Physical Ryle Raiders take advantage of experience to top exciting Colonels offense 26-20

By Dan Weber
NKyTribune sports reporter

Ryle’s physical Raiders had more weapons, more experience – and slightly fewer mistakes – than CovCath’s exciting, but maybe not-quite-there-yet Colonels.

Both teams will be able to move on from this season-opening 26-20 Ryle win in a clash of titans from different classes with no harm to their hopes for a state championship – Ryle in Class 6A, CovCath in 4A.

But the unbeaten Raiders will be able to do so with a win to their credit, looking for all the world like a bit bigger, a bit more physical version of their state runner-up team from 2024.

That was not the case for the never-say-die Colonels who looked like — after realizing how much they had shot themselves in the foot — they were going to make the most of a final shot at the end, scoring on an 80-yard drive in the final 46.2 seconds as the clock ran out on a Harney TD scamper up the gut.

But too little, too late, even if the Colonels did outgain the Raiders, 365 yards to 296, thanks to that final drive.

Which is not the way to beat Ryle, with a second power back in Ludlow-transfer Dameyn Anness, a 205-pounder, joining Indiana-bound Jacob Savage, all 230 pounds of two-way senior physicality that allowed the Raiders to control the game even though CovCath was able to match their quick 14-0 start with 14 second quarter points of their own.

Savage did it with a pair of short-yardage TD runs on his 82 ground yards while Anness was able to spell Savage on offense the second half as he battled cramping with 92 yards on 13 carries (a 7.1 average) as Ryle attempted to keep the ball away from Harney. Savage also led Ryle in tackles with 8.0.

“He’s a great football player,” Ryle Coach Mike Engler said of Harney, who ran for 145 yards (9.1 average) on 16 carries with a pair of TD from 18 and eight yards out while throwing for another 13 of 18 for 185 yards with a 57-yard TD on a screen to Dylan Gaiser who refused to go down or out of bounds as he spun, then got a second start in traffic and outran the Ryle defenders.

“That’s a good football team,” Engler said of the Colonels. “They’ll have a chance in 4A.”

But despite those two CovCath standouts, Ryle appeared to have a few more weapons. Start with its own Dylan – Lee, that is – with his two back-breaking, game-turning interceptions. And a TD catch. “Dylan Lee is a stud,” Engler said.

And then there’s senior kicker Gavin Moses, who is – as advertised and promoted by Engler – “maybe the best kicker in Kentucky.”

After four unreturnable kickoffs into the end zone and two field goals from 43 and 34 yards that he made look like chip shots, there may be no “maybe” about it. Moses gives opponents long fields to work with. And shortens the game for the Raider offense at the other end.

The only time Moses didn’t kick it into the end zone, he kicked it short to end the half, Engler said.

Then there’s senior Ryle quarterback Nathan Verax, who’s showing the benefit of playing 17 games – counting the two scrimmages – as a junior a year ago with his 65 yards rushing (an 8.1 average) and one TD pass.

But the good news for his team, Engler said after getting eight running clocks a year ago, is the way “they had to handle adversity,” he said, after the way CovCath scored 14 points to tie it in the second quarter and his kids didn’t flinch. They scored to take a 20-14 lead into halftime and played from the front the rest of the way.

“That was nice the way they handled that,” Engler said. “We don’t want to be peaking now, we want to be peaking come playoff time.” If they are, the Raiders look like they’ll have a shot to bring back that elusive first-ever 6A title to Northern Kentucky.

“That’s our goal,” Engler said.

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