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 Evan Merrill
NKyTribune contributor
Ryle showed why it deserves to be in the debate over the top high school football team in Northern Kentucky this season by crushing Highlands, 50-14, Friday night in Union.
The Raiders took the lead right away as junior running back Jacob Chisholm returned the opening kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown and never looked back to remain undefeated at 4-0. Simon Kenton and Beechwood are the only other unbeaten teams in the area.
“It meant so much to us. It’s the first game we really put everything together like we needed to,” senior running back Cole Burch said. “So it means a whole lot and gives us a lot of momentum right now.”
The Raiders, an already dangerous team sitting at 4-0 and coming off an impressive victory, aren’t close to what they want to achieve this season.
“Our program’s still building, we have a long way to go,” coach Mike Engler said. “We’re not even close to reaching our potential. This is just one step on the way. For us, it was a great game, but it was a small step to our ultimate goal — playing (for a state championship) in Bowling Green.”
Ryle’s offensive attack was led by senior quarterback Tanner Morgan, who passed for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Burch rushed for 58 yards and scored four TDs.
The Raiders rely heavily on Morgan, a Mr. Kentucky Football candidate, but he’s not the only reason the team is off to a 4-0 start.
“Our running game kind of gets overlooked,” Engler said. “First of all, our offensive line. Without our offensive line, they don’t get the yards they get (rushing), Tanner doesn’t get the yards he gets (passing). They deserve a little bit of press. Personally, I think our offensive line might be one of the best in the state.”
The Raiders’ run game, led by Chisholm and Burch, is really thriving behind the improved offensive line.
“They just see things so well,” Engler said of the running backs. “They’re coached so well to read their blocks and make a cut when they need to make a cut. That’s a credit to them. They’re two of the best I’ve seen in a long time as far as running the outside zone and read those blocks.”
The Raiders finished the first quarter up 28-0 and stayed aggressive. Engler wasn’t about to let up on Highlands, a team that was always a nemesis in the state playoffs when he coached at Lexington Catholic.
“We lost four straight years in the state semifinals to Highlands,” he said. “One of those was a running clock in the first half. So we were going to get a running clock (Friday). When we scored and got 34 (points), we were going for two to get that. Part of it was for years and years they had done that to a lot of teams in Northern Kentucky.”
RYLE 28 15 0 7 — 50
HIGHLANDS 0 7 0 7 — 14
R – Chisholm 91 kickoff return (Molique kick)
R – Burch 2 run. (Molique kick)
R – Chisholm 54 pass from Morgan (Molique kick)
R – Burch 2 run. (Molique kick)
R – Burch 2 run. (Burch run.)
H – Posey 1 pass from Gosney (Bowman kick)
R – Ashley 3 pass from Morgan (Molique kick)
R – Burch 6 run (Molique kick)
H – Pulsfort 6 run. (Bowman kick)
RECORDS: Ryle 4-0, Highlands 1-3.