By James Collier
The Daily Independent
PAINTSVILLE — The Paintsville Tigers gashed the playing surface last week at Memorial Field during a 39-7 win over Hazard.
Friday night in their Class 1A state semifinal contest with Newport Central Catholic, Paintsville instead gashed the Thoroughbreds with a rushing attack clinic.
Paintsville tallied 337 rushing yards on 56 carries en route to a 21-7 victory over Newport Central Catholic to earn a return trip to Kroger Field next Friday in the Class 1A state championship.

“It’s amazing,” Paintsville coach Joe Chirico said. “Our guys work hard every day and do what is asked of them and never take a day off. It’s just grinding, grinding and grinding. It’s fun to be a part of and they love each other. I just can’t say enough about them and my staff, they do a wonderful job.”
Five different backs toted the rock from the Tigers backfield, led by Harris Phelps’ 168 yards on 20 carries and three touchdowns. His first evened the contest at 7-7, on a 31-yard sprint to the end zone. His second went 36 yards as he knifed his way to paydirt. Phelps’ final score of the night, an 11-yard run, capped off a 6:01 scoring drive and all but iced the victory.
“That was the nail in the coffin right there,” Phelps said. “We knew if we scored right there, it was game. I’ve got full trust in my linemen and even my receivers who start blocking downfield. I knew they would give me a great opportunity to go down and score.”
But as imposing as the Tigers’ offense was by an offensive yardage margin of 365-173, Paintsville’s defense was equally as strong, especially in the second half. Newport Central Catholic was held to only 42 yards of total offense after the halftime break and moved the sticks only twice.
“We thought they would wear down a little bit and they didn’t,” Newport Central Catholic coach Stephen Lickert said. “If you took our top 11 and their top 11, they probably had us by about two tons in size. That makes a big difference on a muddy field. When guys start leaning on you and the game gets going … our guys fought hard, but (Paintsville) was just the better team tonight.”

The Thoroughbreds (8-3) could only watch as the Tigers marched downfield on the game’s opening drive to the 4-yard line. Hoping for six, Paintsville handed off to senior Jake Hyden, who had been sidelined for nearly half the season, but the outcome was not what he had hoped for on his first touch of a football in two months.
“I saw the end zone a yard or two away and I tried to just reach over to it and his helmet hit right on the ball and knocked it out,” Hyden smiled as he described the fumble that was recovered by the Thoroughbreds in the end zone.
Karsten Poe, who has subbed superbly in the absence of Hyden, said he was ready to go back to Hyden on the next series.
“That was Jake’s first run in a month and a half,” Poe said. “We trust him and things happen. Our line blocked great and we knew we could run and dominate up front. Our physicality really helped us.”
Newport Central Catholic answered with a statement of its own after the turnover with an 11-play, 80-yard drive that was capped off by a 46-yard Malaki Herndon hookup with Joey Runyon for a 7-0 lead.
Still down seven after one, the Tigers answered with an eight-play, 80-yard drive that featured seven runs for 72 yards, to even the contest at 7-7.
“We love playing hard-nosed football and running it down anybody’s throat is the best feeling,” Poe said.
Paintsville’s offense consumed 16 of the 24 second-half minutes.
“It’s huge to do those kinds of things and rely on your big hogs to do their job and do what they are supposed to do,” Chirico said.
Phelps did his part down the stretch as well. On the Tigers’ final scoring drive, Phelps touched the ball on six of the 10 plays, accounting for 47 of the 68 yards.

“Harris does a great job,” Chirico said. “He’s a hard-nosed kid and I think sometimes it gets lost how physical he is. If you watched his two brothers play, they played physical, too. It’s just who they are.”
Poe echoed Chirico.
“Harris ran the ball great,” Poe said. “He’s one of our best running backs and you have to give all the credit to him and the O-line.”
And Hyden echoed his fellow running backs’ account of the offensive line after hearing the Tigers’ total rushing numbers on the night, directing the credit to the five guys up front.
“That was all our line,” Hyden said. “None of our backs would take credit for that. It was all the line just blocking their tails off. They did an amazing job tonight and I couldn’t ask for a better job than what they did.”
While the Thoroughbreds had success moving the ball in the opening half, things quickly changed after halftime. A defensive adjustment by the Tigers shut down the Thoroughbreds’ screen game.
“It really disrupted it,” Lickert said of the Tigers’ adjustments. “They made some really good adjustments at the half and they didn’t wear down like we thought they would. They are a good football team and they’ve got a real shot next week.”
Newport Central Catholic’s second-half drives included two punts, a fumble on a Tigers’ punt and two failed fourth-down conversions. Runyon led the NewCath ground attack with 48 yards on 15 carries. Herndon passed for 125 yards and a touchdown, completing nine of his 18 attempts.
The Tigers (9-2) meet Kentucky Country Day (10-1) in the state championship, looking to win their first football state crown in the 100th year of the program. Paintsville fell to Pikeville last year, 43-0, and the players who returned this season admit they have unfinished business in Lexington.
“After last year’s loss, we’ve had a chip on our shoulder the whole time,” Poe said. “It feels great, but we really need to go down there and get the job done this time.”
Hyden said he’s just excited for the chance to go out on top.
“I’m so thankful for this team that has fought so hard just to get me back out on this field and give me this opportunity,” Hyden said. “It was an awesome feeling and I love this team. I can’t thank them enough. It’s an amazing opportunity and we’ve just got to go to work.”
(Story published with permission from The Daily Independent)