Kroger's Kentucky High School Football Rundown - Week 3
Mother Nature decided to play nice this week, and we should all be thankful she did. Week 3 of high school football across the state of Kentucky was filled with high-profile matchups and statement victories.
The main course, the Kroger KSR Game of the Week between Taylor County and Elizabethtown, saw Taylor County’s Hayes Johnson lead his squad to a dominating 42-13 win. Johnson is a three-star offensive lineman from the class of 2024 who is committed to the University of Kentucky. He helped carve out space all night long for running back Peyton Smith. Taylor County moves to 2-1 on the season.
Elsewhere across the state, KSR had boots on the ground in several spots. Daniel Hager made the drive to Louisville for a top-five showdown between Male and St. Xavier, Troy Howell stayed close in Lexington to see the Smith twins lead Corbin to an impressive win, and Piper McCoun was out west to cover Owensboro Catholic’s monster victory.
You can view their full-game recaps below, along with a scoreboard rundown of all the games that took place on Friday in the Bluegrass. Shoutout to our good friends at Kroger for helping make all of this possible, too.
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St. Xavier Holds off Male 20-10 for Early Season Statement Victory
BY: Daniel Hager
Following No. 5 ranked St. Xavier’s 20-10 victory over No. 2 Male, head coach Kevin Wallace’s Tigers have emerged as the frontrunners in Class 6A.
Heading into Friday night’s top-five matchup between the two bitter rivals, many questioned how St. Xavier’s defense would hold up against the high octane Male offense. Through their first two games of the season, the Tigers allowed an average of 227 yards per game. Many feared that the Bulldog offense would have their way, which they did (kind of). Male racked up 357 yards of offense but converted those yards for just three points until Kolter Smith’s 20-yard passing touchdown to Max Gainey with 1:25 remaining. By then, it was too late.
Repeated mistakes and failure to convert third and fourth downs sealed Male’s fate on Friday night.
The Bulldogs jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but St. Xavier responded with 20 unanswered points of their own to cement their victory. St. X senior quarterback Trevor Havill was very effective, completing 19 of 27 passing attempts for 253 yards and two touchdowns. His two touchdown passes were from 42 and 61 yards out. Havill reflected on his play following their big victory.
“I’m super proud of how well my o-line did,” Havill said. “They gave me the time I needed to make plays. Davis [Yates], Manny [Gray], Marlon [Harbin], Cam [Hollaway], Kyle [Krupp] and Ant [Barbee] did an amazing job getting open and making plays. This was an important game for our team, but we won’t relax. We will work even harder to get better. I am incredibly proud of my entire team and my coaches.”
On the other side of the ball, St. X senior DE Tyler Neal was a nightmare to deal with for the Male offensive line. Neal finished with three sacks and countless pressures on the night. “All I do is study film,” Neal said postgame. “I study film and work on my craft. I execute. It’s what I do.” Along with Neal, Junior Miles Dobson and senior Samuel Crum both contributed with an interception each. Crum would have had two interceptions on the night, but a penalty negated the first pick.
Friday night marked sweet, sweet revenge for the Tigers, as the Bulldogs knocked them out of the Class 6A playoffs last season. Neal and Havill both spoke on what Friday night’s victory meant to them following the win.
“We’ve been looking forward to this game,” Neal said. “It was definitely a get-back game and we got our revenge.” Havill shared the same sentiment, saying “It always feels great to beat a really good team. This is how it is between us and Male every year. They are an incredible team. We will see them again and it will be another battle.”
Male finished the game with nine penalties for 85 yards, crippling blow after crippling blow. Even though they totaled 357 yards, the offense was stagnant for most of the night. QB Kolter Smith finished with 229 yards passing but was intercepted twice. The good news is both teams are off next weekend, which gives them time to regroup and catch their breath after a hectic first three weeks of the season.
With the win, St. Xavier improves to 3-0 on the season. Male falls to 2-1. St. X is now 21-17 against Male since 1998.
Corbin Defense Dominates Lexington Catholic as Smith Brothers Shine
BY: Troy Howell
The No. 4 ranked Corbin Redhounds (2-0) defeated the Lexington Catholic Knights 30-10 (1-2) on a beautiful Friday evening in Lexington.
In front of a standing-room-only crowd, Corbin showed why they are legitimate contenders for a 4A state championship. The 2022 runner-up Redhounds used a dominant, pressuring defense to defeat one of the top teams in Class 3A.
Kentucky Targets Shine
Jerod Smith had two monster first-half strip sacks and set up shop in the Knight backfield all game. His brother, Jacob, forced a third-quarter safety with his pressure on Lexington Catholic quarterback Jackson Wasik and constantly wreaked havoc. Jerod and Jacob are both four-star defensive end Michigan commits who are still being recruited by Kentucky. They played at Somerset in 2020 before transferring out of state until this season. Only LCA quarterback Cutter Boley is ranked higher among in-state players.
Corbin head coach Tom Greer said the Smith brothers are not only great players, but also have great character.
“They have got a work ethic like nobody else. It has caused some of our other players to kind of fall in line. They have raised our level of play for our football team.”
Game Recap
Corbin got on the board first with a long touchdown run from Somerset transfer Guy Bailey.
They tacked on another touchdown on a long drive by converting numerous third and fourth downs. Quarterback Kade Elam, a Louisville baseball commit, kept it himself to expand the Redhounds’ lead to 14-0.
Corbin appeared close to running away with it before Lexington Catholic’s Sam Clements picked off a pass and took it 80 yards to the house.
Corbin responded with a huge 3rd and 16 touchdown from Elam to Carter Stewart to go up 21-7.
The dominant Corbin defense only allowed a Jackson Wedding field goal at the halftime horn that made the score 21-10 ‘Hounds.
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The Knights stopped Corbin in the red zone on fourth down to open the second half. After each team punted, Jacob Smith helped Corbin earn a safety with his pressure on Wasik to push the Corbin lead to 23-10. Elam’s short touchdown run on the next possession put the game out of reach late in the third quarter. He accounted for three scores and showed why he is among the top quarterbacks in the state.
Next Up:
Lexington Catholic (2-1) hosts Great Crossing September 8 at 7:30 PM
Corbin (2-0) travels to Pulaski County on September 8 at 7:30.
No. 17 Owensboro Catholic overwhelms Greenwood 43-13 in statement win
BY: Piper McCoun
The No. 17 Owensboro Catholic Aces (3-0) had something to prove in Friday night’s victory over the Greenwood Gators (2-1). They bested the Gators 43-13 in dominant fashion with a 30-point margin of victory. With their heart on their sleeve, they left it all out on the field and validated their steady climb in KSR’s Top 25.
The Aces wasted no time and dealt jabs early which gave them the footing they needed for their big finish at Steele Stadium in Owensboro. “We just come out and execute,” said Owensboro Catholic junior QB Brady Atwell. “As long as we do what coach says, I feel like we have a chance to beat anybody in this state.”
Aces dominate the first half
O-Cath was the first to strike when Atwell threw his first touchdown of the night, connecting with senior receiver Noah Rhinerson to go up 7-0 at 8:27 left in the first quarter.
Greenwood took over possession on their own 24 with plans to strike back. The Gators boldly decided to go for it on 4th and 1 at their own 33, but came up short. The Aces capitalized on their field position with a rushing touchdown from Atwell to extend their lead to 14-0 with 4:05 left in the first quarter.
Tel Tel Long was the biggest contributor for the Gators as he tallied six for Greenwood at the start of the second quarter, bringing it to 14-6 with the Aces ahead. This wasn’t enough to swing momentum in the Gators’ favor, though.
William “Tutt” Carrico was a problem for Greenwood all night. Carrico was unstoppable after claiming two back-to-back touchdown receptions to extend the O-Cath lead to 28-6 with 8:29 left in the first half.
Greenwood brought the ball back to the opposite 15 and opted for a field goal, but fell short after it was blocked and recovered by O-Cath defenders.
The Aces used this momentum to claim another six right before halftime with an impressive (to say the least) touchdown reception by junior receiver Waryn Ebelhar. After a successful two-point conversion, O-Cath extended their lead to 30 at 36-6 heading into the locker room.
More of the same for the Aces
The second half didn’t go any differently, either. Greenwood had a big hole to climb out of but was ultimately unable to get momentum to shift their way due to offensive and defensive dominance by the Aces.
Although both teams tallied a touchdown and extra point each, Owensboro Catholic maintained control for the entirety of the game.
Atwell and Carrico connected in the third to claim the Aces’ lone score of the second half, giving them a comfortable 37-point lead at 43-6 and a running clock. Greenwood responded with a score of their own late in the third, but their fate had been sealed.
“We feel underrated,” Atwell said after the game. “We feel the disrespect in the state, that nobody respects us and western Kentucky football as a whole, and I think we’re here to prove something. I think come December 2nd, we’ll be playing in that game for sure.”
The Aces look ahead to play in a deeply-rooted inner-city rivalry match against Owensboro next Friday, which dropped out of KSR’s Top 25 after week two. “We want them Devils next week,” Atwell added in the postgame huddle. You can bet these teams will come out hungrier than ever in the game that decides the kings of the city.
Kroger’s Scores From Around The State
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 fourth consecutive season. Check out all of the scores from throughout the weekend below.
*KSR High School Top 25 Rankings listed*
Friday, September 1
| Belfry | 48 | vs. No. 19 Johnson Central | 20 | ARH Bowl |
| Marion County | 34 | at Anderson County | 14 | CDE Construction Game |
| Bell County | 52 | vs. Letcher County Central | 18 | Short-Redmond Auto Group Pride of the Mountains |
| Adair County | 13 | at LaRue County | 0 | |
| No. 16 Ashland Blazer | 42 | at George Washington (Charleston), WV | 21 | |
| Atherton | 27 | at Southern | 0 | |
| No. 23 Ballard | 49 | vs. No. 24 Pleasure Ridge Park | 22 | |
| Bardstown | 52 | vs. Thomas Nelson | 0 | |
| Barren County | 7 | vs. Warren East | 6 | |
| No. 12 Beechwood | 49 | at Dixie Heights | 48 | (overtime) |
| Bellevue | 32 | vs. Riverview East Academy (Cincinnati), OH | 22 | |
| Bethlehem | 40 | at Carroll County | 6 | |
| No. 1 Boyle County | 56 | at Danville | 0 | |
| Bracken County | 45 | at Nicholas County | 6 | |
| Breathitt County | 63 | vs. Lewis County | 13 | |
| Bullitt Central | 7 | at Garrard County | 0 | |
| No. 25 Bullitt East | 59 | at North Bullitt | 14 | |
| Calloway County | 47 | vs. Fulton County | 14 | |
| Campbellsville | 36 | at Metcalfe County | 0 | |
| Center Grove (Greenwood), IN | 34 | vs. No. 8 Trinity (Louisville) | 7 | |
| No. 22 Central | 34 | vs. Butler | 0 | |
| Central Hardin | 36 | vs. Henderson County | 35 | |
| Christian County | 22 | vs. Hopkinsville | 20 | |
| Clay County | 44 | vs. Williamsburg | 20 | |
| Clinton County | 20 | at McCreary Central | 18 | |
| Collins | 48 | at Paul Laurence Dunbar | 13 | |
| Conner | 34 | at Lafayette | 7 | |
| No. 4 Corbin | 30 | at Lexington Catholic | 10 | |
| No. 7 Covington Catholic | 50 | at Simon Kenton | 12 | |
| No. 13 DuPont Manual | 24 | at Taft (Cincinnati), OH | 8 | |
| East Carter | 33 | at Boyd County | 28 | |
| East Ridge | 30 | at River View (Bradshaw), WV | 27 | |
| Eastern | 33 | at Fairdale | 32 | |
| Eminence | 42 | at Caverna | 32 | |
| Estill County | 22 | at West Carter | 21 | |
| Fern Creek | 27 | vs. Oldham County | 14 | |
| Franklin County | 13 | at North Laurel | 6 | |
| Franklin-Simpson | 31 | at Allen County-Scottsville | 21 | |
| Gate City, VA | 24 | vs. Middlesboro | 18 | |
| George Rogers Clark | 30 | vs. Pulaski County | 7 | |
| Glasgow | 28 | vs. Monroe County | 0 | |
| Graves County | 41 | vs. McEwen, TN | 6 | |
| Grayson County | 27 | vs. McLean County | 8 | |
| Great Crossing | 41 | at Henry Clay | 0 | |
| Greenup County | 28 | at Portsmouth, OH | 22 | (overtime) |
| Hancock County | 37 | at Ohio County | 0 | |
| Hart County | 27 | vs. Green County | 12 | |
| Henry County | 43 | vs. East Jessamine | 2 | |
| No. 18 Highlands | 67 | vs. Campbell County | 35 | |
| Holy Cross (Covington) | 21 | at Grant County | 18 | |
| Holy Cross (Louisville) | 36 | vs. Western | 6 | |
| Jeffersontown | 28 | at Breckinridge County | 20 | |
| John Hardin | 60 | at Iroquois | 0 | |
| Kentucky Country Day | 24 | at DeSales | 23 | (overtime) |
| Lawrence County | 38 | vs. Perry County Central | 14 | |
| Leslie County | 37 | at Magoffin County | 0 | |
| Lloyd Memorial | 47 | vs. Holmes | 8 | |
| Logan County | 49 | at Russellville | 14 | |
| Lynn Camp | 28 | vs. Knott County Central | 12 | |
| Madison Southern | 18 | at Madison Central | 6 | |
| Madisonville-North Hopkins | 46 | at Hopkins County Central | 14 | |
| Mason County | 49 | vs. Fleming County | 21 | |
| Massac County (Metropolis), IL | 28 | vs. Ballard Memorial | 7 | |
| Meade County | 45 | vs. Apollo | 19 | |
| Montgomery County | 42 | at Bourbon County | 6 | |
| Moore | 34 | at Waggener | 26 | |
| Morgan County | 42 | vs. Berea | 12 | |
| Muhlenberg County | 8 | vs. Edmonson County | 7 | |
| Murray | 35 | vs. Marshall County | 6 | |
| Nelson County | 28 | vs. Washington County | 7 | |
| Newport | 56 | at Pendleton County | 6 | |
| Newport Central Catholic | 59 | vs. Scott | 27 | |
| Owen County | 14 | vs. Dayton | 6 | |
| Owensboro | 50 | at Daviess County | 7 | |
| No. 17 Owensboro Catholic | 43 | vs. Greenwood | 13 | |
| Paducah Tilghman | 35 | vs. No. 11 Mayfield | 28 | |
| Paintsville | 40 | vs. Prestonsburg | 38 | |
| Paris | 22 | vs. Hazard | 6 | |
| Pike County Central | 14 | vs. Harlan | 2 | |
| Rockcastle County | 1 | vs. Frankfort | 0 | (forfeit) |
| Rowan County | 39 | at Bath County | 6 | |
| Ryle | 28 | vs. No. 21 Cooper | 10 | |
| Sayre | 14 | at Ludlow | 0 | |
| No. 6 Scott County | 52 | at Lincoln County | 20 | |
| Seneca | 39 | at Doss | 0 | |
| Shawnee | 32 | vs. Valley | 8 | |
| Shelby Valley | 16 | vs. Martin County | 7 | |
| Somerset | 47 | vs. Knox Central | 12 | |
| South Laurel | 12 | vs. Russell County | 7 | |
| South Oldham | 46 | at Spencer County | 0 | |
| South Point, OH | 28 | vs. Russell | 7 | |
| South Warren | 46 | at Southwestern | 28 | |
| No. 5 St. Xavier | 20 | vs. No. 2 Male | 10 | |
| Switzerland County (Vevay), IN | 21 | vs. Trimble County | 6 | |
| Tates Creek | 42 | vs. North Oldham | 0 | |
| Taylor County | 42 | vs. Elizabethtown | 13 | |
| Trigg County | 26 | at Fort Campbell | 21 | |
| Union County | 36 | at Caldwell County | 7 | |
| Warren Central | 40 | vs. Butler County | 26 | |
| Wayne County | 37 | at Casey County | 34 | |
| Webster County | 47 | at Todd County Central | 28 | |
| West Jessamine | 58 | at Harrison County | 42 | |
| Western Hills | 46 | vs. Fort Knox | 0 | |
| Whitley County | 34 | at Harlan County | 0 | |
| Woodford County | 42 | vs. WEB DuBois | 6 | |
| Shelby County | – | at Mercer County | – | Farmers National Bank Game |
Saturday, September 2
| Bryan Station | – | vs. No. 14 Bowling Green (at Lexington Christian) | – | 5:30 PM LCA Bowl sponsored by eCampus.com |
| No. 15 Pikeville | – | at No. 10 Lexington Christian | – | 8:00 PM LCA Bowl sponsored by eCampus.com |
| No. 9 Christian Academy-Louisville | – | at North Hardin | – | 7:30 PM |
| Bishop Brossart | – | at Pineville | – | 6:00 PM |
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