The NKyTribune is offering focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week at Northern Kentucky High School Football.
By Brett Bibbins
NKyTribune contributor
Conner stopped a two-point conversion attempt in the fourth quarter and defeated Dixie Heights, 13-12, in Northern Kentucky high school football action on Friday night.
It was the second consecutive one-point victory for the Cougars, who edged Scott, 28-27, last week by stopping a two-point conversion attempt after the game’s final touchdown.
In Friday’s game, Conner took a 6-0 lead on a 21-yard scoring pass from Kyler Padgett to Isaiah Ebarb in the first quarter. Dixie didn’t tie the score until the third quarter when quarterback Gunther Faeth crossed the goal line on a 7-yard rushing attempt.
In the final quarter, Padgett made it to the end zone on a 7-yard run and Nathan Eberhard kicked the extra point to put Conner ahead, 13-6. After Dixie Heights scored on 4-yard run by Keegan Barmore, the Colonels’ two-point conversion attempt failed when the runner was stopped short of the goal line.
Conner’s leading rusher was Ebarb with 68 yards on three attempts. He also had three pass receptions for 71 yards. Padgett rushed for 48 yards to go along with his 75 passing yards.
CONNER 6 0 0 7 — 13
DIXIE HEIGHTS 0 0 6 6 — 12
C — Ebarb 21 pass from Padgett (Kick failed)
DH — Faeth 7 run (Kick failed)
C — Padgett 7 run (Eberhard kick)
DH — Barmore 4 run (Run failed)
RECORDS: Conner 3-1, Dixie Heights 0-4
LUDLOW 61, TRIMBLE COUNTY 12
The Ludlow Panthers scored early and often against the Trimble County Raiders. Ludlow scored 19 first-quarter points en route to a 32-12 halftime lead and continued putting points on the board in the second half.
Ludlow quarterback Justin Blackburn rushed to 196 yards, scored twice and threw for 104 yards and one touchdown. Kalib Mitchell was a red-zone machine, picking up 10 of his 17 rushing yards on short TD runs. He also had two catches for 31 yards and a TD.
LUDLOW 19 13 15 14 — 61
TRIMBLE COUNTY 6 6 0 0 — 12
L — Ledbetter 57 pass from Blackburn (Ledbetter kick)
L — Mitchell 21 pass from Ledbetter (Kick failed)
TC — Fox 2 run (Kick failed)
L — Mitchell 7 run (Conversion failed)
L — Martin 2 run (Conversion failed)
TC — Gilley 26 pass from Fox (Conversion failed)
L — Blackburn 28 run (Ledbetter kick)
L — Blackburn 53 run (Martin run)
L — Stratton 45 run (Ledbetter kick)
L — Mitchell 2 run (Ledbetter kick)
L — Mitchell 1 run (Bridges kick)
RECORDS: Ludlow 4-1, Trimble County 0-5
LOUISVILLE ST. XAVIER 37, HIGHLANDS 6
St. Xavier put up points in hurry, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter and taking a 30-0 halftime lead.
The key contributor for St. X was junior quarterback Desmond Ridder, who completed 12 of 13 passes for 150 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his TD passes went to Trey Clements, who caught five passes for 71 yards.
Highlands senior quarterback Austin Hergott went 18-for-30 for 139 yards, including a 9-yard TD pass to senior Nick Kendall in the fourth quarter.
XAVIER 20 10 7 0 — 37
HIGHLANDS 0 0 0 6 — 6
STX — Ridder 9 run (Kick failed)
STX — Clements 20 pass from Ridder (McDonogh kick)
STX — Roshkowski 30 pass from Ridder (McDonogh kick)
STX – Taylor 4 run (McDonogh kick)
STX — McDonogh 20 FG
STX — Clements 10 pass from Ridder (McDonogh kick)
H — Kendall 9 pass from Hergott (Kick failed)
RECORDS: St. Xavier 3-1, Highlands 1-4.
ST. BERNARD (Ohio) 28, DAYTON 14
St. Bernard junior quarterback Anthony Harrison rushed for 215 yards and two touchdowns and returned an interception for a TD on defense.
After Dayton took an early lead on a 10-yard pass from Dylan Adams to Phillip McDaniel, the Ohio team ran off 28 straight points that included TD runs of 30 and 50 yards by Harrison. His interception return covered 90 yards.
ST. BERNARD 0 6 7 15 — 28
DAYTON 0 7 0 7 — 14
D — McDaniel 10 pass from Adams (Matthews kick)
STB — Harrison 30 run (Kick failed)
STB — Harrison 50 run (Pass failed)
STB — Carter 1 run (May kick)
STB — Harrison 90 interception return (Harrison run)
D — Hundemer 86 kick return (Adams kick)
RECORDS: St. Bernard 1-2, Dayton 1-4
SIMON KENTON 26, COOPER 7
With senior running back Torey Cordell-Armstrong sidelined by an injury, Cooper’s offense struggled and found the end zone just one time.
Simon Kenton took a 20-0 lead in the first half when Dillion Powell and Dylan Hampton scored rushing touchdowns and Logan Scott caught a 23-yard TD pass from junior quarterback Cameron Racke.
Racke ended up completing 15 of 24 passes for 182 yards as well as rushing for 91 yards and scoring another TD. The Pioneers had 181 rushing yards while holding Cooper to 33 yards on the ground.
COOPER 0 0 7 0 — 7
SIMON KENTON 6 14 0 6 — 26
SK — Powell 23 run (Conversion failed)
SK — Scott 23 pass from Racke (Conversion failed)
SK — Michels tackle for safety
SK — Hampton 3 run (Kick failed)
C — B. Brown 55 pass from N. Brown (Hollifield kick)
SK — Racke 4 run (Conversion failed)
RECORDS: Cooper 3-2, Simon Kenton 5-0
NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC 47, HARRISON COUNTY 7
Senior running back Jacob Smith rushed for 234 yards and four touchdowns to lead NewCath to the victory.
Josh Harris scored the Thoroughbreds’ other rushing touchdown and junior quarterback Patrick Henschen completed 5 of 11 passes for 103 yards and one TD.
NEWCATH 12 21 7 7 — 47
HARRISON CO. 0 0 0 7 – 7
NCC — Smith 41 run (kick failed)
NCC — Smith 1 run (pass failed)
NCC — Smith 54 run (Hans kick)
NCC — Harris 3 run (Hans kick)
NCC — Smith 7 run (Hans kick)
NCC — Anderson 63 pass from Henschen (Hans kick)
HC — Williams 6 pass from Jackson (Garrison kick)
RECORDS: NewCath 2-3, Harrison County 1-4.
OTHER GAMES INVOLVING LOCAL TEAMS
Holmes (2-3) 41, Bellevue (2-3) 0
Walton-Verona (1-4) 28, Lexington Christian (4-1) 27
Scott (4-1) 56, Holy Cross (2-2) 39
Ryle (5-0) 52, Campbell County (0-5) 7
South Oldham (3-1) 42, Boone County (0-5) 14