10 TDs. RB Mark Kelly has rushed for 1,260 yards, 19 TDs. WR Brian Wrobleski has 42 catches, 740 yards, 5 TDs. Matt Ritter and Burke Beiting have combined for 74 catches, 1,033 yards, 12 TDs.
Key to victory: Fort Campbell must contain Kues, which few teams have been able to do this season. For a rookie QB, he makes all the plays.

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CLASS 4A: Lone Oak vs. Lexington Catholic

Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.
Records: Lone Oak 14-0; Lexington Catholic 12-2
Sour, sweet memories: LexCath Coach Bill Letton was the defensive coordinator for the Knights’ 2005 title team. He was also the head coach at Prestonsburg when it lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to Mayfield in the 1993 finals. Lone Oak Coach Jack Haskins has been to four state finals and never won — as head coach at Heath (1975) and three times as a Paducah Tilghman assistant.
Lone Oak leaders: QB Corey Robinson has thrown for a state-record 5,631 yards and national-record 90 TDs. His favorite targets are Jamarielle Brown (96 catches, 1,865 yards, 27 TDs); Travis Hickman (56 catches, 936 yards, 16 TDs), and Corey Hobbs (74 catches, 841 yards, 17 TDs). Can the Purple Flash get it done against LexCath’s defense? “They’ve got awfully good athletes,” Lone Oak Coach Jack Haskins said. “I’m sure (LexCath’s) pressure-type defense will make it an interesting matchup.”
LexCath leaders: Nic Ward has thrown for 2,334 yards, 15 TDs. RB Shane Israel has run for 1,287 yards, 15 TDs, and Greg Raglin for 751 yards, 7 TDs. Tyler Corvin, Daniel Vogelsang and Devon Williams each have more than 30 catches for a combined 1,300 yards, 14 TDs. Winston Guy is a threat at WR, QB and returning kicks. Guy and Nick Vicini lead the Knights’ defense. “We felt last year our defense was the reason we didn’t make it to the finals,” Vicini said. “With 10 senior starters (on defense) this year, we’re taking it personally. It’s our responsibility to get it done.”
Key to victory: It’s simple, really. If Robinson has time to throw and throw and throw, Lone Oak could give LexCath a game. If Robinson is under constant pressure, it could be a Knightmare for the Purple Flash.

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CLASS 6A: St. Xavier vs. Trinity

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.
Records: St. Xavier 14-0; Trinity 12-2
Rich get richer: Trinity has a state-record 17 titles. St. X has 11. They’ve combined to win 16 of the last 22 big-school championships. This is the 10th time Mike Glaser has guided St. X to the finals, and he is going for his seventh title. He’s also trying for his first undefeated season. In his eighth year as Trinity coach, Bob Beatty has the Shamrocks in the finals for the seventh time and he’s seeking his sixth championship.
Rivalry renewed: This will be the 65th game between the superpowers. St. X holds a 33-29-2 in the series that began in 1956. The Tigers beat Trinity 25-14 during the regular season. But remember 2005 — St. X won the regular-season meeting, but Trinity won the rematch in the state finals.
St. X leaders: QB Ben Zoeller has passed for 960 yards, 8 TDs, and run for 617 yards, 9 TDs. RB Deuce Finch has rushed for 1,418 yards, 15 TDs. WR Will Simmons has 31 catches, 610 yards, 6 TDs. Nate Combs’ 95 solo tackles lead the
defense.
Trinity leaders: QB Will Stein has thrown for 3,497 yards and a school-record 52 TDs. The Dutton twins — Alex and Nathan — have combined for 146 catches, 2,264 yards, 33 TDs. RB Tim Phillips has run for 1,696 yards, 27 TDs. Junior LB Jordan Whiting, who has committed to Ohio State, leads the Rocks’ defense with 93 solo tackles.
Key to victory: St. X can’t get into a scoring match with Trinity. The Tigers need to control the ball, and put some serious heat on Stein.

Class 5A: Highlands 28, Bowling Green 7

UPDATED: Read the game story by Nick Stanton of the Herald-Leader.

Updates from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville:

• Highlands won its 17th state championship in convincing fashion and wrapped up a perfect 15-0 season in front of 6,321 rain-drenched fans. The Bluebirds share the record for most state titles with Trinity, although Trinity can get No. 18 if it beats St. Xavier Saturday night.
• Highlands Coach Dale Mueller won his sixth state title.
• Bowling Green became the first team to lose in the finals three years in a row since Paducah Tilghman in 1987, ‘88 and ‘89.
• Highlands was led by Josh Conner, who rushed 27 times for 131 yards and 2 TDs. Clay Cecil passed for 93 yards and a TD, and ran 26 times for 88 yards and a score. The Bluebirds outgained Bowling Green 322 yards to 182. The Purples were held to just 34 yards on the ground. Trent Steelman completed 16 of 25 passes for 148 yards, and was intercepted 3 times. Ryan Wallace caught 6 passes for 68 yards.
• Bowling Green has salvaged some pride by punching in a TD. QB Trent Steelman got it on a 6-yard run to make it 28-7 with 90 seconds left in the third quarter.
• Highlands has put this game pretty much out of reach. Jake Carothers returned an interception 30 yards to the Bowling Green 10, and three plays later Bluebirds’ QB Clay Cecil scored to make it 28-0 with 3:30 left in the third quarter.
• HALFTIME: Highlands 21, Bowling Green 0. Highlands ended the half in spectacular fashion as QB Clay Cecil hit Terry O’Brien in the end zone with a 44-yard Hail Mary TD pass.
• Highlands’ first half stats: 251 yards, including 158 on the ground. Josh Conner has carried 15 times for 81 yards. Clay Cecil has thrown for 93 yards and run for 57. Bowling Green’s stats: 69 yards.
• Bowling Green’s best offensive series of the night ends when the Purples fail to convert on fourth-and-7 at the Highlands 34 with less than two minutes left in the first half.
• The Bluebirds of happiness: Highlands has scored again and leads 14-0. Josh Conner’s 1-yard run with 5:43 left in the first half capped another long drive — 12 plays, 66 yards, 5 minutes. The Bluebirds have 186 yards compared to Bowling Green’s 19.
• As the first quarter ends, Bowling Green has only 15 yards and Highlands has 107.
• Highlands’ Drew Bathiany misses a 36-yard field goal attempt, so the Bluebirds still lead 7-0 with less than a minute to play in the first quarter.
• Unbeaten Highlands has sent an early message to Bowling Green. The Bluebirds took the opening kickoff and methodically marched 80 yards in 14 plays to take a 7-0 lead on Josh Conner’s 1-yard TD run. The drive took just over 7 minutes off the clock. QB Clay Cecil ran times for 31 yards on the drive.

Photo: Highlands quarterback Clay Cecil avoided Matt Van Meter of Bowling Green.
Ed Reinke | Associated Press

Class 3A: Central 27, Belfry 17

Belfry never trailed this season while rolling up a 14-0 record and earning a shot at its third state football title in five years.

But that all changed in a blur last night. The blur was Central speedster Darrell Taylor.

Taylor raced 48 yards for a touchdown to give Central a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter, and he broke free for two more long scores to lead the Yellowjackets to a 27-17 victory over Belfry and a Class 3A championship in front of 7,619 fans at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

It was the first state football title for Central, which became the first Louisville public school other than Male to win a championship since Butler in 1979.

“To win it all is great for our community and our school, and for all the great players who’ve come through Central,” Taylor said. “We finally made it happen.”

Ty Scroggins, in his first year with the Jackets, became the first African-American coach to win a KHSAA football title.

Central came into the finals with five losses, but all were to top 20 teams, including state finalists Highlands and St. Xavier. “Our schedule prepared us for this,” Scroggins said. “We practiced to play a tough game every week, and that paid off.”

Belfry, which won titles in 2003 and 2004, had one last opportunity to get its hands on another trophy. The Pirates trailed 21-17 when they drove inside the Central 15-yard line with four minutes left.

But Terryl Wadlington got into the Belfry backfield, forced a fumble, and recovered it to kill the threat.

Taylor sealed the victory when he shook loose on a 45-yard TD with 90 seconds left.

The 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior rushed 22 times for 165 yards and two TDs. He also had the defensive play of the night. In the closing seconds of the first half, with Belfry looking to add to its 10-7 lead, Pirates quarterback Andrew Elkins’ arm was hit as he attempted to throw a deep pass.

The ball fluttered high into the air, and into the arms of Taylor, who returned it 76 yards for a score as time expired.

“Probably the biggest play of the game,” Scroggins said.

Central opened the second half strong, too. It scored on its first possession, with Leland Banks rifling a 26-yard TD pass to Stephon Robinson.

Down 21-10, Belfry didn’t panic.

“We wanted to do what we do best — run the football and play good defense,” Pirates Coach Philip Haywood said.

Belfry cut the lead to 21-17 on Dustin May’s 6-yard run in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.

But the Pirates weren’t able to complete the comeback as they collected another state runner-up trophy to the ones it got in 1985 and 1986.

May accounted for more than half of Belfry’s offense. He ran 25 times for 128 yards and two TDs. He had two receptions for 33 yards.

Haywood called Central’s defensive line “the best we’ve played against this year. Their size and quickness gave us problems,”

Haywood said he will have only good memories of this team. “We had a tremendous group of seniors as far as maturity and leadership,” he said. “They gave their best every week.”

Central 27, Belfry 17
Class 3A Championship
Central 7 7 7 6—27
Belfry 0 10 0 7—17
First quarter: C—Darrell Taylor 48 run (Rizik Lado kick), 1:39. Second quarter: B—Dustin May 1 run (Glen Earnest kick), 8:17. B—Earnest 28 FG, 6:44. C—Taylor 76 interception return (Lado kick), 0:00. Third quarter: C—Stephon Robinson 26 pass from Leland Banks (Lado kick), 10:05. Fourth quarter: B—May 6 run (Earnest kick), 11:34. C—Taylor 45 run (kick blocked), 1:30.
A—7,619.
C B
First downs 10 15
Rushes-Yards 32-150 50-217
Passing 88 65
Comp-Att-Int 5-12-3 6-12-1
Return yards 159 85
Punts-Avg. 3-41.3 7-30.3
Fumbles-Lost 6-2 3-1
Penalties-Yards 2-10 6-27
Time of possession 21:07 26:53
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—Central, Taylor 22-165, Wadlington 3-6, Holstein 1-(minus 1), Banks 5-(minus 6), Graham 1-(minus 14). Belfry, May 24-128, Lee 9-33, Varney 2-22, Elkins 8-18, Dotson 6-16.
PASSING—Central, Banks 5-12-3-88. Belfry, Elkins 6-11-1-65.
RECEIVING—Central, Holstein 3-59, Robinson 2-29. Belfry, May 2-33, Preston 2-18, Young 2-14.

Photo: Louisville Central’s Darrell Taylor broke past Belfry defenders.
Ed Reinke | Associated Press

Click below for the live updates posted during the game.

Class A: Beechwood 38, LCA 35

Tradition-rich Beechwood had to fight to the finish to hold off upstart Lexington Christian Academy 38-35 and win its 10th Class A football title yesterday in front of 3,792 fans at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

Trailing by three points, LCA had a chance to tie or take the lead when it drove to the Beechwood 1-yard line with four minutes left. The Eagles faced fourth down, and

Coach Paul Rains had to decide whether to try a field goal or go for the touchdown.

“It was about 50-50,” Rains said. “The attitude with our staff and players was we were going to win this game.”

So LCA went for the TD.

But Beechwood put a serious rush on Eagles’ quarterback Lucas Witt and forced a throw into the end zone that was picked off by Neico Teipel.

“We had our shot,” Rains said. “In hindsight, I’ll be doubting that one the rest of the year. All that falls on me.”

The fact that LCA had a shot to beat Beechwood was a surprise to many. But the Eagles, in their seventh season of varsity ball, held their own against a program that was in the finals for the 13th time in 17 years.

“We thought we were going to pound them, but it didn’t work out that way,” Beechwood senior Drew Davis said.

The Tigers (14-1) escaped because of their special teams.

Ryan Amelung had a 99-yard kickoff return for a TD, and a 62-yard punt return for a score.

“The guys up front opened the holes and I just ran it,” he said.

Beechwood also blocked a punt that turned out to be the turning point of the game.

It came late in the third quarter with LCA leading 28-21. Beechwood’s Brady Slusher smothered the kick, and the ball rolled out of the end zone. The safety trimmed the deficit to 28-23.

After taking the free kick, Beechwood scored quickly. A 37-yard pass from Cody Elliott to Slusher set up Tommy Bankemper’s 3-yard TD run. Bankemper caught a two-point conversion pass to put the Tigers on top 31-28.

“That really sucked the wind out of our sails,” LCA senior lineman Zak Duff said.
“Until then I thought we had them where we wanted. Just a few screw-ups on our side put a damper on things.”

Only 90 seconds later, Beechwood delivered another big blow when Amelung broke free on his punt return.

“Our special teams were amazing,” said Elliott, who directed the offense to only 219 yards. LCA’s defense forced five turnovers. One of them was Drew Walls’ 11th interception of the year.

The Eagles’ spread offense rolled up 330 yards. Sophomores Witt, Domonique Hayden and Branden Burdette made big plays behind a veteran line anchored by Duff and Ross Hill.

Witt completed 27 of 48 passes for 290 yards and two TDs, and had three intercepted. Burdette caught nine passes for 122 yards and two TDs.

Hayden ran 21 times for 49 yards and three TDs.

But when Beechwood absolutely, positively had to have a stop, it got it.

Noel Rash, in his second year as coach, said his initial reaction after winning his first championship was to relish the reward that his players received for “their commitment and sacrifice.”

After that he thought about his predecessors, Bernie Barre and Mike Yeagle, who built the Beechwood program.

“I’m a history teacher, and I know our history well,” Rash said. “I’m living off some of the things Bernie and Mike were able to accomplish.

“Hopefully we can continue things.”

LCA (11-4) signaled that it may be a force to be reckoned with in the future.

“After losing to Raceland last year in the district championship, and now we’re playing in Louisville, this is a big step, a huge building block for our program,” Duff said.

Rains also saw nothing but positives from a state runner-up finish.

“I told the kids that success is a journey, not a destination, and we’ve been on a really good journey this year.

“It would’ve been nice to end it with a big smille on our faces. But we’ll look back at what we’ve accomplished and we’ll be smiling throughout rest of year getting ready for next year.”

Click below for the live updates posted during the game.

Crowning achievements at Papa John’s

After almost four months of Friday night lights, we’ve arrived at championship weekend. Six state football titles will be decided today and Saturday at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. To borrow a descriptive term favored by former Cumberland High and UK quarterback Freddie Maggard, we can expect a few “slobber knockers” in the finals. The Class 6A showdown between arch-rivals St. Xavier and Trinity, and the 5A battle between Bowling Green and Highlands could be the best of the bunch. The action begins with Beechwood vs. Lexington Christian in the 1A title game at 11:30, followed by Belfry vs. Central in the 3A finals at 3:30. Bowling Green and Highlands play at 7:30. On Saturday, Newport Central Catholic faces Fort Campbell for the 2A crown at 11:30. Lexington Catholic and Lone Oak settle 4A at 3:30. St. X and Trinity finish things off in 6A at 7:30.

** If my computer doesn’t betray me, I’ll have live blog updates on all six title games**

Pre-season polls usually don’t hold up well, but the state’s coaches did a great job forecasting who would make it to Papa John’s. The Herald-Leader’s pre-season ratings correctly predicted the finalists in 6A (Trinity and St. X were 1-2 back in August), 5A (Highlands and Bowling Green were 1-2), and 3A (Central and Belfry were 1-2). In 4A, Lexington Catholic was No. 1 in the pre-season while Lone Oak was nowhere to be found. In 2A, Newport Central Catholic and Fort Campbell were No. 3 and No. 8, respectively, in August. In 1A, Beechwood was No. 1 in the pre-season and Lexington Christian Academy was No. 5.

The weather forecast calls for a good chance of rain today and Saturday. Wet, cool conditions could hamper some teams, but not all. “Some coaches wring their hands over weather reports, but we don’t,” said Beechwood Coach Noel Rash, whose Tigers prefer fundamentals over fancy.

It is usually the blue-chip Division I prospects, or the players who have commited to UK or Louisivlle, that draw the most attention in the state finals. That’s not the case this year. The fans and media are most curious to see Lone Oak quarterback Corey Robinson, who’s thrown for a national record 90 TDs and a state record 5,631 yards. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound senior has 131 career TD passes, 2 shy of Tim Couch’s state record. Is is possible for a player like Robinson, a virtual unknown when the season started, to win Mr. Football? It’s happened before. In 1993, Jeremy Simpson of Lincoln County, who had rushed for 654 yards as a junior, ran for 3,044 yards and 46 TDs, led the Patriots to a state runner-up finish, and was named Mr. Football.

Rating experience in football finals

When Trinity won back-to-back-to-back state football championships in 2001, ‘02 and ‘03, it did it with Brian Brohm as the triggerman at quarterback. Nick Petrino was the QB when the Shamrocks won state titles in 2005 and ‘06. The point? It would seem that stability and experience at QB is a must for a team attempting to win consecutive championships.

But then you look at Newport Central Catholic, which is shooting for a third state title in a row with its third senior QB in three years. In 2005 the Thoroughbreds won the 1A crown with Sam Diehl passing for 256 yards and 4 TDs against Mayfield in the finals. In 2006 Jared Harris was NewCath’s QB and he threw for 257 yards and 4 TDs in a win over Danville in the finals. This season the T-breds will have Rob Kues at QB when they take on Fort Campbell in the finals. Kues was the long snapper on last year’s title team, but this year he’s passed for 2,205 yards and 16 TDs, and run for 707 yards and 10 TDs. It’s a testament to NewCath’s program under the guidance of Bob Schneider that it can replace individual parts and keep producing championship results.

Speaking of championship experience, several players will be making encore appearances at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium this weekend. Among those who have been on the carpet before:

• Lexington Catholic’s Shane Israel (shown at right in the 3A title game 2 years ago) rushed 17 times for 90 yards and 3 TDs in the Knights’ 49-21 victory over Bowling Green in the 3A finals in 2005. LexCath’s Winston Guy had a 22-yard fumble return for a TD in that game.
• Bowling Green QB Trent Steelman will be making his third consecutive start in the finals. In 2005, he completed 5 of 11 passes for 88 yards and a TD in a 49-21 loss to Lexington Catholic. Last year he hit 5 of 8 passes for 92 TDs and a TD, and was intercepted 3 times in a 27-8 loss to Covington Catholic. WR D.L.Moore had 2 catches for 15 yards in that game, and Ryan Wallace had 1 reception for 15 yards.
• Trinity RB Tim Phillips ran 13 times for 59 yards and 1 TD in last year’s 41-7 romp over Ryle in the 4A finals. QB Will Stein saw breif action and completed his only pass for 13 yards. He also caught a 5-yard pass. WR Alex Dutton had 5 catches for 107 yards and 2 TDs in that game. His twin brother Nathan had 1 catch for 20 yards and a TD.
• St. Xavier QB Ben Zoeller saw limited action in the Tigers’ 14-6 loss to Trinity in the 4A finals in 2005. He completed 1 of 6 passes for 10 yards. He also ran twice for 26 yards.