The NKyTribune is offering focused coverage of NKY high school football throughout the season, thanks to support from St. Elizabeth Healthcare Sports Medicine. See all our pre-season features on each of NKY’s 21 high school football teams and follow our coverage, including roundups each week at Northern Kentucky High School Football.
By Brett Bibbins
NKyTribune contributor
After losing four games by 24 points or more, Highlands pulled it together and defeated Dixie Heights, 42-7, in the first Class 5A district game for both teams during Friday night football action.
In a run-heavy game where the two teams had a combined total of nearly 500 rushing yards, Nick Kendall had a big night for the Bluebirds. He picked up 114 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns. Highlands also got a solid performance from quarterback Austin Hergott, who threw for 79 yards and a touchdown to go along with 35 rushing yards and another score.
Dixie Heights commited three turnovers. The one bright spot for the Colonels was an 85-yard touchdown run by quarterback Gunther Faeth in the third quarter.
Highlands moves on to face Class 5A district rival Covington Catholic in next week’s matchup.
DIXIE HEIGHTS 0 0 7 0 — 7
HIGHLANDS 0 7 11 24 — 42
H — Kendall 4 run (Dougherty kick)
H — Dougherty 25 field goal
H — Kendall 6 run (Cain run)
DH — Faeth 85 run (Schulte kick)
H — Dougherty 32 field goal
H — Hergott 7 run (Dougherty kick)
H — New 19 pass from Hergott (Dougherty kick)
H — Pulsfort 9 run (Dougherty kick)
RECORDS: Dixie Heights 1-6, Highlands 2-5
NEWPORT CENTRAL CATHOLIC 20, HOLY CROSS 13
In a back-and-forth game between Class 2A district foes, Newport Central Catholic scored the last touchdown and came out on top.
NewCath had a one-point lead when senior running back Jacob Smith scored on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter to pad the final margin. Smith finished with 193 rushing yards and two TDs. The Thoroughbreds other touchdown came on a 12-yard pass from Patrick Henschen to Erik Anderson in the third quarter.
Holy Cross running back Xavier Abernathy rushed 16 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns to provide most of his team’s offense.
NEWPORT CATHOLIC 7 0 7 6 — 20
HOLY CROSS 0 6 7 0 — 13
NCC — Smith 55 run (Hans kick)
HC — Abernathy 74 run (kick blocked)
NCC — Anderson 12 pass from Henschen (Hans kick)
HC — Abernathy 13 run (Scott kick)
NCC — Smith 2 run (kick blocked)
RECORDS: Newport Central Catholic 3-4, Holy Cross 3-4
LUDLOW 58, DAYTON 20
Ludlow senior running back Jeremiah Martin scored four touchdowns in the second half of his team’s Class 1A district win on Thursday.
After scoring in runs of 27, 11 and 47 yards in the third quarter, Martin got his fourth TD on defense by recovering a blocked punt with 7:59 left in the fourth quarter.
Ludlow finished with 426 total yards. Martin was the Panthers’ leading rusher with 118 yards on six carries. Sophomore quarterback Justin Blackburn picked up 82 yards on eight carries and completed 9 of 14 passes for 162 yards.
Dayton quarterback Dylan Adams connected on 12 of 27 passes for 100 yards and three TDs. Two of his scoring passes went to Seth Chinn, who also had a team-high 65 rushing yards. The Greendevils ended up with 306 total yards of offense, but they committed three turnovers in addition to the blocked punt.
LUDLOW 14 16 22 6 – 58
DAYTON 6 6 8 0 – 20
D – Chinn 20 pass from Adams (kick failed)
L – Blackburn 1 run (Ledbetter kick)
L – Mitchell 25 run (Ledbetter kick)
D – Chinn 11 pass from Adams (run failed)
L – Ledbetter 23 FG
L – Ledbetter 25 pass from Blasingame (kick failed)
L – Mitchell 66 punt return (Ledbetter kick)
D – McDaniel 14 pass from Adams (Nickel pass from Adams)
L – Martin 27 run (Ledbetter kick)
L – Martin 11 run (Martin run)
L – Martin 47 run (Ledbetter kick)
L – Martin blocked punt recovery (pass failed)
RECORDS: Ludlow 5-3, Dayton 1-6
SIMON KENTON 37, BOONE COUNTY 13
Simon Kenton did all of its scoring in the first half of the Class 6A district game and remained undefeated.
Dylan Hampton rushed for 113 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Pioneers, who had 327 total yards of offense. The team’s leading scorer was Dillion Powell, who had two TDs and a two-point conversion. Powell also threw a pass to Luke Vance for a 2-point conversion.
Boone County scored both of its touchdowns in the fourth quarter and finished with 142 total yards. Brandon Morgan rushed for 61 yards to lead the Rebels.
If Simon Kenton wins next week’s game against Campbell County, the Pioneers will finish first in the three-team Class 6A district and play their first playoff game at home.
SIMON KENTON 23 14 0 0 — 37
BOONE COUNTY 0 0 0 13 — 13
SK — Racke 30 run (Powell run)
SK — Powell 59 run (Vance pass from Powell)
SK — Powell 1 run (McNamara kick)
SK — Hampton 13 run (McNamara kick)
SK — Hampton 1 run (McNamara kick)
BC — Bishop 14 pass from Westhoff (Westhoff run)
BC — Morgan 1 run (kick good)
RECORDS: Simon Kenton 7-0, Boone County 0-7.
BEECHWOOD 49, BELLEVUE 0
The Beechwood Tigers had 564 yards of total offense while holding the Bellevue Tigers to 115 in the Class 1A district game.
Beechwood had two offensive players go over the 100-yard mark. Ethan Stringer rushed 9 times for 174 yards and two touchdowns. Aiden Justice caught four passes for 103 yards and two scores. Brett Slusher also scored twice, one on the ground and another on a 13-yard pass reception.
BEECHWOOD 14 14 14 7 — 49
BELLEVUE 0 0 0 0 — 0
B — Justice 8 pass from Fieger (Mesher kick)
B — Stringer 79 run (Mesher kick)
B — Slusher 2 run (Mesher kick)
B — Slusher 13 pass from Fieger (Mesher kick)
B — Stringer 40 run (Mesher kick)
B — Justice 39 pass from Fieger (Mesher kick)
B — Davis 3 run (Mesher kick)
RECORDS: Beechwood 6-1, Bellevue 2-5
WALTON-VERONA 35, GALLATIN COUNTY 7
Walton-Verona won its third consecutive Class 2A district game to clinch first place and secure a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
The Bearcats once again featured a strong rushing attack. Halsey Page had 205 yards on 27 carries and Noah Richardson picked up 166 yards on 12 carries. Each of them also scored two two touchdowns.
Walton-Verona’s defensive standout was senior linebacker Jacob Stammer, who had 11 tackles.
WALTON VERONA 14 14 0 7 — 35
GALLATIN COUNTY 0 0 0 7 — 7
WV — Richardson 66 run (Moran kick)
WV — Richardson 61 run (Moran kick)
WV — Page 4 run (Moran kick)
WV — Clinkenbeard 44 pass from Poore (Moran kick)
WV — Page 5 run (Moran kick)
GC — Johnson 11 run (Sceurer kick)
RECORDS: Walton-Verona 4-4, Gallatin County 3-5
LLOYD 42, NEWPORT 6
After a competitive first quarter ended with Lloyd ahead, 12-6, the Juggernauts scored 40 unanswered points to win the Class 2A district game.
Lloyd was led by Justin Durham, who rushed 8 times for 100 yards and three touchdowns.. Dashon Lunsford had 64 yards one nine carries and one TD.
LLOYD 12 16 8 6 — 42
NEWPORT 6 0 0 0 — 6
L — Townsend 15 pass from Runion (kick failed)
N — Ochoa 25 pass from Porter (kick failed)
L — Durham 11 run (kick failed)
L — Durham 2 run (Durham run)
L — Durham 38 run (James pass)
L — Creech 25 pass from Runion (James pass)
L — Lunsford 5 run (kick blocked)
RECORDS: Lloyd Memorial 5-2, Newport 1-6
COVINGTON CATHOLIC 47, GRANT COUNTY 9
CovCath senior Cam Pitzer played well on both sides of the ball during his team’s Class 5A district win on Saturday.
Pitzer caught two touchdown passes from A.J. Mayer on offense and made seven tackles on defense for the Colonels, who finished with a 425-193 advantage in total offensive yards.
CovCath sophomore running back Grant Dyer had a game-high 109 rushing yards and two TDs. Mayer completed 11 of 21 passes for 184 yards and had a pair of TD passes.
CovCath is tied with Highlands for first place in the Class 5A district. The two teams will square off at 1 p.m. Saturday at CovCath.
Grant Co. 6 3 0 0 — 9
CovCath 13 21 6 7 — 47
GC – Johnson 5 pass from Knipp (kick failed)
CC – Dyer 8 run (Kloska kick)
CC – Pitzer 32 pass from Mayer (kick failed)
CC – Dyer 6 run (McGinness run)
CC – McGinness 4 run (Kloska kick)
CC– Best 1 run (kick failed)
GC – Smith 33 field goal
CC – Pitzer 4 pass from Mayer (kick failed)
CC – Mayer 66 run (Kloska kick)
RECORDS: CovCath 2-5, Grant County 3-4.
OTHER GAMES INVOLVING LOCAL TEAMS
Brossart 36, Bracken County 0
Bourbon County 41, Holmes 14