The Boys of Fall 10/24/23
James Collier
Ashland Beacon
BOYD COUNTY 22 LAWRENCE COUNTY 14
Boyd County worked behind its defense Friday night for a 22-14 win over Lawrence County in Louisa.
The Lions tallied a first quarter safety that led to a 9-0 lead and closed the contest with a 66-yard pick-6 by Cole Hicks with 1:21 to play in the game to secure the win.
Rhett Holbrook opened the scoring with a 9-yard run with 9:15 to play in the first and a 7-0 lead. Lawrence County pulled to within two at the half with a touchdown midway through the second quarter. Both team's failed to dent the scoreboard in the third stanza but it took only 11 seconds into the final quarter to see the Bulldogs take their first lead of the night.
Down 14-9, Boyd answered with a 32-yard pass from Holbrook to Hicks and a 15-14 lead. With the game on the line and the Bulldogs driving, Hicks stepped in front of the pass from Talon Pollock and rumbled to the house to push the lead to eight at 22-14.
Holbrook threw for 181 yards and was 10 of 15 on the night. He also ran for 53 yards. Garrett Crum hauled in six balls for 109 yards. Cam Collins had one catch for 47 yards.
Boyd County welcomes Pikeville Friday night to close the regular season.
RACELAND 49 NICHOLAS COUNTY 14
Raceland put the running clock in motion in the first half as the Rams secured their third consecutive district title with a 49-14 win over Nicholas County Friday night in Carlisle.
Logan Lundy threw for 269 yards and five touchdowns—both season highs—with Parker Fannin turning in back-to-back 100+ yard receiving games with 137 yards on five catches including three touchdowns.
Fannin opened the scoring with a 30-yard touchdown grab with 7:10 to play in the first and a 7-0 lead. Jonah Arnett added an 18-yard score and Jaxon Heighton broke free for a 42-yard scamper to paydirt and a 21-6 Rams lead after one.
Fannin caught back-to-back touchdowns in the second, a four and 70-yard strike from Lundy and Bryson Rowsey’s 25-yard grab in the end zone started the clock in motion with 4:16 to play in the half.
Landon Stiltner sprung a 30-yard touchdown run in the third to start the second half.
Raceland welcomes LCA to close out the regular season.
GREENUP COUNTY 55 ROWAN COUNTY 19
Tyson Sammons combined for 424 total yards and six touchdowns to lead Greenup County to a 55-19 hammering of Rowan County at home Friday night.
Sammons threw for 284 yards and three touchdowns while running for 140 yards and three more scores in the lopsided win. Aiden Gue hauled in four catches for 149 yards and a pair of scores. Ike Henderson ran for 88 yards on 11 totes and caught a touchdown in his return from injury. Drew Boggs added 80 yards on six grabs.
Greenup County welcomes Fleming County Friday night to close the regular season.
JOHNSON CENTRAL 36 ASHLAND 33
A renewal of an old district rivalry proved that some things never change.
As Johnson Central welcomed Ashland to Coach Jim Matney Field Friday night, the outcome proved to be decided on the final possession, with the Golden Eagles holding off one final Tomcats push to claim the district championship, 36-33.
The contest featured a back-and-forth affair with the teams alternating scores from the word go. The only difference and the deciding factor in the outcome was on special teams.
Braxton Jennings scampered 24 yards to paydirt with 5:10 to play in the first quarter to even the game at 7-7. Down 14-7 midway through the first half, Maverick Ashby dashed 14 yards to paydirt to trim the JC lead to 14-13. But the Tomcats PAT attempt failed leaving the Golden Eagles up one at the break.
Jennings visited the endzone for the second time in the contest with 4:36 to play in the third but the two-point conversion attempt failed leaving the Tomcats down two after three. Johnson Central added to its lead with 8:46 to play in the contest but Ashland need only 43 seconds to answer with a 55-yard bomb from LaBryant Strader who followed with a successful conversion. The Golden Eagles answered with a dagger with 2:26 to play in the game with a rushing touchdown and another two-point conversion for a 9-point lead. Jennings hauled in a 24-yard pass from Strader 33 seconds later, but the conversion attempt failed and the Golden Eagles did not allow the Tomcats to regain possession on the ensuing kickoff.
Strader finished with 212 yards through the air. Jennings finished with 47 rushing yards and two scores while adding 70 yards on three catches and a TD.
Ashland returns home Friday night with a visit from Simon Kenton to close the regular season.
EAST CARTER 28 RUSSELL 21
The second and third quarters provided the majority of the scoring Friday night when Russell welcomed East Carter for the district championship at Henry R. Evans Stadium.
After a scoreless first quarter, both teams scored in alternating fashion over the next two frames to a 21-21 stalemate to start the final stanza. That’s when East Carter when to work with a 19-play, 91-yard drive that provided the biggest points of the night on a 1-yard plunge by Landon Yoak with 21 seconds to play to claim the Raiders first ever win at Russell while taking the district title back to Grayson.
Ethan Pack gave the Devils a 7-0 lead on a 1-yard touchdown run three seconds into the second quarter. East Carter answered two minutes later to even the game at 7-7. Pack’s second 1-yard score of the night sent Russell to the locker room with a 14-7 lead.
Yoak and Pack traded scores in the third quarter as Russell pushed ahead 21-14. 18 seconds later, East Carter’s Ryland Pfau dashed around the edge and 75 yards to paydirt to even the contest at 21-21 through three.
Pack rushed for 115 yards on 15 carries. He threw for 166 yards. Caden Pennington caught three passes for 116 yards.
Russell exercises its bye week and will host a first-round playoff game on Nov. 3.
PARIS 31 FAIRVIEW 0
Fairview fell to Paris, 31-0. The Eagles could only amass 71 total yards. Jace Manning passed for 49 yards and Xavien Kouns could only manage 10 yards on the ground to lead Fairview.
Fairview exercises its bye week and will visit Sayre in the opening round of the playoffs on Nov. 3.