By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Beechwood senior quarterback Clay Hayden said dealing with disappointment after a 31-28 loss to Mayfield in last year’s Class 2A semifinals was the “worst feeling in the world” during the long bus trip home from the game.
You could tell Hayden and his teammates were determined not to let that happen again during their 44-24 semifinal win at home against Lexington Christian on Friday. The Tigers’ offense generated more than 500 total yards while the defense had three takeaways and made two stops that resulted in turnover on downs.
“We were very upset leaving Mayfield last year,” said Beechwood coach Jay Volker. “We thought we should’ve played better and the kids had a sour taste in their mouth ever since. They went to work and that got them back to the state championship game, but we’ve still got one more to go.”
Beechwood (13-1) will play Owensboro Catholic (14-0) in the Class 2A state championship game at 4 p.m. Friday at Kroger Field in Lexington.
The Tigers have a 17-5 record in state title games that includes a 3-0 run in Class 2A finals. Owensboro Catholic is 0-5 in state finals after losing to Mayfield, 53-48, in last year’s Class 2A championship game.
On Friday, Beechwood scored six of its seven touchdowns on big plays that netted 252 of its 505 total yards.
The two longest scoring plays were a 50-yard pass from Hayden to sophomore running back Nathan Pabst in the second quarter and a 62-yard run by Pabst in the fourth quarter.
Pabst entered the game as a replacement for senior running back Chase Flaherty. He injured his ankle while scoring his second touchdown on a 4-yard run early in the second quarter and didn’t return to the game.
Earlier in the season, Pabst saw action in the backfield when another teammate was injured. He had scored four touchdowns on pass receptions coming into Friday’s game when he rushed for a season-high 110 yards and two TDs.
“He does everything the right way,” Volker said of Pabst. “He never pouted (about playing time), just went to work every day and when his number was called he was ready to go.”
Beechwood’s team leader in pass receptions this season, James Cusick, scored his only touchdown in the semifinal game as a punter.
In the first quarter, Cusick scooped up a low punt snap and took off running on a 48-yard jaunt to the end zone that gave the Tigers a 12-0 lead.
The second half began with Beechwood ahead, 25-10, and it took them only three plays to extend that lead. It started with wide receiver Luke Erdman snagging a 51-yard pass between two defenders. Two plays later, Erdman caught a 34-yard TD pass from Hayden that made it 31-10.
“Beechwood is a very good football team,” said Lexington Christian coach Doug Charles. “We knew our margin of error was pretty thin and when you get behind you start getting out of some of the stuff you like to do. Credit to them. They had a great game plan and were able to negate some of the things we wanted to do.”
Lexington Christian had a size advantage up front, but the Eagles weren’t able to move the ball on the ground like they did in last week’s 47-7 win over Mayfield. They rushed for 379 yards and six touchdown in that victory. Their total on the ground Friday was 281.
“It matters up front,” Hayden said. “I give a shout out to our O-line and D-line. That’s what won us the game. Our running backs weren’t getting touched until the second level on a lot of plays. On defense, we were in their backfield pretty much on every play.”
BEECHWOOD 12 13 6 13 — 44
LEX. CHRISTIAN 0 10 6 7 — 24
BE — Chase Flaherty 30 run (kick failed)
BE — James Cusick 48 run (kick failed)
BE — Flaherty 4 run (pass failed)
LC — Daven Hood 35 run (Isaac Collins kick)
BE — Nathan Pabst 50 pass from Clay Hayden (Lair kick)
LC — Collins 31 FG
BE — Luke Erdman 34 pass from Hayden (kick failed)
LC — Hood 8 run (kick failed)
BE — Pabst 62 run (kick failed)
BE — Pabst 28 run (Lair kick)
LC — Mac Darland 2 run (Saxton Howard run)
RECORDS: Beechwood 13-1, Lexington Christian 11-3