By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The first six games on Ryle’s football schedule were against teams currently ranked among the state’s top 10 in four different classes. The Raiders finished that tough stretch with a 4-2 record and both losses were by seven points.
On Friday, Louisville St. Xavier held off a second-half rally by the visiting Raiders to come away with a 31-24 victory. In the latest statewide media poll, St. Xavier (4-2) was No. 3 and Ryle was No. 6 among Class 6A teams.
The Raiders’ other seven-point loss was 21-14 against Cooper, the top-ranked team in Class 5A. Their four victories came against Covington Catholic (No. 5 in Class 4A), Highlands (No. 4 in Class 5A), Conner (No. 9 in Class 5A) and Christian Academy of Louisville (No. 1 in Class 3A).
It would be hard to find a more challenging non-district schedule than that. And the Raiders handled it with a first-year starter at quarterback, junior Nathan Verax, running an offense that’s averaging nearly 300 yards per game.
On Friday, St. Xavier took a 31-10 lead on a 62-yard touchdown pass early in the third quarter. Ryle dominated time of possession after that and pulled to within seven points when running back Jacob Savage caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from Verax with 4:42 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers secured the win by converting on two third-down plays and were able to run out the clock. They ended up with 358 total yards on 53 plays, compared to Ryle’s 350 yards on 80 plays.
Ryle’s first touchdown came on a 15-yard pass from Verax to Savage in the final seconds of the first half that trimmed St. Xavier’s lead to 24-10.
The Raiders’ moved the ball across midfield on their first possession of the second half, but a holding penalty and two quarterback sacks forced them to punt. Two plays later, a TD pass from St. Xavier quarterback Mason Trimble to wide receiver Anthony Barbee covered 62 yards and restored their team’s 21-point lead.
The Raiders responded with an 80-yard touchdown drive. Verax picked up a first down on a third-and-10 play at the 42-yard line and scored on a 14-yard run with 3:28 left in the third quarter.
Ryle’s next possession ended with a quarterback sack on a fourth-down play at the St. Xavier 25-yard line. But the Raiders got the ball back with 6:52 remaining in the fourth quarter and went 73 yards to score on their final possession.
ST. XAVIER 0 24 7 0 — 31
RYLE 0 10 7 7 — 24
X — Logan Zoeller 21 FG
R — Gavin Moses 44 FG
X — Marlon Harbin 50 run (Zoeller kick)
X — Harbin 5 run (Zoeller kick)
X — Kyle Krupp 13 pass from Mason Trimble (Zoeller kick)
R — Jacob Savage 15 pass from Nathan Verax (Moses kick)
X — Anthony Barbee 62 pass from Trimble (Zoeller kick)
R — Verax 14 run (Moses kick)
R — Savage 11 pass from Verax (Moses kick)
RECORDS: St. Xavier 4-2, Ryle 4-2
High school football scoreboard
THURSDAY GAME
Cooper 47, Conner
FRIDAY GAMES
Louisville St. Xavier 31, Ryle 24
Highlands 49, Dixie Heights 0
Simon Kenton 44, Louisville Ballard 43
Ludlow 43, Bellevue 0
Brossart 21, Paris 14
Scott 27, Boone County 6
Covington Catholic 54, Grant County 0
Mason County 60, Holmes 0
Holy Cross 38, Morgan County 8