CovCath football player's unique scoring trifecta leads team to victory in Snappy Senior Bowl all-star game

By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

In the last game of his high school football career, Dylan Gaiser did something he had never done before.

During the Snappy Senior Bowl at Dixie Heights on Thursday, Gaiser scored one touchdown passing, one rushing and one receiving to lead the Blue Team to a 23-22 win in the annual all-star game organized by the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association that raises scholarship money for graduating seniors.

“I feel like everybody wants to do it and thanks to God I was able to do it here,” the recent Covington Catholic graduate said of his unique scoring trifecta that earned him the MVP Award.

*Dylan Gaiser, center, received the Senior Bowl MVP Award from Covington Catholic coach Eddie Eviston, left, and Newport Central Catholic coach Terry Brown.*

All three of Gaiser’s touchdowns were scored during the first half that ended with the Blue Team holding a a 20-8 lead. The first one came with him at quarterback, a position he never played at CovCath.

On a fourth-down play from the 22-yard line, Gaiser was scrambling to avoid pass rushers when he spotted Nishawn Golsby of Dixie Heights running across the back of the end zone and got the ball to him.

“Golsby made a heck of a play and it just worked out for us,” Gaiser said. “I think he improvised a little bit. I saw him open and threw it and he made a great play.”

A pass interception set up the Blue team’s second touchdown. Four players later, Gaiser scored on a zig-zag run into the end from 8 yards out.

Late in the second quarter, Brody Aylor of Beechwood put the Red Team on the scoreboard with a 4-yard TD run. But a long kickoff return gave the Blue team another scoring opportunity. This time, Gaiser caught a 35-yard TD pass from Trey Cook of Scott that put their team ahead, 20-8, at halftime.

The Red team made a strong comeback in the second half and pulled to within 23-22 with 5:06 remaining in the fourth quarter. Aylor scored their final touchdown on a 4-yard run and then caught a two-point conversion pass from Nathan Verax of Ryle.

The Red Team got the ball back with 3:30 left on the clock. After picking up a first down near midfield, Verax threw a long pass to a receiver running down the sideline. But defensive back Alijah Griffin of Lloyd made a leaping interception to seal the Blue Team’s victory.

“Thats going to happen playing football,” Verax said. “I just gave it a shot downfield and their player made a better play.”

BLUE TEAM 7 13 3 0 — 23
RED TEAM 0 8 6 8 — 22

B — Nishawn Golsby 22 pass from Dylan Gaiser (Max Runge kick)
B — Gaiser 8 run (Runge kick)
R — Brody Aylor 4 run (Bredyn Elder pass from Nathan Verax)
B — Gaiser 35 pass from Trey Cook (run failed)
R — Elder 17 pass from Grayson Montgomery (pass failed)
B — Runge 21 FG
R — Aylor 4 run (Aylor pass from Verax)

NKFCA $500 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Beechwood — Carson Eshelman. Bellevue — Patrick Vogt. Boone County — Lake Shaw. Brossart — Isaac Amin. Campbell County — Elijah Depperschmidt. Conner — Grayson Montgomery. Cooper — Cam O’Hara. CovCath — Dylan Gaiser. Dixie Heights — Mason Fields. Highlands — Mason Howard.
Holmes — Xarion Foster. Holy Cross — Trevin Figgs. Lloyd — Alijah Griffin. Ludlow — Colin Anicka. NewCath — Jack Stevie. Newport — Kendall Buckbarber. Ryle — Nathan Verax. St. Henry — Brendan Lemmond. Scott — Trey Cook. Simon Kenton — Jordan Pendleton. Walton-Verona — Bryce Swanson.