KHSAA Week Six Recap: Quadruple Overtime and More

The week six slate of KHSAA football was met with several ranked matchups (including the Kroger KSR Game of the Week) and a couple of overtime thrillers to cap another exciting week in the Commonwealth.

Here are some notable scores and stories from Friday night:

No. 25 Covington Catholic def. Cooper 31-24 (4OT)

CovCath entered Friday with a 2-3 record in 2021, but a 6-0 all-time record against Cooper. The Colonels have defeated the Jaguars by an average of 39 points per outing — until last night.

Cooper’s Brendon Tye took the rock 97 yards to the house of the first play of the second half to give the Jags a 14-0 lead. CovCath running back and backup quarterback Preston Agee led his team with 127 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning score.

“It was good to see our guys fight, because in the first half nothing seemed to go our way,” CovCath head coach Eddie Eviston said. “That’s a very good, very physical Cooper team. But our guys clawed and scratched their way back into the game after the big run gave Cooper the 14-point lead.”

The Colonels drove 87 yards in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 14 on an Agee rush from three yards out. Cooper and CovCath crossed the pylon in the first overtime period and matched missed field goal attempts in the second.

Agee’s fourth score came in the quadruple overtime that would prove to be the game-winner. Cooper had a shot to tie the game but a 15-yard penalty ended Cooper’s hope at victory. CovCath moves back to .500 on the season after dropping last week’s matchup with Beechwood while remaining undefeated all-time against Cooper.

No. 9 DuPont Manuel def. No. 16 Ballard 47-14

Manuel did a little bit of everything Friday night in their 30-plus point rout of Ballard. Chaunte Marrero, Ja’Waun Northington, Darien Wilson, Curtis Rearden and Ramont Townsend all scored for the Crimsons.

The defensive pressure was present on both sides of the ball. Ballard’s Jadarion Smith leads the KHSAA 6A division in sacks, totaling three in the first half. Another pressure by Smith forced Wilson into throwing a pick right to Jaden Minkens. Manuel also forced three three-and-outs, giving their offense the opportunity to extend their lead as the game progressed.

TOUCHDOWN @BallardFball! Guess who? Marrero takes a pass down the middle from Hawkins 47 yards to the crib to pull the Bruins within a touchdown. @BallardFball 14@duPontFootball 20
7:47 3rd quarter @GabrielCStovall pic.twitter.com/lTKATucu5A

— J.L. Kirven (@JL_Kirven) September 25, 2021

Christian Academy-Louisville def. No. 22 Mercer County 42-0

The top-two KHSAA teams in the 3A division, per the KSR rankings, played out in a way no one expected — with a Mercer County shutout. The loss is the Titans’ second shutout of the season (Bryan Station — 28-0) and their second loss overall.

The Centurions advanced to 5-1 on the season behind Cole Hodges’ three scores (two rushing, one passing). Hodges’ eight carries took him 87 yards and went 14-18 through the air for 156 yards. Easton Messer returned an interception to the house for 35 yards and hauled in seven catches for 70 yards.

The victory will likely catapult the Centurions past Mercer County for the top spot in KSR’s 3A rankings on Monday.

Harrison County def. Boyd County 42-41 (OT)

KHSAA fans in Cynthiana were treated to a 4A district overtime shootout Friday night.

Tied at 35 with six seconds remaining in regulation, Harrison County attempted a 39-yard field goal that would go on to be blocked by the Lions, sending the game into overtime.

Boyd County’s Dakota Thompson took the first play of overtime to the house to give the Lions the 41-35 lead. They would go for two and were stopped on the one-inch line. The Thorobreds took full advantage of their defensive stop offensively by finding the end zone and winning on the ensuing PAT.

The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Harrison County.

No. 2 St. Xavier def. No. 10 Trinity 35-28

16,000 KHSAA fans were estimated as being on hand Friday night to witness St. Xavier’s first victory over Trinity in three seasons inside of Louisville’s Cardinal Stadium.

Tiger head coach Kevin Wallace was “very confident,” in his team’s rushing attack going into the rivalry matchup — and rightfully so. St. Xavier ran all over Trinity’s defense, compiling 276 yards (5.9 yards per carry) led by dual-threat quarterback Jack Sivori’s three touchdowns on the ground.

Trinity found themselves down 21-0 at the half and clawed their way back, scoring three straight times in the third quarter to close the score at 21-20. The Shamrocks had a chance to take the lead, but a face mask penalty turned the tide of the game — Trinity coach Jay Cobb argued the call.

“We went back and tried to look on video and couldn’t find it,” Cobb said about the face mask call. “It is what it is. They got a heck of a break right there and cashed it.” Cobb said no official could tell him who the penalty was on.

St. Xavier would go on to score two touchdowns in the final quarter to put the game away and send Trinity to 0-6 on the season.

Southern def. Kentucky Country Day 28-18

Southern held KCD under 50 yards passing Friday night advancing to 5-1 on the season and handing the No. 3-ranked team in 1A their first loss in 2021.

323 yards of offense led by Trojan quarterback Kerry Hodge’s 158 passing yards and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) and Jacoby Burton’s 103 rushing yards.

The Trojans have yet to be defeated in KHSAA play this season — their single blemish was due to a COVID cancelation week four against Iroquois. That unbeaten start will be put to the test next week as they welcome the No. 1 team in KHSAA, the Male Bulldogs, to their home turf.

Dixie Heights def. No. 20 Highlands 28-21

Highlands has now dropped their last three games after a promising 3-0 start to 2021. The victory was Dixie Heights’ first against Highlands since 2016.

The Bluebirds were shutout in the second half after quarterback Charlie Noon tied the game at 21 before halftime. Colonel quarterback Logan Landers would break that tie in the third with a 20-yard touchdown run, which would eventually become the game-winning score.

Height’s Jose Torres’ 230 yards on the ground and two touchdowns along with Cameron Barrett’s 169 rushing yards led their team past the No. 20 team in KHSAA.