By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Covington Catholic is one of five Northern Kentucky high school football teams that will play a downstate opponent ranked ahead of them during Friday’s second round of the postseason playoffs.
In the final statewide media poll, the Colonels (7-4) were ranked No. 6 in Class 4A and they will be lining up against No. 5 Ashland Blazer (10-1) at 7 p.m. Friday in Ashland.
Both teams are averaging more than 300 yards per game. Ashland’s leading rusher is junior Trevonte Taylor with 915 yards and 15 touchdowns, but he did not play in the Tomcats’ last two games.
Two weeks ago, Ashland’s 42-20 loss to Lexington Catholic dashed the team’s hopes for an undefeated regular season. The Tomcats then posted a 49-0 win over Harrison County in the first round of the playoffs. Sophomore quarterback Tanner Stutler passed for 203 yards and three TDs in that game.
CovCath junior quarterback Dylan Courtney, who missed two games in October, completed 5 of 7 passes for 103 yards and rushed for 61 yards in a 35-7 playoff win against Johnson Central last week. He has 1,690 total passing yards in nine games.
Sophomore running back Kiyan Miller has rushed for 1,222 yards and 26 touchdowns in his first varsity season with the Colonels. The leading tacklers on defense are senior Jonny Lind (60) and juniors Cash Meyers (58) and Antonio Rodriquez (56).
In another playoff game between two highly ranked teams, No. 4 Scott County will visit No. 7 Cooper in Class 5A for the second consecutive year. Scott County won last year’s game, 55-34. Cooper senior Corey Freihofer, who caught a pair of touchdown passes in that loss, is the Jaguars’ leading rusher this season with 1,184 yards and 17 TDs.
The unranked local teams playing ranked downstate opponents on Friday are Ryle at No. 6 Bullitt East in Class 6A, Walton-Verona at No. 9 Breathitt County in Class 2A and No. 9 Louisville Male at Simon Kenton in Class 6A.
Football state playoff games on Friday
CLASS 1A
Brossart (7-4) at Newport Central Catholic (6-5), 7 p.m.
Newport (6-5) vs. Holy Cross (9-2) at Thomas More, 7 p.m.
CLASS 2A
St. Henry (6-5) at Beechwood (10-0), 7:30 p.m.
Walton-Verona (9-2) at Breathitt County (9-2), 7 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Lloyd (10-1) at Russell (9-2), 7 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Greenup County (9-2) at Highlands (9-2), 7:30 p.m.
Covington Catholic (7-4) at Ashland Blazer (10-1), 7 p.m.
CLASS 5A
Scott County (8-3) at Cooper (8-3), 7 p.m.
CLASS 6A
Ryle (6-5), at Bullitt East (9-2), 7:30 p.m.
Louisville Male (6-5) at Simon Kenton (6-5), 7 p.m.