Shawnee shocks Jackson County 28-14 in 3rd annual Kroger KSR Hometown Classic
Shawnee and Jackson County have now only played each other three times in their history, but it’s a series that won’t be going away anytime soon.
On Friday night in McKee, Kentucky, the Shawnee Golden Eagles (2-2) took down the host school Jackson County Generals (2-2) by a final score of 28-14 in what was the third annual Kroger KSR Hometown Classic. Jackson County came in as the perceived favorite — looking to win three straight games for the first time in 10 years — and even struck first less than four minutes into the game, but Shawnee buckled down and executed down the stretch to pull off the upset victory.
The Golden Eagles sealed the win with a pick-6 in the closing minutes that made it an insurmountable two-score lead. Shawnee has now won two straight games for the first time since Sept. 2021.
This certainly isn’t the most conventional matchup in the state either. Shawnee and Jackson County are two small schools separated by nearly 150 miles — roughly a 2.5-hour drive from the west end of Louisville down to the small southeastern Kentucky town of McKee. But that’s what makes this new-founded series so special. While what happens on the field is still the main focus, it’s the fact that two schools with different backgrounds — one mostly Black, one mostly white — can come together, push aside their personal troubles, and make this matchup so special.
“It means a lot to both communities,” Shawnee head coach Vernon Gibson Jr. said of this series. “First time down here in three years. Last time we was supposed to come down here (in 2021), Jackson (County) had COVID. So it was a good deal for us to come down and return the favor. Long drive — three hours — long drive. Now we’re about to head back and get something to eat and get back on the road, but it’s a good thing. Good people. First-class. We’ll do it again.”
“I call it the brotherhood bowl,” Shawnee athletic director Mike Jolly said. “You can look around here and look around at our game, it’s just a whole different group of people, but they can still get out here on the field together and play football, compete against each other, after the game walk away, shake hands, and go on. That’s what sports is about. Different cultures and learning things.”
This unexpected matchup spawned during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With cancellations running rampant and protests rocking the city of Louisville, Shawnee was desperate to find an opponent and no one was stepping up to take on the challenge — until Jackson County came calling.
The Generals made the lengthy trek to Louisville to ensure a game would be played. A passionate pregame speech by Jackson County’s then-head coach John Hallock struck a chord with both communities and everyone around the state. KSR’s Freddie Maggard then made it a point to ensure these two teams would continue to play against one another. He also presents each team with a trophy as an added bonus. Next year’s game will head back to Louisville for the fourth edition of this matchup.
“Me and (Jackson County’s) Coach (Nick) Sizemore — Coach Sizemore is a good guy. We talk, we set it up early, our relationship is good, so it’s a good reason to keep on doing this. The only reason not is the three hours on a school bus,” Gibson said with a laugh. “So that’s a long drive. But they do it, we do it, and keep it going.
“This gets a chance to get on the radio, get on TV, chances that we’ll never get. A whole lot of people don’t come to Shawnee, they don’t come to Jackson County, we don’t get that pub like the other schools, the big-name schools. So this is a good thing for us.”
Shawnee’s 2nd half too much for Jackson County
From the jump, it looked like Shawnee could be in for a long night. Jackson County used an eight-play, 65-yard opening drive to take an early 6-0 lead after failing to convert on the two-point conversion. But offense proved hard to come by from then on, with bad snaps and fumble issues from both sides causing problems throughout the night.
One of those loose balls fell right into the lap of Shawnee early in the second quarter. Senior Jacob Summers scooped up a fumble and ran it back 25 easy yards to knot the score at 6-6. A successful (and important) two-point conversion from the Golden Eagles would push them in front by two. That lead didn’t hold long though. Senior Jaden Leavell ran back the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for his second score of the game, moving the Generals back in front 12-8 after another failed two-point conversion.
The first-half excitement didn’t end there. Shawnee moved the ball 56 yards in just 16 seconds right before halftime, capitalizing on the short drive with a 36-yard touchdown pass as time expired to make it 16-12 at the break. It was a battle of explosive plays through two quarters.
But in the third period, things slowed down. It wasn’t until the 6:14 mark that someone finally put points on the board, although not how you might have expected. Jackson County forced a safety after backing Shawnee down inside their own five-yard line, cutting the lead down to two, 16-14. That score would hold going into the final quarter.
Jackson County had multiple chances to complete the comeback, but untimely turnovers spelled doom — and Shawnee made sure to jump on it. The Golden Eagles punched in another touchdown from one yard out on fourth down with roughly seven minutes left in the game, extending its lead to 22-14. Shawnee would polish off the win for good shortly after with an interception that was brought back to the house to make it 28-14.
Ball game — and back-to-back Hometown Classic wins for Shawnee.
The highlight of the entire night, however, came from junior Khamoni Ball, who pulled down a miraculous interception that has to be seen to believe. With Jackson County on its last leg down 14 points with under three minutes left, Ball skyed a few feet in the air to rip down a floating ball with a one-handed pick that had the Golden Eagles sidelines going crazy.
“See the ball in the air, I like to catch,” Ball said, smiling. “I went up there and got it. Came down. Had the ball. My team hyped me up from the sideline.”
“It was an amazing catch. ESPN Top 10, go ahead and turn it in,” Gibson added.
We’re already looking forward to what next year’s matchup will bring.
Kroger is dedicated to supporting communities across the Commonwealth. KSR is honored to highlight both Shawnee and Jackson County in the Hometown Classic. Kroger is your hometown, community spot for all your shopping needs. Kroger is also proud to support local schools through Kroger Community Rewards. This includes up to 3.5 million in quarterly gifts to the non-profit of your choice. Sign up using your Kroger loyalty card at Kroger.com/communityrewards.
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