By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Having your starting quarterback sidelined by an injury in the second game of the season is a setback that could send a high school football team into a tailspin.
That’s what happened to the Conner Cougars, but they’ve run off three straight victories with backup senior quarterback Garrett Coghlan running the offense and take a 4-1 record into Friday’s game at Lloyd.
Conner started the season with junior Jared Hicks at quarterback. He had 358 passing yards before suffering a shoulder injury late in the first half of his team’s second game. He was replaced by Coghlan, who has rushed for 303 yards and five touchdowns while completing 6 of 16 passes for 78 yards.
“We have not changed a lot on offense other than throwing the ball less,” said Conner coach Dave Trosper. “Garret is getting better every week and we have taken advantage of his ability to run the ball along with Christian Webster and our offensive line playing well.”
Webster is the team’s leading rusher with 627 yards and seven touchdowns. In last week’s 34-18 win over Newport Central Catholic, he picked up 230 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns while Coghlan had 107 yards on 23 carries and two TDs.
Trosper said the Conner defense has also been playing well in the last three victories, which includes a 27-0 shutout against Scott. The Cougars have three seniors — Clayton Boyd, Zane Cahill and Ayden Camp — averaging seven or more tackles per game.
Lloyd also has a 4-1 record and three-game winning streak. The Juggernauts are a Class 2A team and all four of their victories have come against schools with bigger enrollments, but those four teams have a combined record of 5-18.
Conner is a 6A team that has won the last three games it played against Lloyd. To continue that streak on Friday, the Cougars will have to contain Lloyd running back Travon Mason, who has 364 rushing yards and five touchdowns. The Juggernauts’ other offensive threat is first-year quarterback Dakota Thiel, who has completed 11 of 21 passes for passes for 226 yards and three TDs.
The only district game on Friday’s football schedule is Scott at Harrison County in Class 4A. The local game that should draw the most interest is Beechwood at Simon Kenton.
Simon Kenton (5-1) fell from the ranks of the unbeaten teams last Friday with a 38-9 loss to Highlands. Beechwood (3-2) snapped a two-game losing streak with a 63-6 win over Holy Cross on Saturday.
Simon Kenton quarterback Caleb Farfsing and running back Austin Hammack did not finish last week’s game after being injured. Their status going into Friday’s home game is not known.
High school football schedule
FRIDAY
Newport at Bellevue, 7 p.m.
Ludlow vs. Brossart at Campbell Middle School, 7:30 p.m.
Clark County at Boone County, 7:30 p.m.
Ryle at Indianapolis Cathedral, 7:30 p.m.
Cooper at Dixie Heights, 7 p.m.
Dayton at Eminence, 7:30 p.m.
Scott at Harrison County, 7:30 p.m.
Holy Cross at Holmes, 7 p.m.
Conner at Lloyd, 7 p.m.
Campbell County at Mount Healthy (Ohio), 7 p.m.
Beechwood at Simon Kenton, 7 p.m.
Paintsville at Walton-Verona, 7:30 p.m.