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By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Cutting down on turnovers was a key element in the successful run that carried Newport Central Catholic back to the Class 2A state football final following a 2-4 start this season. But the Thoroughbreds had two costly fumbles in a 17-7 loss to Mayfield in the state championship game on Sunday at Western Kentucky University.
Mayfield’s first touchdown drive came after a fumble recovery in the second quarter and the Cardinals took a 14-0 lead in the third quarter by pouncing on a loose ball in the end zone on a botched punt return.
Those two mistakes proved to be the difference in a tight game between two perennial playoff contenders. Mayfield won its fourth consecutive state title playing against a NewCath team that has been in the state finals four straight years.
“We kind of hurt ourselves all year (with turnovers), but I thought we got over that and obviously we didn’t,” said NewCath coach Dan Wagner. “I felt like we’re as good or better than (Mayfield), I really do, but they always say you can’t turn the ball over in these games and that’s what we did.”
NewCath is one of two Northern Kentucky football teams that lost in the finals of this year’s state playoffs. Paintsville defeated Beechwood, 42-28, in the Class 1A title game on Thursday night. This is the second time in three years that no local team has finished the season with a championship trophy in any of the six classes. From 2004 to 2012, at least one local team won a state title every year.
NewCath’s defense limited Mayfield to 269 yards of total offense in Sunday’s state final. Most of it was provided by junior quarterback Landon Arnett, who completed 17 of 35 passes for 208 yards and one touchdown.
“They couldn’t move the ball on the ground at all so they became one-dimensional (on offense) and had to throw it,” Wagner said. “That’s what you want, but they scored on a pass right at the end of the half after we turned the ball over to them.”
The 17-yard touchdown pass from Arnett to Kevin Caldwell came in the final seconds of the second quarter and capped off a 57-yard drive following their team’s fumble recovery.
On the first possession of the second half, Mayfield was forced to punt. The ball hit the ground and nicked a NewCath player as it bounced toward the end zone. After the ball crossed the goal line, it was recovered by Keeland Murphy of Mayfield.
Officials ruled it a touchdown, but that may not have been the correct call. If the ball wasn’t in anyone’s possession when it crossed the goal, it could have been ruled a dead ball with NewCath getting possession on the 20-yard line.
“It’s one of those goofy rules that’s different for every level of football,” Wagner said. “I just assumed they made the right call. I know you can’t advance a muffed punt and I didn’t think you could score on a muffed punt, but I’ll have to double check that.”
NewCath scored on a 46-yard pass from Patrick Henschen to Trent Wrobleski with 6:27 left in the third quarter and Ryan Hans kicked the extra point to trim Mayfield’s lead to 14-7. But the Thoroughbreds weren’t able to score on their final four possessions of the game, including one that ended with a fumble.
A 27-yard field goal by Mayfield kicker Sidney Sheldon with 5:35 left to play finished out the scoring.
“You can’t fault our kids effort at all,” Wagner said. “They played extremely hard. I’ll tell you what, we smacked (Mayfield) and they know they were in a football game.”
NewCath finished with 217 yards in total offense. Henschen connected on 10 of 18 passes for 136 yards. The team’s leading rusher was Jake Smith with 60 yards on 24 carries. He also caught three passes for 31 yards and had a 23-yard kickoff return.
MAYFIELD 0 7 7 3 — 17
NEWCATH 0 0 7 0 — 7
M – Caldwell 17 pass from Arnett (Herndon kick)
M – Murphy fumble recover in end zone (Herndon kick)
NC – Wrobleski 46 pass from Henschen (Hans kick)
M – Herndon 27 FG
RECORDS: Mayfield 14-1, NewCath 9-6.