NKyTribune staff
With less than a minute remaining Friday night, Dixie Heights appeared on the verge of knocking off host Corbin in the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic.
Corbin trailed 22-20 when quarterback Cameron Combs connected with Treyveon Longmire for a 74-yard touchdown pass that lifted the Redhounds to a 26-22 victory over a stunned Dixie Heights squad. Longmire’s decisive touchdown came with just 34 seconds remaining on the clock.
It marked the second straight week that Dixie Heights (0-2) suffered a narrow defeat. The Colonels dropped a 21-14 decision to Covington Catholic to open the season on Sept. 11.
Dixie Heights opened the game against Corbin by putting together a 14-play, 60-yard drive that was capped by Pierce Rohlman’s 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down. The Colonels added the two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead. Dixie Heights converted on two fourth-down plays to extend the opening drive.
Corbin (1-1) responded by marching 75 yards in 14 plays, and Seth Mills’ 14-yard touchdown run cut the Redhounds’ deficit to 8-7 with 11:52 remaining in the second quarter. Corbin later gained the lead as Mills’ second touchdown run gave the Redhounds a 13-8 advantage with 4:04 remaining in the first half.
Dixie Heights, though, found the end zone in less than four minutes with a 17-yard touchdown pass and another two-point conversion that allowed the Colonels to regain a 16-13 lead at halftime.
But Dixie Heights’ lead didn’t last long. Combs hit Mills for a 32-yard touchdown connection, giving Corbin a 20-16 edge. The Redhounds were able to hold on to their four-point advantage until the 9:27 mark of the fourth quarter. Dixie Heights managed to find the end zone with an 11-yard touchdown pass that gave the Colonels a 22-20 advantage.
NOON IGNITES HIGHLANDS WIN: Sophomore quarterback Charlie Noon rushed for 154 yards and two touchdowns Friday night as Highlands rallied from an 11-0 deficit to post a 23-14 victory at Ryle. The Bluebirds improved to 1-1, while Ryle dropped to 1-1.
Highlands plays host to powerful Boyle County next Friday night (Sept. 25) at 7:30 p.m. in Fort Thomas. Boyle County improved to 2-0 with a 56-21 win at Christian Academy of Louisville on Friday. The Rebels have outscored their opponents 107-28 in the first two weeks.
Boyle County opened the campaign on Sept. 11 with a 51-7 win over Mercer County. The Rebels finished 14-1 last season, with their only loss a 21-20 setback to Johnson Central in the Class 4A state championship game.
CASTRUCCI, CRAWFORD KEY CONNER VICTORY: Alex Castrucci passed for 124 yards and added another 59 yards on the ground with a touchdown to lead Conner to a 29-6 win at Campbell County on Friday night. The Cougar defense returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns, including a 103-yard score from Cody Crawford after a pickoff.
Offensively, Crawford added 71 yards on two receptions. He also made five tackles. Conner is 1-0, while Campbell County is 1-1.
EAGLES WIN LEXINGTON SHOWDOWN: Lexington Christian kicker Andrew Dobbs drilled a 37-yard field goal as time expired Friday night to give the Eagles a 23-20 win at Lexington Catholic. The Eagles (2-0) rallied from a 20-7 deficit in the final 9:22 of the game to defeat their city rival for the third time in the past four years.
And they did it in heart-stopping fashion.
Trailing by 13 points, Lexington Christian quarterback Drew Nieves connected with Xavier Brown for an 80-yard touchdown pass to cut the LexCath lead to 20-14. With less than three minutes remaining, Brown caught his third touchdown pass to even the score at 20-20, but LexCath blocked the extra point to keep the game tied.
Lexington Christian forced a LexCath punt, setting up the final drive that set up Dobbs’ winning field goal.
A year ago, Lexington Christian posted a 43-42 win over LexCath. The Eagles, who were ranked No. 1 most of the season in the Class 2A poll, finished with a 10-2 record in 2019.
PLENTY OF POINTS: Ludlow outscored Bishop Brossart 54-33 on Friday night. The Panthers (1-1) bounced back from a 48-28 loss the previous week to Carroll County.
Brossart, which dropped a 26-14 decision to Newport in Week 1, fell to 0-2.
(Information compiled from The Times-Tribune, the KHSAA and staff reports)