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
In a first round game of the Class 6A playoffs on Friday, two Northern Kentucky high school teams were slated against each other and Conner edged Campbell County, 14-12, for the victory.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Cougars struck first on a short pass from Kyler Padgett to Tyler Arnold.
The Camels came back with a score of their own as quarterback Carson Plessinger punched one in from 1-yard out, but the point-after kick was missed, leaving Campbell County one point behind.
After Padgett hooked up with Tanner Nyers for another touchdown pass, Conner found themselves up 14-6 in the final quarter. The Camels drove to the 1-yard line, leaving Plessinger to take it into the end zone himself once again, making the score 14-12.
Campbell County had to go for the two-point conversion with the season on the line and failed to convert.
Conner advances to the round of 16 in the Class 6A playoffs to take on local rival Cooper next week.
CAMPBELL COUNTY 0 6 0 6 — 12
CONNER 0 14 0 0 — 14
C — Arnold 2 pass from Padgett (Eberhard kick)
CC — Plessinger 1 run (Kick failed)
C — Nyers 12 pass from Padgett (Eberhard kick)
CC — Plessinger 1 run (Conversion failed)
RECORDS: Campbell County 1-8, Conner 8-4
WALTON-VERONA 45, NEWPORT 6
On the first play from scrimmage in the Class 2A playoff game, Newport recovered its own fumble and ran the ball to the 2-yard line where Tyler Porter scored on the next play. But it was all Walton-Verona from that moment forward.
The Bearcats rattled off 45 straight points through the next three quarters, shutting down any confidence that the Wildcats may have gained on their opening drive of the game.
Walton-Verona running back Halsey Page rushed for 184 yards and two touchdowns, putting him 19 rushing yards shy of the school record for most rushing yards in a single season.
Noah Richardson also had a big game for the Bearcats, rushing for 74 yards and two touchdowns, putting him over the 1,000 yard rushing mark on the season.
The Bearcats move on to take on Lloyd at home in the next round of the playoffs.
NEWPORT 6 0 0 0 — 6
WALTON-VERONA 7 24 14 0 — 45
N — Porter 2 run (Conversion failed)
WV — Brown 12 run (Moran kick)
WV — Richardson 8 run (Moran kick)
WV — Richardson 10 run (Moran kick)
WV — Page 56 run (Moran kick)
WV — Moran 46 field goal
WV — Richardson 76 kickoff return (Moran kick)
WV — Page 1 run (Moran kick)
RECORDS: Newport 1-10, Walton-Verona 6-5
HOLY CROSS 54, OWEN COUNTY 28
Damien Serrano scored five touchdowns to lead Holy Cross in its largest scoring output of the season in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs.
Serrano caught three touchdown passes and scored on an interception return and punt return. The Indians’ leading rushers were Derrick Barnes and Hamilton Scott with a combined total of 147 yards.
Holy Cross will play Newport Central Catholic in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs next week.
HOLY CROSS 21 6 21 6 — 54
OWEN COUNTY 0 8 14 6 — 28
HC — Barnes 1 run (Scott kick)
HC — Serrano 51 pass from Scott (Scott kick)
HC — Barnes 5 run (Scott kick)
OC — Barnette 37 pass from Smith (Barnette pass from Smith)
HC — Serrano 26 pass from Scott (Scott kick)
HC — Serrano interception return (Scott kick)
HC — Serrano 49 punt return (Scott kick)
OC — Hudson 21 run (Smith run)
HC —Serrano 20 pass from Scott (Scott kick)
OC — Hudson 45 run (Conversion failed)
HC — Lyons 34 pass from Couch (Kick failed)
OC — Partin 2 run (Conversion failed)
RECORDS: Holy Cross 6-5, Owen County 6-5
HIGHLANDS 50, WOODFORD COUNTY 14
The Highlands Bluebirds won their fifth straight game in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Highlands senior running back Nick Kendall had 122 yards and four touchdowns. The team’s other rushing leaders were Jared Pulsfort with 91 yards and Grant Murray with 85 yards.
The Bluebirds will play Dixie Heights next week in the second round of the 5A playoffs.
WOODFORD COUNTY 0 6 8 0 — 14
HIGHLANDS 22 14 7 7 — 50
H — Kendall 1 run (Dougherty kick)
H — Kendall 28 run (Dougherty kick)
H — Kendall 15 run (Miller pass from Cain)
H — Murray 1 run (Dougherty kick)
H — Huber 33 pass from Hergott (Dougherty kick)
WC — Depp 98 kick return (Conversion failed)
H — Murray 60 run (Dougherty kick)
WC — Thurman 10 run (Johnson run)
H — Kendall 5 run (Dougherty kick)
RECORDS: Woodford County 3-8, Highlands 6-5
COOPER 40, SENECA 0
In the first round of the Class 6A playoffs, Cooper scored three times in both the first and second quarters to effectively put the game out of reach before halftime.
Nathan Brown threw for 215 yards and five touchdowns, three to Dante Hendrix and two to Tyson Jackson. Jaden Jackson had a big night on the ground, rushing for 86 yards.
Cooper moves on to the second round of the Class 6A playoffs to take on district rival Conner. Cooper won the previous matchup between the two teams this season by the score of 15-13.
SENECA 0 0 0 0 — 0
COOPER 19 21 0 0 — 40
C — Jackson 21 pass from Brown (Hollifield kick)
C — Hendrix 25 pass from Brown (Hollifield kick)
C — Schlarman 8 run (Run failed)
C — Hendrix 19 pass from Brown (Hollifield kick)
C — Hendrix 21 pass from Brown (Hollifield kick)
C — Jackson 61 pass from Brown (Hollifield kick)
RECORDS: Seneca 0-11, Cooper 9-2
COVINGTON CATHOLIC 47, ANDERSON COUNTY 21
Anderson County managed to keep it close for the first half, but CovCath scored 34 points in the final two quarters to seal the victory in the Class 5A playoffs.
Three CovCath players finished with more than 100 rushing yards. The leader was Casey McGinness with 136 yards, followed by Anthony Best with 120 yards and A. J. Mayer with 109 yards. McGinness and Best each scored twice and Mayer had three TDs.
CovCath moves on to play at Madison Southern in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs.
ANDERSON COUNTY 7 0 7 7 — 21
COVINGTON CATHOLIC 7 6 20 14 — 47
CC — Best 7 run (Kloska kick)
AC — Peters 10 pass from Gillis (Simmons kick)
CC — Mayer 2 run (Kick failed)
CC — Best 9 run (Pass failed)
CC — Mayer 31 run (Kloska kick)
CC — Mayer 45 run (Kloska kick)
AC — Garmon 19 pass from Gillis (Simmons kick)
CC — McGinness 45 run (Kloska kick)
AC — Martin 6 run (Simmons kick)
CC — McGinness 48 run (Kloska kick)
RECORDS: Anderson County 5-6, Covington Catholic 4-7
OTHER GAMES INVOLVING LOCAL TEAMS
Beechwood 62, Eminence 0
Frankfort 49, Bellevue 8
Louisville Holy Cross 42, Dayton 0
Kentucky Country Day 21, Ludlow 14
Lloyd 41, Carroll County 0
Newport Central Catholic 38, Gallatin County 7
Johnson Central 41, Holmes 0
Scott 33, Rowan County 26
Dixie Heights 21, Montgomery County 17
Ryle 49, Boone County 14
Simon Kenton 48, Butler 8