By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter
You never know, is how Covington Catholic Coach Eddie Eviston sees the first playoff game playing out.
“I don’t think you ever really do know when you’re playing someone from somewhere else in the playoffs that you don’t really know about,” Eviston said, right after his unbeaten and No. 1-ranked Colonels romped to a 49-12 Class 4A win over visiting Greenup County in Park Hills.
His formula for going into these opening games, Eviston said, is simple. “The biggest thing is to make sure you get to Week 2” — whatever that takes. Which is what the now 11-0 Colonels did.
And as both a district champ and No. 1 Class 4A team in the RPI rankings, CovCath assured themselves they will get to stay home for all four games all the way to the state championship games in December at UK’s Kroger Field.
“If we keep winning,” said Eviston. If they keep getting the kinds of offensive performances they’ve been getting from seniors Evan Pitzer, as a pass-run quarterback threat, and Owen Leen, as the hard-running tailback.
The 6-foot-5 Pitzer threw for two TDs – one for 22 yards to Brandon Miller to get the scoring started, and a second for 28 yards to Noah Johnson sandwiched around his own four-yard TD run.
Leen scored on a 21-yard run in the first quarter and a 13-yarder in the second as CovCath sprinted out to a 42-6 halftime lead against the now 6-5 Musketeers.
“Pitzer did a really good job,” Eviston said although he threw only seven passes, completing five for 79 yards with no interceptions and those two TDs.
Leen meanwhile racked up 138 yards on just eight carries (a 17.3-yard average) with his two TDs.
“We had a lot of short fields,” Eviston said, crediting his defense for getting the ball back for the offense. “They went for it a lot on fourth down and we stopped them.”
And set things up for Pitzer and Leen. “We spread the ball around pretty well,” Eviston said. “That was good to see.”
In addition to the work of Pitzer and Leen, Andrew Bessler ran a TD in from three yards out and Evan Vinson closed the scoring with a 23-yard run.
Greenup County quarterback Kaleb Dionne scored both Musketeer TDs, one from 12 yards out, the other from two yards.
For the game, CovCath outgained Greenup, 325 yards to 185.
And now the Colonels will host Ashland Blazer next Friday. Ashland beat Harrison County, 56-14, a team CovCath beat 56-6. Ashland also beat Simon Kenton, 49-42, a team CovCath beat 50-12.
“I think every team we’ll see from here on will be pretty strong,” Eviston said. “Ashland will be 10-1 coming in here. Their only loss was by three points to Johnson Central.”
The home games the next three weeks – “as long as we keep advancing,” Eviston said – “are really good for our school and our community.”
Starting next Friday.
Score by quarter — Final
Greenup County (6-5) 6 0 0 6 – 12
CovCath (11-0) 14 28 7 0 — 49
Scoring Summary
CovCath: Miller 22 pass from Pitzer (Weitzel PAT kick)
Greenup Co.: Dionne 2 run (PAT Failed)
CovCath: Leen 21 run (Weitzel PAT)
CovCath: Pitzer 4 run (Weitzel PAT)
CovCath: Johnson 28 pass from Pitzer (Weitzel PAT)
CovCath: Leen 13 run (Weitzel PAT)
CovCath: Bessler 3 run (Weitzel PAT)
CovCath: Vinson 23 run (Weitzel PAT)
Greenup Co. Dionne 12 run (Dionne PAT pass failed)