Raceland in State Championship
Rams Face Pikeville for Title
James Collier
Ashland Beacon
Numbers typically do not lie.
Friday night, however, Raceland showed why the rankings were a far cry from accurate.
Raceland made another long bus trip to visit top ranked Kentucky County Day in the Class 1A Semifinals and by the time the clock struck zeros, the Rams had sent a message in a 42-6, running clock beatdown of the Bearcats.
“I don’t really get into the RPI,” Raceland coach Mike Salmons said. “The game is played between the white lines at 7:30. That’s how we are built and who we are. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it don’t. That’s what we believe in. We don’t care to travel. That has been well documented this season. That doesn’t phase us.”
Raceland (11-3) scored more points on KCD than anyone had all season, while limiting them to their fewest points scored since falling to Paintsville 38-7 in the State Championship in 2020.
Raceland dented the scoreboard on the opening drive with a six-play, 67-yard drive highlighted by a 36-yard touchdown strike from Logan Lundy to Brody Austin on a deep post route into double coverage on fourth-and-seven.
“Brody is one of our fastest players and we have a few things in the arsenal that we have used for him,” Salmons said. “It was unfortunate that he got injured (earlier this season), so we have been trying to ease him back in. Credit to him, he ran a good post route and Logan threw it out in front of him and he went and got it. That really got the momentum on our side to start things off.”
It was Lundy’s first of three touchdown throws on the night as the Rams flipped the script from one week ago to an explosive passing attack as they Bearcats exerted their resources to stop the Raceland rushing attack.
“When a team is good enough to run and pass, that’s why they are going to be playing in the State Championship team next week,” KCD coach Matthew Jones said. “They are talented in all phases and their quarterback did great. We had to take something away. That’s the way it is when you play somebody good.”
Lundy threw for a season-high 276 yards—his most since throwing for the same number last year against Nicholas County—while leading the Rams to a 12 of 15 third down conversion rate in the win. Lundy completed passes to five different receivers, including three different for scores, while using quick strikes to the outside edge to beat the loaded box from KCD.
“When they were so committed to take away the run, we felt like we had some advantages on the edge,” Salmons said. “We banged our head up in there early and we were able to make some throws and catches. (We) hadn’t done that in a couple weeks, so that was nice to see. Again, body blows become effective and we started running the ball later and got the edge some. I felt like we were balanced tonight.
The Rams second touchdown of the night proved that statement. Lundy hit Parker Fannin on a quick out to the Rams sideline which ended in a 59-yard catch and run by the senior for a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. The score, however, was set up by Noah Wallace providing a block that sealed off the edge to allow Fannin to cutback to find the opening that sprung him for six.
“One thing that is unheralded about this football team is how everybody really blocks for everybody else,” Salmons said. “It's no doubt that Noah had been our feature runner for the past few weeks, but he was out here blocking for one of his teammates and his teammates have obviously blocked plenty for him, too. Guys really pull for each other and we have no selfishness and it shows in the way we play. Guys run down field and play until the whistle blows and it was indicative on that play.”
Fannin tallied 100 yards on four catches while claiming double-digit scores for the first time in his career.
After providing the blocking for a score, Wallace worked off his blockers for a 52-yard scamper to paydirt and a 21-0 Raceland lead at the half. Wallace led the Rams with 130 yards on 15 totes and a pair of touchdowns while surpassing 3,000 career rushing yards.
With only one first down at the half and an offense stuck in neutral, Jones urged his team to keep battling with a reminder of last year’s second round contest against Newport Central Catholic.
“Last year in our playoff game, we were down 21-0 and we were able to come back and the game finished 28-21,” Jones said of the loss. “We tried to remind our guys about that in hopes of bringing them back into the game. But Raceland is just so used to winning and if they get out ahead of you, they are tough.”
But the Rams would have none of it as Chase Correll forced the second KCD (11-3) fumble of the night that thwarted away a chance for the Bearcats to climb back into the contest.
“You can’t turn the ball over against good teams,” Jones said. “When you play a team as talented as Raceland, you have to possess the ball. When we fumbled early, that hurt.”
Raceland countered with Wallace’s second score of the night that all but put the game out of reach before starting the running clock with just over nine minutes to play in the game.
Raceland turns its attention to its nemesis and two-time defending champ Pikeville this Friday at high noon at Kroger Field in Lexington in a rematch of last year’s title game won by the Panthers. Pikeville defeated Campbellsville, 28-21 to advance and try to defend their title.
“First class program and obviously they are the class of single A football,” Salmons said of Pikeville. “Coach McNamee and his guys are first class in all they do. They’ve got a good program and a really good team. Obviously, we are excited and grateful for the opportunity and can’t wait to get there.”