Great Crossing holds off Meade County 37-30 for first ever playoff victory
The Great Crossing Warhawks held off Meade County 37-30 Friday night in the First Round of the Class 6A Playoffs, earning their first playoff victory in school history.
Since their first season as a program in 2019, the Warhawks were 0-5 in postseason play. Those five games were lost by an average of 29.6 points per game.
According to the Massey Ratings, Great Crossing was favored by 20 points over the Green Wave. Head coach Larry Mofield’s gritty Meade County team put up a great fight Friday night however, as it outscored Great Crossing 27-15 in the second half. That however was not enough, as Meade County dug itself into a 19-point deficit at halftime.
Both quarterbacks were phenomenal Friday night. Great Crossing junior quarterback Jeremiah Clark contributed two total touchdowns (one passing, one rushing), while Meade County senior quarterback Cade Scott finished with three passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown.
All Warhawks in the first half
Although Great Crossing fumbled the opening kickoff, it was all Warhawks in the first half.
Trailing 3-0 following a Meade County field-goal, the Warhawks drove the length of the field and scored the first touchdown of the game. Clark hit junior wide receiver Hunter Moody in stride for the 23-yard receiving touchdown, marking the pair’s fourth scoring connection of the season.
After forcing a punt, the relentless Warhawk offense reared its head again.
They thought they had scored a 33-yard touchdown, but it was negated due to holding. This was no problem for senior running back Clayton Shaddix, who took the five-yard penalty and rushed for a 38-yard touchdown on the very next play. Great Crossing had three touchdowns negated due to holding penalties Friday night.
After a bit of desperation from Meade County, the Great Crossing defense stopped the Green Wave on 4th & 2 from their own 46-yard line. This gave them an opening just before the half to pad their lead, which they did.
Following a 41 yard drive down to the Meade five-yard line, junior running back Luke Ballard scored from five yards out to make it a 19-3 game at the halftime break. However, the game would be flipped on its head in the second half.
Close, but no cigar for the Green Wave
Meade County quarterback Cade Scott contributed all four of his touchdowns in the second half, two of which came on their first two drives of the half.
Their first drive was capped off by a 10-yard passing touchdown in the back of the end zone to senior wide receiver Aidan Bratcher. After forcing a quick Great Crossing possession, Scott then churned his legs for a clutch 12-yard rushing touchdown to cut the Warhawk lead to six.
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Feeling its control of the game slipping away however, head coach Ricky Bowling’s team responded nicely.
The Warhawks drove right down the length of the field, converting a three-yard rushing touchdown from Luke Ballard, his second of the game. Just when many fans in attendance believed the game was over, playoff football just kept on giving.
Following a chip-shot field goal to extend the lead back out to 15, Scott led a must-have touchdown drive in which he scrambled and found Bratcher for the duo’s second touchdown connection of the game.
It looked as if Meade County would have a chance to tie the game up following a Great Crossing fumble on the first play of the next drive, but three straight sacks put the ball right back in Jeremiah Clark’s hands.
This was a major mistake, as Clark took the first play of the drive 25-yards for the game-clinching score. Game. Blouses.
After winning its first playoff game in school history, Great Crossing now has a major challenge waiting for them in the second round. They will face off against No. 3 DuPont Manual, who hold a 10-1 record with wins over No. 8 Male, No. 9 Frederick Douglass, No. 11 South Warren, No. 13 St. Xavier, and No. 18 Central, next Friday night.
The Crimsons faced off against Meade County on October 25 and rolled the Green Wave 42-14.
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