Kroger's Kentucky High School Football Rundown - Week 6
It was a busy Friday night in the Bluegrass. No. 2 Frederick Douglass’ 41-0 shutout of No. 24 Scott County in the Kroger KSR Game of the Week was just one of many big games across the state. KSR had boots on the ground in Louisville and Frankfort to capture the action. Check out the recaps below along with a statewide scoreboard thanks to our friends at Kroger.
No. 1 St. Xavier 13, No. 10 Trinity 8
By BRADY BYRDWELL
The St. Xavier Tigers won a close defensive battle on Friday night over long-standing rivals Trinity 13-8 at Cardinal Stadium.
Defense Wins Championships
It was smashmouth football, a real slobber knocker on Friday night. The offense didn’t pour points as the rain slowly poured down onto the turf. Nevertheless, the St. Xavier Tigers (#1 in KSR’s Week 5 Top 25) prevailed over Trinity (#10) on defense alone. In fact, Trinity scored their eight points on two field goals and a safety.
On paper, this sounds like a boring game, yet it was far from it. The atmosphere from both sides of Cardinal Stadium kept the temperature high and showed on the field. The game started with multiple punts from both sides, as the defenses showed they came to play. The scoring began with a Trinity field goal from Kellen McLaughlin as the Shamrocks took a 3-0 lead.
Later in the first half, St. X QB Adam Boone tossed a 19-yard touchdown to Jackson Campisano. This touchdown electrified the Tiger sideline and student section.
“I think it’s really just our defense and the energy they bring,” Boone said when asked about staying into a dogfight. “The positions they put us in gives us the energy to get our offense going and get the few plays we need. ”
Something’s Gotta Give
When the second half started, the Trinity defense took things into their own hands. The Shamrocks forced a safety and took an 8-7 lead. Unfortunately for the Shamrocks, the offense couldn’t capitalize and add to the lead.
Then with nine minutes left in the game, backup St. X QB Trevor Havill threw a touchdown to Zach Marks.
“It’s about having that mindset in practice,” Marks said after the win. “The coaches do a great job giving you that mindset. We also play big games each week, which also helps”
The Marks touchdown ended up being the game-winner. He was also awarded player of the game.
“We were practicing to be in a battle, and overall we ended up winning. We had injuries throughout, but we were able to pull through.”
You Live, and You Learn
The Trinity Shamrocks have played a grueling schedule so far this year. They’ve played the juggernaut out of Ohio Archbishop Moeller, Louisville Male, Center Grove (Indiana), and LaSalle (Cincinnati). Unfortunately, the 3-3 record that the Shamrocks have is not a good indication of the team that played at Cardinal Stadium.
The Shamrock faithful would have loved to get one over on their rivals, that is without question. Nevertheless, it is easy to see that the talent is there and that Trinity is still a real contender in 6A.
The one area that all Trinity fans will point to is the red zone. Trinity coach Jay Cobb put it best.
“We have to do a better job of executing in the red zone; that’s been our bugaboo all year long. It bit us tonight, and it shouldn’t have been a close game.”
Onto the Next
Trinity will play host to another St. X (Cincinnati) next week.
Louisville St. X will host the Ryle Raiders on Friday.
Nicholas County 42, Frankfort 28
By TROY HOWELL
Nicholas County (6-0) stayed undefeated with a 42-28 win over Frankfort (3-3). The Blue Jackets scored touchdowns on six of their eight possessions, with the empty trips being kneel-downs in their own territory at the end of each half. Quarterback Tate Letcher connected with Andrew Watkins for two touchdowns. Watkins, who is tied for the state lead in interceptions, added another touchdown run. Sophomore Alex Koeder rushed for three touchdowns. The Blue Jackets are ranked No. 5 in Class A according to KSR.
The Panthers, who won a wild 81-60 game two weeks ago against Doss, had an exciting night offensively but not good enough to get the win. Mason Leigh had two touchdown passes to Caleb Hack and added another score on the ground. Larry Carter also rushed for a score. Conley and Jaden Morgan both had some dazzling rushes.
The Blue Jackets, who came in allowing the fewest points in all of Class A, got a big interception from Jacob Hatton right before halftime to swing momentum their way. Pre snap infractions also hurt the Panther offense.
I really enjoyed my first trip to Sower field right in the heart of Frankfort. The 99-year old stadium is nestled in the middle of a neighborhood. A pitbull watched through a fence just beyond one end zone while extra points clanged into the house beyond the opposite end zone. A net guarded the pit bull end zone goalpost, for obvious reasons. There is hardly any room between the goalposts and fence so I had my guard up while filming in the end zone.
As someone who likes Fenway Park and the Rose Bowl over newer stadiums like over Truist Park and Mercedes Benz Stadium, I’m a sucker for history. I enjoy the idea that my grandfather, Rezin Howell of the Mt. Sterling Trojans, likely played on this field in the 1940s. Frankfort High has been playing football since 1911 and is 20th in the state in wins, highlighted by state tournament runner ups in 1968 and 1977. This is retro to the coolest degree; who needs artificial turf when you have a locker room resembling a dungeon on the outside?
With fall in the air amid a feeling of nostalgia, the orange and blue clad fans celebrated homecoming with fervor and zeal, but it was the Blue Jackets who came out victorious.
The game was delayed in the final minutes when a Frankfort player was carried off on a stretcher. Tensions boiled over with a big scuffle on the next play. Refs considered calling the game bit it finished without incident.
Scores From Around The State
(KSR High School Rankings listed)
Thursday, Sept. 22
| North Laurel | 43 | at South Laurel | 0 |
| South Oldham | 43 | at Jeffersontown | 0 |
Friday, Sept. 23
| No. 5 Christian Academy-Louisville | 51 | at Mercer County | 7 |
| Middlesboro | 48 | at Morgan County | 0 |
| Atherton | 58 | vs. Seneca | 27 |
| No. 26 Bardstown | 40 | at LaRue County | 26 |
| Barren County | 46 | at Russellville | 0 |
| Belfry | 51 | at Magoffin County | 14 |
| Bell County | 56 | vs. McCreary Central | 24 |
| Berea | 54 | at Jackson County | 0 |
| Betsy Layne | 61 | vs. Phelps | 14 |
| Bishop Brossart | 10 | at Ludlow | 9 |
| No. 14 Bowling Green | 46 | at Father Ryan (Nashville), TN | 45 |
| Boyd County | 42 | vs. Harrison County | 21 |
| No. 3 Boyle County | 65 | vs. North Hardin | 14 |
| Bracken County | 24 | at Dayton | 0 |
| Bryan Station | 50 | vs. Lafayette | 6 |
| Bullitt East | 42 | at Meade County | 28 |
| Butler County | 27 | vs. McLean County | 12 |
| Caldwell County | 49 | vs. Ballard Memorial | 16 |
| Campbell County | 21 | vs. No. 25 George Rogers Clark | 20 (OT) |
| Campbellsville | 47 | at Fort Knox | 7 |
| Carroll County | 39 | at Shawnee | 8 |
| Casey County | 32 | vs. Taylor County | 12 |
| Central Hardin | 39 | at Fern Creek | 2 |
| Christian County | 34 | vs. Murray | 20 |
| Clay County | 42 | at Harlan County | 20 |
| Collins | 27 | vs. Madison Southern | 18 |
| Conner | 17 | vs. Boone County | 14 |
| No. 6 Covington Catholic | 14 | at Cooper | 7 |
| Cumberland Gap, TN | 60 | vs. Lynn Camp | 14 |
| Daviess County | 57 | at Marshall County | 0 |
| Doss | 40 | vs. Iroquois | 6 |
| No. 7 DuPont Manual | 21 | vs. No. 4 Ballard | 0 |
| Eastern | 48 | vs. North Bullitt | 14 |
| Elizabethtown | 42 | vs. Thomas Nelson | 0 |
| Estill County | 7 | vs. Rockcastle County | 3 |
| Fairdale | 48 | vs. Bullitt Central | 0 |
| Franklin County | 42 | vs. Shelby County | 19 |
| Franklin-Simpson | 17 | vs. Allen County-Scottsville | 7 |
| No. 2 Frederick Douglass | 41 | at No. 24 Scott County | 0 |
| Graves County | 52 | at Breckinridge County | 0 |
| Grayson County | 42 | vs. Muhlenberg County | 6 |
| Green County | 52 | at Clinton County | 12 |
| Greenwood | 41 | at Glasgow | 28 |
| Harlan | 50 | vs. Sayre | 42 |
| Hart County | 35 | at Adair County | 13 |
| Hazard | 14 | vs. Ashland Blazer | 7 |
| No. 21 Henderson County | 30 | at No. 23 Paducah Tilghman | 13 |
| Henry County | 49 | vs. DeSales | 6 |
| Highlands | 59 | vs. Dixie Heights | 14 |
| Holmes | 40 | at Holy Cross (Covington) | 27 |
| Holy Cross (Louisville) | 23 | vs. Providence (Clarksville), IN | 21 |
| Kentucky Country Day | 29 | vs. Southern | 14 |
| Lawrence County | 42 | at East Carter | 26 |
| Leslie County | 52 | vs. Fairview | 12 |
| Letcher County Central | 49 | at Perry County Central | 32 |
| Lewis County | 34 | vs. Powell County | 29 |
| No. 15 Lexington Catholic | 41 | at Tates Creek | 0 |
| Logan County | 49 | vs. Hopkinsville | 28 |
| Madisonville-North Hopkins | 67 | vs. Calloway County | 7 |
| No. 8 Male | 36 | at Butler | 0 |
| Martin County | 46 | at Bath County | 0 |
| Mason County | 49 | vs. Pendleton County | 12 |
| No. 13 Mayfield | 50 | vs. Fort Campbell | 7 |
| McCracken County | 34 | vs. Apollo | 14 |
| Metcalfe County | 39 | at Edmonson County | 22 |
| Montgomery County | 48 | at Grant County | 22 |
| Nelson County | 45 | vs. Caverna | 22 |
| Newport Central Catholic | 42 | vs.Newport | 26 |
| Nicholas County | 42 | at Frankfort | 28 |
| North Oldham | 47 | vs. Waggener | 7 |
| Owen County | 18 | at Trimble County | 14 |
| No. 22 Owensboro | 56 | vs. Ohio County | 7 |
| Owensboro Catholic | 48 | at Hancock County | 12 |
| Paul Laurence Dunbar | 21 | at Russell | 14 |
| Pike County Central | 30 | vs. Floyd Central | 28 |
| No. 18 Pikeville | 60 | vs. Lexington Christian | 21 |
| Pleasure Ridge Park | 35 | vs. Western | 0 |
| Prestonsburg | 42 | at East Ridge | 36 |
| No. 16 Pulaski County | 55 | vs. Whitley County | 13 |
| Raceland | 48 | at Greenup County | 28 |
| Scott | 37 | at Rowan County | 34 |
| Shelby Valley | 54 | vs. West Carter | 21 |
| Somerset | 38 | vs. Williamsburg | 28 |
| No. 11 South Warren | 24 | vs. Central | 0 |
| No. 20 Southwestern | 48 | vs. Lincoln County | 0 |
| Spencer County | 48 | vs. Marion County | 7 |
| No. 1 St. Xavier | 13 | vs. No. 10 Trinity (Louisville) | 8 |
| Todd County Central | 30 | vs. Monroe County | 0 |
| Trigg County | 55 | at Fulton County | 34 |
| No. 27 Union County | 25 | at Crittenden County | 6 |
| Valley | 30 | vs. John Hardin | 17 |
| Walton-Verona | 35 | vs. Gallatin County | 8 |
| Warren Central | 36 | vs. Russell County | 9 |
| Warren East | 35 | vs. Wayne County | 14 |
| Washington County | 49 | at Eminence | 13 |
Kroger is a staple in your hometown community just like high school football. There’s nothing quite like Friday nights in the Bluegrass. We are honored to share this journey with Kroger and you for the third consecutive season.
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