By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Ryle sophomore running back Travis Elliott rushed for 246 yards on 34 carries and scored three touchdowns to lead his team to a 31-22 win over Conner in a Class 6A district game on Friday, Oct. 16, 2009.
The Raiders finished with 467 total yards in the victory. Junior quarterback Conner Hempel completed 10 of 15 passes for 128 yards and one touchdown to provide the other half of a balanced offensive attack.
Conner senior quarterback Nick West also had a big night. He completed 28 of 42 passes for 342 yards and two TDs. But he had two passes dropped in the end zone and another one intercepted.
Elliott ended his sophomore season with 1,612 yards and 25 touchdowns. The following year, he rushed for 2,215 yards and scored 33 touchdowns on Ryle’s Class 6A state runner-up team.
His senior season was cut short by a knee injury, but Elliott finished his high school career with a team record 4,745 yards. That record was eclipsed in 2017 by Jake Chisholm’s 4,763 career total.
Here’s a look at other Northern Kentucky high school football games played on this week’s dates – Oct. 13-19.
1958 / Highlands 13, Danville 13 / Friday, Oct. 17
In the fourth quarter, Danville got a touchdown that tied the score, 13-13, but the Admirals missed the extra-point kick that would’ve given them an upset victory. Highlands entered the home game as the No. 1 team in the state power rankings after winning its first six games by wide margins. The Bluebirds’ first touchdown against Danville came on a 64-yard run by quarterback Richie Emmons. He also threw a 16-yard TD pass to Jim Brandhurst in the third quarter.
1979 / Lloyd 25, Campbell County 18 / Friday, Oct. 19
Senior running back Johnny Evans scored his fourth touchdown in the fourth quarter to give Lloyd a 25-18 win over Campbell County. Evans scored on two short runs in the first half and opened the third quarter with a 66-yard breakaway run that gave the Juggernauts an 18-6 lead. After Campbell County tied the score, Evans stepped up once again and capped his team’s game-winning scoring drive with a 5-yard run into the end zone.
1986 / Dayton 24, Ludlow 14 / Friday, Oct. 17
Dayton scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter and defeated Ludlow, 24-14, in a Class 1A district game. The Greendevils’ final three scoring drives started in Ludlow territory. Duane Mayer and John Dodd blocked punts and Steve Brooks recovered a fumble to put the Dayton offense in good field position. Senior running back Danny Brock scored Dayton’s last three touchdowns and ended up rushing for 106 yards on 21 carries.
2001 / Simon Kenton 28, Conner 7 / Friday, Oct. 19
Simon Kenton clinched a playoff berth for the first time in seven years with a 28-7 win over Conner in a Class 4A district game. Junior quarterback Justin Bishop completed 8 of 18 passes for 127 yards and three touchdowns for the Pioneers. Simon Kenton missed the point-after kick following all three of those touchdowns, but Jared Smock converted a 46-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to break the previous school record of 42 yards set in 1979.
2005 / Dixie Heights 14, Holmes 7 / Friday Oct. 14
Dixie Heights junior linebacker Randy Metzger recovered a fumble and returned it 35 yards for what proved to be the winning touchdown in his team’s 14-7 victory over Holmes. Dixie Heights scored the game’s first touchdown on a 26-yard pass from sophomore Joey Bricking to sophomore E.J. Dettmer. Holmes tied the score on a 11-yard pass from junior quarterback Duran Jefferson to senior tight end Drew Scales.