Campbellsville defeats KCD in battle of unbeatens in Kroger KSR Game of the Week
As part of the Kroger KSR Game of the Week doubleheader, the Campbellsville Eagles (9-0) defeated Kentucky Country Day (8-1) in the District Two Championship 21-13 on Friday night in Taylor County. Someone was going to walk away with a broken winning streak, but the Eagles flew away with the victory and their undefeated campaign intact.
“It just shows people in the state that Campbellsville is gonna be somebody they gotta deal with this year,” head coach Dale Estes said. “… It was says a lot for our team to keep battling after those turnovers and holding them out, I’m proud of our kids. We’ve got a great group of kids. They kept battling and never got down, and we found a way to make enough plays to win.
Defensive First Half
It’s clear these teams are matched up very well. They’re both full of athletes who can make plays, and big plays came from the defenses in the first half.
Campbellsville won the toss and chose to receive first. But, a fumble recovery from the Bearcats defense allowed KCD to take over possession on the opposite 24. After a few pass attempts, the Campbellsville defense was able to hold KCD to a field goal, and the Bearcats went up 3-0 with 7:28 left in the first.
Campbellsville turned around and began their drive up field, taking advantage of sophomore quarterback Kace Eastridge and senior receiver Tashawn Hart. After getting in scoring position, the Eagles fumbled and turned it back over to the Bearcats.
After a quick 3 and out for the Eagles, they put RB Landon Colvin in the position to score, claiming the lead 7-3 to end the first quarter.
The second quarter was quiet for both offenses, but defense was solid on both sides. A couple breaks gave KCD hope to score before the break but Eagles defenders had different plans as the first half 7-3 came to and end with Campbellsville ahead.
Second Half Break Away
Campbellsville came out of the locker room with momentum on their side. After a steady push up field thanks to guys such as Daniel Forbis and Eastridge, QB1 found Tashawn Hart for a touchdown reception to go up 14-3 with 7:48 left in the third.
A little over a minute later, Eastridge let one fly when he found Gabriel Noyola for a key touchdown reception to push the lead to 21-3 to end the third quarter.
The Bearcats had a couple breaks late in the game. A bad snap for the Eagles led to a safety for the Bearcats to cut into the lead 21-5. KCD also scored with less than a minute and a half to play with a big touchdown reception from Cameron Edwards, who they sought to find all night. A successful two point conversion made the score 21-13, but the Bearcats couldn’t convert the onside kick and Campbellsville took victory formation as the crowd celebrated alongside them.
Both teams showed great composure, but in the end, Campbellsville won because of their ability to swing the momentum and take advantage of gaps in the Bearcats offense.
“Much respect for that program, they are a great program. Coach Jones does a great job and is a dear friend of mine,” Estes added. “… I knew this game was gonna be a dogfight. These are two of the top teams in the state, this is the way it’s supposed to be. A district championship is supposed to be played like this, and I’m just proud of our kids for finding a way to win.”
Campbellsville looks ahead to play Hart County at home next week to cap off regular season play.
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