Lexington Catholic Sends Message in 42-19 win over PRP

Senior Night. Under the Lights. Kentucky commit. Heart of Lexington. What can get better than that?

The atmosphere at Joseph K Ford Stadium was outstanding, and the Lexington Catholic Knights (#22 in KSR’s Week 3 Kentucky High School Football Rankings), gave the crowd a show. The game before halftime was a battle, with PRP taking an early 7-0 lead. But, after trading punches for much of the half, something had to change. Lexington Catholic’s first-year head coach Bert Bathiany had the Knights come out of the tunnel like a new team.

“I think it shows us our resilience, our trust in each other. None of us flinched, second-guessed anything; we stayed true to the course,” Coach Bathiany said after the game. “We knew if we kept making plays and stayed true to our game, we would make more plays than them.”

At halftime, the score was 21-13 in favor of the Knights. By the final buzzer, Lexington Catholic walked away with an impressive 42-19 victory.

Reciever, Kicker, Punter, oh my!

Lexington Catholic’s Max Degraff, who is a kicking prospect and receiver, had himself a night. Degraff hauled in three touchdowns and went 6/6 on extra points. Have a look at this beauty of a catch.

WHAT A GRAB @MaxDeGraff23 @LexCathFootball 21-13 home team @ZGeogheganKSR @KySportsRadio pic.twitter.com/FlqswqCe6Z

— Brady Byrdwell (@BByrdwellKSR) September 10, 2022

When asked about his versatility, Degraff said,” I knew coming into the year I could play a pretty big role on the team. And I could help us a lot at kicker and wide receiver. I’m just doing my best to help my team out.”

Throughout the game, Degraff seemed hell-bent on making every point on the field, and he wasn’t far off.

The Knights wouldn’t make DeGraff do it all by himself. Senior running back Walker Hall rushed well, and junior Jackson Wasik played great. As a result, the offense in the second half looked like a well-oiled machine. A machine that’s poised to make a run at the 4A championship.

Kentucky Commit Jakob Dixon Impresses

Speaking of versatility, Kentucky pledge and grown man Jakob Dixon would like a word. In the first half alone, Dixon ripped off two over 70-yard receptions for touchdowns. He torched the Knight defense for almost 200 yards and did so quickly. His size and speed project him as a tight end at the next level, which he acknowledged postgame. Regardless, receiving tight ends are a hot commodity at the college and professional level. It wasn’t long ago that Kyle Pitts was blowing up SEC defenses.

Jakob Dixon looking to explode, man among boys @jakobwithnoc #KSR pic.twitter.com/3iNCWQVlSZ

— Brady Byrdwell (@BByrdwellKSR) September 9, 2022

Even with a defense that game planned for him all week, Dixon still found a way to explode in the first half. But, by the second half, the Knight pass rush proved too much, and Dixon’s targets suffered as sacks piled up.

Still, his talent is enough to excite Rich Scangarello with the possibilities. When asked about his visit, he spoke about what the coaching staff means.

“It was great; I had a great experience. The coaches are very welcoming, and I had a great time,” Dixon said.

When asked how the coaching staff sees him, Dixon said, “Mostly tight end or halfback.” From interviewing him after the game, it was easy to tell that the loss stuck with him. This attitude goes along with the chip-on-shoulder mindset that Mark Stoops loves to instill in his teams.

The Wildcats under Stoops have never been okay with losing — no smiling in defeat in the Bluegrass. So it’s easy to see how Dixon fits right into an offense going over a major facelift.

Upcoming opponents

Next week, Lexington Catholic will host a huge rivalry game against Lexington Christian. PRP will host DeSales as they look to get back in the win column.