The NKyTribune will be providing focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all of 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 Terry Boehmker
NKy Tribune sports reporter
A dominating defensive performance coupled with a scoring flurry in the third quarter carried Covington Catholic to a 44-10 win over Beechwood on Friday in the third home game played under temporary lights at CovCath.
Unlike their previous two games that were decided by one point, the Colonels scored 34 points in the third quarter to take a commanding lead over Beechwood and went on to post its fourth straight victory.
CovCath finished with 462 yards in total offense while holding Beechwood to 58. The visiting Tigers were limited to four first downs and scored their only touchdown on a 96-yard kickoff return by junior James Davis.
That touchdown was one of four scored by the two teams in a span of 3 minutes and 11 seconds on the game clock during the third quarter. One of those TDs came on a 34-yard interception return by CovCath senior Anthony Best. He also scored on a 4-yard run in the final seconds of the second quarter to give his team a 10-7 halftime lead.
CovCath junior quarterback AJ Mayer threw touchdown passes to three different receivers in the third quarter. The last one went to sophomore Jake Coldiron, who made a leaping catch and made it to the end zone to complete the 58-yard play.
Mayer completed 16 of 21 passes for 302 yards to raise his season total to 1,228 passing yards in four games. He had one pass picked off in the first quarter. That turnover led to a field goal by Beechwood.
CovCath’s leading rusher was sophomore Casey McGinness with 91 yards on 12 carries. He also had 40 yards receiving and 54 in punt and kickoff returns to finish with 185 all-purpose yards.
Beechwood had a hard time moving the ball from the beginning and didn’t get a first down until its fourth possession. The Tigers, who were 1-for-7 on third and fourth down conversions, finished with 15 yards rushing and 43 yards passing.
CovCath’s defense had five tackles for a loss and two quarterback sacks that subtracted 54 yards from Beechwood’s offensive total.
BEECHWOOD 3 0 7 0 – 10
COVCATH 0 10 34 0 – 44
B – Mescher 41 FG
CC – Kloska 25 FG
CC – Best 4 run (Kloska kick)
CC – Newman 25 pass from Mayer (Kloska kick)
CC – Best 34 interception return (Kloska kick)
B – Davis 96 kickoff return (Mescher kick)
CC – O’Connell 5 run (kick failed)
CC – Butler 13 pass from Mayer (Kloska kick)
CC – Coldiron 58 pass from Mayer (Kloska kick)
RECORDS: CovCath 4-1, Beechwood 3-1.
RYLE 38, CAMPBELL COUNTY 7 – Junior running back Jake Chisholm rushed for 89 yards on nine carries, caught five passes for 108 yards and scored three touchdowns to lead the unbeaten Ryle Raiders to their fifth victory.
Campbell County scored the game’s first touchdown, but the Camels didn’t get much done offensively after that. Ryle finished with 450 total yards compared to Campbell County’s 181.
Ryle senior quarterback Tanner Morgan scored on a 1-yard keeper and threw a 15-yard TD to Zach Cusick. Morgan ended up completing 17 of 30 passes for 227 yards.
RYLE 14 10 7 7 – 38
CAMPBELL CO. 7 0 0 0 – 7
CC – Mayer 12 pass from Hoeh (Mayer kick)
R – Chisholm 33 run (Molique kick)
R – Morgan 1 run (Molique kick)
R – Chisholm 9 run (Molique kick)
R – Molique 20 FG
R – Chisholm 2 run (Molique kick)
R – Cusick 15 pass from Morgan (Molique kick)
RECORDS: Ryle 5-0, Campbell County 2-3
HOLMES 32, BELLEVUE 7 – Holmes senior running back Seth Hille picked up most of his 202 rushing yards on touchdown runs of 43, 88 and 43 yards. The Bulldogs also scored on a 52-yard pass from Jashaun York to Tajh Campbell.
Holmes finished with a 372-248 advantage in offensive yardage. Bellevue got most of its yardage on the ground because starting quarterback Tucker Thomas did not play in the second half due to an injury.
Holmes will play its first Class 4A district game of the season next Friday against Harrison County. The game will be played at Lloyd High School because the Bulldogs do not have a home field this season.
HOLMES 13 13 6 0 – 32
BELLEVUE 0 7 0 0 – 7
H – Hille 43 run (Campbell kick)
H – Hille 88 run (kick failed)
B – Hazeras 9 run (Garcia kick)
H – Campbell 52 pass from York (pass failed)
H – York 2 run (Campbell kick)
H – Hille 43 run (kick blocked)
RECORDS: Holmes 2-3, Bellevue 2-3
CONNER 40, DIXIE HEIGHTS 8 – The Cougars jumped out to a 26-0 lead in the first quarter with senior Armand Jackson scoring two of his three touchdowns during that fast start.
Armand rushed for 205 yards on eight carries and senior quarterback Walker Buelow completed 7 of 17 passes for 160 yards and two TDs to lead Conner’s balanced offensive attack that netted 553 yards
Dixie Heights senior Jose Torres rushed for 112 of his team’s 227 total yards. The Colonels were 4 of 14 on third down conversions during the game.
DIXIE HEIGHTS 0 0 0 8 – 8
CONNER 26 0 0 14 – 40
C – Jackson 19 run (kick failed)
C – Marshall 16 pass from Buelow (Shepherd kick)
C – Jackson 75 run (Shepherd kick)
C – Simpson 49 pass from Buelow (kick failed)
C – Jackson 84 run (Shepherd kick)
DH – Hicks 7 run (Rice run)
C – Webster 30 run (Shepherd kick)
RECORDS: Conner 3-1, Dixie Heights 2-2.
HOLY CROSS 27, SCOTT 0 – Holy Cross took a 20-0 lead in the first half on touchdown runs by Christian Current, Derrick Barnes and Xavier Abernathy, who had a combined total of 163 rushing yards in the game.
The Indians ended up with 347 total yards while limiting Scott to 99. The Eagles lost their second game without quarterback Nelson Perrin in the lineup due to a hand injury. It’s not known if he’ll be back for Scott’s first Class 4A district game against Mason County on Friday.
HOLY CROSS 14 6 0 7 – 27
SCOTT 0 0 0 0 – 0
HC – Current 16 run (Finnell kick)
HC – Barnes 3 run (Finnell kick)
HC – Abernathy 1 run (kick failed)
HC – Williams 16 pass from Borman (Finnell kick)
RECORDS: Holy Cross 3-1, Scott 1-4
LOUISVILLE ST. XAVIER 45, HIGHLANDS 18 – After falling behind 38-0, Highlands was able to put some numbers on the scoreboard in the second half when Brady Gosney threw touchdown passes to three different receivers.
Gosney completed 24 of 38 passes for 257 yards to account for most of the Bluebirds’ 323 total yards. His TD passes went to Nick Veneman and Jared Wogan in the third quarter and Evan Fickenscher in the fourth.
St. Xavier got 301 of its 355 total yards on the ground with senior Sam Taylor picking up 120 yards on 15 carries.
LEXINGTON CHRISTIAN 51, WALTON-VERONA 9 – Lexington Christian took a 28-7 lead in the first quarter and continued to pull away behind a balanced offensive attack that finished with 366 total yards.
Walton-Verona’s lone touchdown was scored by Garet Talbot, who had 103 of the team’s 172 rushing yards. The Bearcats ended up with minus-1 yard passing.
Scores from unreported games
South Oldham 35, Boone County 14
Ludlow 54, Trimble County 0
Newport Central Catholic 42, Harrison County 10