LCA's last-minute touchdown pushes Eagles past Lexington Catholic 28-21 in Holy War

by: Zack Geoghegan16 hours agoZGeogheganKSR

Lexington Christian Academy beats Lexington Catholic 28-21 in Holy War - Bryce Stevenson, Kentucky Sports Radio

No. 23 Lexington Christian Academy sophomore Nash Whelan did most of his damage on the ground Friday night in his own school’s stadium, but he’ll be remembered for the pair of last-minute passes he floated perfectly into the hands of his wide receivers.

With the score tied at 21 and less than a minute to go against crosstown rival No. 22 Lexington Catholic, LCA appeared to be hunting for a game-winning field goal in the KSR Game of the Week. But Whelan wanted more against the Knights, hitting senior Jeremiah Burbage down the sideline for a game-altering, 45-yard catch with just 26 seconds on the clock. Whelan got even greedier from there, finding Tyler King for the go-ahead, 22-yard touchdown, putting the Eagles ahead, 28-21, with little time left for Lexington Catholic to strike back.

There would be no miracle in this year’s Holy War — LCA held on to win the annual rivalry showdown.

Whelan, who entered the season as the Eagles’ backup quarterback before filling in as the starter, finished with 91 yards on the ground and three rushing touchdowns. But his lone touchdown through the air is the one that pushed his team across the finish line and the student section onto the field.

“One of the toughest players I’ve ever coached,” LCA’s first-year head coach, Oakley Watkins, said of Whelan postgame. “He just continues to battle for us. Plays defense, too. That’s one thing a lot of people don’t think, is Nash plays almost every rep on defense for us. And for him to do that, and step up in the way he did tonight, just says all you need to know about him. And he’s only a sophomore.”

As his coach mentioned, Whelan also added five tackles on defense to cap off an incredible overall performance.

HUGE throw for the Eagles puts them in field goal range. 26 seconds to go with a tie game. pic.twitter.com/pg9tvxXGSJ
— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) September 20, 2025

TOUCHDOWN EAGLES.

Only 14 seconds to go. Some incredible throws from Nash Whelan on this final drive. What a finish.

LexCath 21
LCA 28

0:14 | 4th Q pic.twitter.com/SFJFjQm0SN
— Zack Geoghegan (@ZGeogheganKSR) September 20, 2025

The game didn’t start the way it ended for LCA, though. Lexington Catholic struck first and second. Senior quarterback Brady Wasik opened up the night with a 25-yard strike to senior Duncan Gaunce midway through the first quarter to make it 7-0 in favor of the Knights. A fumble from the Eagles on the next possession gave the ball back to LexCath, which led to another Wasik touchdown pass, this one a seven-yarder to Mark junior Hosinski.

Despite a missed extra point, the Knights controlled a 13-0 lead before the first quarter clock could run out. But Whelan was able to keep LCA from going scoreless in the opening period, running in the first of his three rushing scores with just a couple of ticks until the second quarter. Behind three turnovers and a missed field goal between the two sides, the score would remain at 13-7 all the way until halftime.

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It wasn’t until the third quarter clock was nearly exhausted that Whelan added his second rushing touchdown, this one a 16-yard trot into the end zone soon after Wasik lobbed an interception on the Knights’ behalf. The made extra point put LCA ahead 14-13 going into the fourth and final period. But LexCath responded with a lengthy, five-minute drive that resulted in a 34-yard touchdown run from junior Jack Wedding. Wasik — who finished the night with 100 yards on the ground, 127 through the air, and two touchdowns — picked himself back up by running in the two-point conversion, putting the Knights back in front 21-14.

But this is when Whelan hit his stride. A long kickoff return from LCA put him in a great position to find the end zone. He did just that thanks to a two-yard rushing touchdown that made it 21-21 with 4:20 left in regulation. Talks of a Holy War overtime battle were now being discussed on the sidelines. But Whelan wasn’t hearing it. The Eagles would get the ball back with enough time for him to toss two perfect balls en route to the game-winning touchdown.

“We drew up the play in the huddle,” Whelan said of the final touchdown call. “I know TK (Tyler King) is a great player. I knew he was down there somewhere. So when I threw it, I let him go get it.”

With the win, LCA improves to 2-3 on the season, a misleading record for a team that has faced several ranked opponents already. Meanwhile, Lexington Catholic drops to 3-2, but the Knights have proven halfway through the season that they are a team to fear in Class 3A.

Top 25 matchups don’t get much better than what happened Friday night under the lights in Lexington. Another classic KSR Game of the Week is in the books.

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