By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Winning margins in most of the football district seeding games involving local teams on Friday were between 27 and 65 points, but one of them did have a dramatic ending.
With 5:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, Walton-Verona senior Carter Daniels scored a rushing touchdown that locked down his team’s 20-7 win over Owen County. It was the third straight victory for the Bearcats, who finished third in Class 2A, District 5 to assure a spot in the playoffs that begin on Nov. 8.
Walton-Verona took a 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Avery Howe to Michael Oldfield in the second quarter, but the score was tied, 7-7, at halftime.
The Bearcats regained the lead with a long scoring drive on their first possession of the second half that ended with Daniels running the ball into the end zone.
The Bearcats (4-5) will end the regular season next Friday with a game at Boone County (2-7). Their first-round game in the Class 2A state playoffs will be at Breathitt County (4-5) on Nov. 8.
The local teams that won district titles with one-sided wins this week are Newport Central Catholic and Ludlow in Class 1A, Beechwood in Class 2A, Covington Catholic in Class 4A, Cooper in Class 5A and Ryle in Class 6A.
In two games between teams that were tied for the top spot in district standings, Beechwood defeated Bracken County, 31-7, and CovCath rolled to a 49-0 win over Mason County on Friday. Beechwood quarterback Clay Hayden threw a pair of touchdown passes and now holds the team record with 109 during his four-year varsity career.
Cooper whipped Dixie Heights, 63-21, on Friday to finish the regular season with a 10-0 record. The Jaguars are the state’s top-ranked team in Class 5A after finishing last season as the state runner-up in that class.
Brossart and Highlands also surpassed the 60-point mark in their victories on Friday. Brossart set a team record for most points scored in its 65-0 win over Trimble County with eight players getting touchdowns for the Mustangs.
High school football scoreboard
THURSDAY
Newport Central Catholic 54, Bellevue 6
FRIDAY
Beechwood 31, Bracken County 7
Brossart 65, Trimble County 0
Conner 32, Boone County 0
Covington Catholic 49, Mason County 0
Great Crossing 60, Campbell County 25
Cooper 63, Dixie Heights 21
Newport 48, Dayton 0
Harrison County 35, Holmes 0
Lloyd 42, Bourbon County 12
Ludlow 33, Holy Cross 6
Ryle 37, Simon Kenton 0
Highlands 63, Scott 13
Walton-Verona 20, Owen County 7
High school football playoff pairings
CLASS 1A / DISTRICT 3 vs. DISTRICT 4
Trimble County at Newport Central Catholic
Dayton at Ludlow
Holy Cross at Newport
Bellevue at Brossart
CLASS 2A / DISTRICT 5 vs. DISTRICT 6
Danville at Beechwood
Leslie County at Bracken County
Walton-Verona at Breathitt County
Owen County at Somerset
CLASS 3A / DISTRICT 5 vs. DISTRICT 6
West Carter at Lexington Catholic
Bath County at Lloyd
Bourbon County at East Carter
Pendleton County at Russell
CLASS 4A / DISTRICT 5 vs. DISTRICT 6
Boyd County at Covington Catholic
Greenup County at Mason County
Harrison County at Ashland Blazer
Grant County at Johnson Central
CLASS 5A / DISTRICT 5 vs. DISTRICT 6
South Oldham at Cooper
Collins at Highlands
Conner at Scott County
Dixie Heights at Woodford County
CLASS 6A / DISTRICT 3 vs. DISTRICT 6
Pleasure Ridge Park at Ryle
Meade County at Great Crossing
Simon Kenton at Louisville St. Xavier
Campbell County at Louisville Manual