NewCath baseball, softball hopes to take steps forward

 

G. Michael Graham Photo. Newport Central Catholic pitcher Nick Seibert fires to the plate in a recent scrimmage while first baseman Jake Pangallo gets in position. The Thoroughbreds have won the last two 9th Region titles.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

It is a story of a team with unfinished business.

The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds baseball team owns a stellar 51-27-1 record over the last two seasons with consecutive 9th Region crowns. NewCath would not mind three-peating as region champs then going another step if not a few more further than what they’ve gone in the state tournament.

The Thoroughbreds have lost in the state quarterfinals the past two years. They dropped a tough 1-0 decision to eventual state runner-up Henderson County in nine innings last year after dropping a 10-4 decision to Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park in the same round in 2011.

Vetetan NewCath Head Coach Jeff Schulkens and staff welcome back seven starters last year’s squad that finished 25-17-1 overall. Schulkens is entering his 18th year as head coach.

“We started conditioning on Oct. 15 and we’ve been going three days a week until we started practice in February,” Schulkens said. “The kids have a goal. They want to win region again and compete for a state title. It’s always tough. We have good teams. We have to be playing our best in May to win another region title.”

The seven returning starters for the Thoroughbreds are seniors. The returning leading hitters are pitcher/outfielder Josh Cain and infielder Pete Collopy. Cain hit .370 last year with three home runs and Collopy batted about .315-.320.

“We’ve put a big emphasis on senior leadership,” Collopy said. “We have a lot of people coming back so we’re really confident. Everyone has an equal shot at playing time regardless if they’re a senior or not.”

The other returning infielders are Colin DuPont, Alex Grau and Connor Bartels. Dom Pangallo returns in the outfield and Kevin Hoffstedder returns to play catcher. Grau can also catch and Bartels could also play the outfield or pitch.

The Thoroughbreds graduated three starters from last year in Brady Hightchew, Nick Woltermann and Andy Miller. Hightchew took his talents to Shawnee State in Portsmouth, Ohio. Hightchew often led off with Woltermann batting third and Miller fifth.

The Thoroughbreds have a number of other players that could also make a difference. The other two seniors are infielder Michael Bueter and outfielder Nick Seibert.

“On any given day, anyone can win,” Schulkens said. “We’ve talked from day one about getting better every day. We also talked about doing all the little things right. We have the talent to have a good year. We have to do all the little things right to have a great year.”

The roster also consists of six juniors. They are infielder Jake Yeager, outfielder Kole Zenni, infielder John Caudill, outfielder Tommy Donnelly, infielder Mitch Pangallo and infielder/outfielder Jake Pangallo.

A pair of sophomores rounds out the 17-player roster. They are infielder Brandon Gray and infielder Zach Pangallo.

Pitching depth is needed to take teams deep into the tournament. The Thoroughbreds have 10 players that could contribute in that department this year. They are Cain, Bartels, Seibert, Mitch Pangallo, Bueter, Yeager, Gray, Caudill, Donnelly and Zach Pangallo.

“It’s early in the season. I’m just trying to throw strikes,” Cain said. “We’re not throwing many off-speed pitches or curves yet. Coach (Schulkens) usually calls the pitches. We have a lot of guys that threw decent. I think our pitching can be scary good once we’re all on top of our potential this year.”

The Thoroughbreds opened the season with losses to Lexington Catholic and Louisville Trinity on Saturday. They face Woodford County at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Freedom Field.

NCC Softball looks to surprise:

The Thoroughbreds enter their eighth season as a program fresh off their fourth district title.

NewCath finished 20-14 last year and won the 36th District crown. The Thoroughbreds then turned some heads by knocking off Notre Dame, 9-4 for their first 9th Region win since 2008 and just their second region win in school history.

“Last year, we weren’t expected to win anything and ended up winning 20 games,” said Denny Barnes, NewCath head coach. “This is one of the funnest teams I’ve had to coach and the reason for that is no drama. Coaching girls, you normally have some drama. This team is ready to play.”

NewCath graduated three seniors from that team. They were center fielder Paige Immgard, right fielder Meghan Milfard and first baseman Rachel Hardesty.

Barnes welcomes back six starters from that team. Senior Christine Enzweller is the lone returning starting outfielder in left field. The only other senior listed on the roster is outfielder Madison Ballard.

The preseason has seen a lot of cold days meaning a lot of practices have been indoors. That has caused opponents to cancel many games early.

“We can’t wait to get outside,” Enzweller said. “It’s hard practicing (indoors) because we can’t get in the dirt.”

Four sophomores return after starting as freshmen last year in catcher Kristin Schreiber, shortstop Michaela Ware, third baseman Loren Zimmerman and second baseman Casey Kohls. Kohls batted .439 last year to lead the team and Ware hit .345.

“Even though we’re a young team, we have the potential to beat any team,” Burkhart said. “We lost part of our outfield from last year so we have to adjust to that. We also don’t have a left-handed batter this year so we have to adjust to that more.”

Junior Taylor Burkhart and sophomore Sarah Neace could share the pitching load. Neace finished last year with a record of 11-4.

The roster consists of 14 players total. Juniors Molly Mertle and Amanda Schabell could battle for playing time in the infield and sophomore Morgan Martini could battle for playing time in the outfield. Freshmen battling to contribute are infielders Aliva Gross, Alexa Kehoe and Amber Griese.

A sign of the growth of the program comes with the start of a freshman team. Barnes said that team has 18 players this year.

NewCath is scheduled to open the season today at 5 p.m. at Bellevue.

NewCath earns tough 2A championship against Caldwell County

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

BOWLING GREEN – Neither team deserved less than a gold trophy after this edge-of-your-seat Kentucky Class 2A football state championship game.

The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds found themselves on the short end of all three games decided by eight points or fewer during the regular season. But they came through with a 30-26 victory over the Caldwell County Tigers on Saturday at Western Kentucky University’s Houchens/L.T. Smith Stadium.

The Thoroughbreds (11-4) scored the game-winning touchdown with 26 seconds left. Quarterback Josh Cain faked a dive to Dylan Hayes, dropped back a few steps and threw a 4-yard score to a wide-open Tyler Lyon in the middle of the end zone. Cain then tried to score the two-point conversion on a draw, but Caldwell County (11-4) stopped him.

“It’s not one person that wins the game. But if I drop that, what do we do right now,” Lyon said. “They have certain guys they’re keying on. If you get someone they’re not paying attention to, you can sneak by them.”

The NewCath defense still had to hold off the Tigers to end the game. Caldwell County quarterback Elijah Sindelar completed a 30-yard pass to Martez Sivels to midfield after Sivels returned the kickoff to the Tiger 25 and the Tigers received a delay-of-game penalty. After Sindelar spiked the ball, he dropped back to pass. But NewCath linebacker Jack Sutkamp sacked him at the Tiger 35 and time expired.

This marked the second state championship for the Thoroughbreds in three seasons under head coach Eddie Eviston. NewCath improved to 35-8 in those three seasons.

“Caldwell County is a young team,” Eviston said. “I give them a lot of credit. They took it to us. It was great to see our kids fight through all that adversity. They were hungry. This game sums up our season.”

NewCath overcame a 1-3 start to win the state championship. The Thoroughbreds own 12 double-digit win seasons since 2000.

This game was almost as even as it could be. Both teams ran 66 offensive plays averaging about 6.1 a play. NewCath outgained Caldwell County, 405-404 in total offense. The Thoroughbreds rushed for 162 and passed for 243 and the Tigers ran for 146 and passed for 258.

Hayes again led all rushers with 27 carries for 106 yards and two touchdowns for an average of 3.9 a carry. Cain completed 14-of-23 passes for 243 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Thoroughbred wide receiver Mac Franzen finished with four catches for 81 yards and a touchdown.

The Thoroughbreds wanted to contain the Tigers’ offensive leaders. They held Jaylen Boyd to 92 yards rushing on 21 carries for an average of 4.4 yards a carry.

But Sindelar completed 21-of-29 passes for 258 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Sivels finished with 10 catches for 123 yards and a score.

The Thoroughbreds attempted to convert six on fourth down in the contest because their defense struggled. They made it 3-of-6 times and 6-of-13 on third down. The Tigers made 1-of-3 on fourth down and 3-of-9 on third.

The one failure on fourth down gave Caldwell County the ball at the NewCath 15 after the Thoroughbreds failed to convert a 4th-and-1 run. But the Tigers earned just a Brett Seymore 24-yard field goal to take a 23-21 lead with 1:40 left in the third.

“I’m an idiot there,” Eviston joked. “We figured we’d try to sneak one and it didn’t work. Fortunately, the defense held them to three. Our kids kept fighting.”

NewCath took the lead back when Nathan Grosser made a 24-yard field goal with 6:50 left in the final stanza. But Caldwell County drove down the field and took the lead on a Seymore 19-yard field goal with 2:30 left in the game. But before the field goal on 3rd-and-goal from the Thoroughbred 2, Boyd tried to dive into the end zone and Sutkamp and Ross Meek met him in the air for no gain.

“I had to watch wherever (Boyd) went,” Sutkamp said. “I realize now that was probably a bigger play than (the game-ending sack). You have to run straight, read your guards and fill (the space).”

NewCath then received the ball at its own 40 after Seymore kicked the ball out of bounds. Two plays later, Cain threw a nice pass to Franzen for a 54-yard gain to the Caldwell County 4.

“Before the play, (Franzen) said he’d run a deep post and go as far as he could,” Cain said. “I looked and saw he was open so I chucked it downfield. It wasn’t supposed to be a long play. I thought someone was going to come knock it down. I didn’t think he was going to catch it.”

The Thoroughbreds ran two running plays before Cain threw the game-winner to Lyon. NewCath did not score a touchdown in the second half until that point.

NewCath did sack Sindelar three times. Sutkamp and Lyon had one each with Quinn Anost and Elliott Rust combining for the other. Noah Freppon and Dan Ruwe recorded interceptions in the second half in Thoroughbred terriory. Ruwe’s pick came at the NewCath 6 in the third and Freppon’s came at the NewCath 21.

“I was waiting on (balls) the whole game,” Ruwe said. “Thankfully when I got my chance, I capitalized. The coaches drew up some good defensive schemes and we ended up pulling it out.”

The Thoroughbred defense also came up huge in the first quarter. NewCath fumbled the ball to Caldwell County at its 22. But on 4th-and-14, Boyd ran to the left sideline before Kalvin Moore stopped him just short of the first down.

The Thoroughbreds took the ball down the field and scored when Hayes plunged in from two yards out. But the Tigers responded when Sindelar hit Boyd for a 17-yard touchdown. NewCath still led 7-6 after Seymore missed the extra-point attempt.

The Thoroughbreds then scored when Cain found Franzen in the left side of the end zone from 13 yards out. That came on 4th-and-7 at the Caldwell County 13.

But the Tigers responded with a long drive and tried the game at 14 with 8:25 left in the first half. Sindelar found Sivils for a 15-yard touchdown and Dee Cain scored on the two-point conversion run.

Both teams came up short on 4th-down on their next possessions. NewCath drove to the Tiger 15, but Jacob Burke intercepted Cain in the end zone on 4th-and-11 from the Caldwell County 16.

The Tigers drove to the 37 after Sindelar completed a 1-yard screen pass to Boyd that Rust stopped. Sindelar tried to go around the left on a fake punt on 4th-and-2 but Anost stopped him at the 38.

The Thoroughbreds then scored when Hayes ran in from two yards out. Nathan Grosser hit his third of three extra-point attempts to give NewCath a 21-14 lead with 10 seconds left in the half.

The Tigers cut that margin to 21-20 just 1:34 into the half. Sindelar broke around right and scored on a 23-yard touchdown run.

NewCath graduates 15 seniors from the team. They are Cain, Freppon, Ruwe, Hayes, Rust, Anost, Grosser, Pete Collopy, Tyler Duke, Mason Myers, Jake Haas, Brady Thacker, Steve Schneider, Doug Meadows and Jimmy Raleigh.

The Thoroughbreds improved to 5-6 in championship games. They finished 2A state runner-up in 2007 and 2008 after winning consecutive Class A titles in 2005 and 2006.

NewCath bests Somerset in state semifinals again

Photo by Steve Cornelius. Newport Central Catholic senior Brady Thacker (54) celebrates his fourth-quarter 3-yard touchdown with teammates Elliot Rust (73) and Colin Hoover (60) at Somerset on Friday. The Thoughbreds beat the Briar Jumpers, 27-18 to advance to their eighth state championship game since 2000.

By MICHAEL CHILDERS
For Fort Thomas Matters

SOMERSET – Thanks to the arm of quarterback Josh Cain and the legs of running back Dylan Hayes, the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (10-4) punched their tickets to Bowling Green for the Class 2A State Championship game.

With a 27-18 victory over the Somerset Briar Jumpers (11-3) on Friday at Clark Field, the Thoroughbreds are headed to their second state championship game in three seasons, where they will square off against the Caldwell County Tigers (11-3) next Saturday at Noon at Western Kentucky University’s Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium. Caldwell County advanced to the championship with a 43-31 win over Louisville DeSales on Friday.

“We were there in 2010,” Cain said. “It was disappointing last year because we didn’t make it. I can’t wait for next week.”

NewCath blasts Brossart in District 6 opener, 58-0

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team snapped its three-game winning streak in a big way Friday in Alexandria.

The smashed the host Bishop Brossart Mustangs, 58-0 to open Class 2A, District 6 action. NewCath (2-3 overall, 1-0 district) ran away with 30 points in the second quarter to go up 44-0 at halftime to force the running clock.

The Thoroughbreds outgained the Mustangs (1-4, 0-1), 453-63 in total offense in a balanced attack. NewCath had seven first downs to four for Brossart.

This included 248-37 on the ground. NewCath ran the ball 27 times for an average of about 9.2 per carry. Brossart averaged just more than one yard per rush.

Dylan Hayes led the Thoroughbreds rushing for 90 yards on nine carries with a touchdown. Freshman running back Jacob Smith came in and ran for 84 yards on four carries with a touchdown.

“We just prepared to play sound football,” said Eddie Eviston, NewCath head coach. “We really didn’t look at anything like, ‘We can’t let him run outside or we can’t let him run inside.’ When we do that, we can be pretty good and stop someone. That’s what we did (Friday).”

Defensively, NewCath focused on Brossart senior running back Jacob Elbert. He had seven carries for minus-2 yards and completed just 1-of-3 passes for nine yards before leaving with an injury.

NewCath opens District 6 action at Bishop Brossart

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team may still be favored to win another Class 2A, District 6 crown.

But they don’t plan on the other four teams handing it to them. That’s why they’ve always played a tough non-district schedule.

NewCath’s four non-district opponents are larger schools. NewCath faced three teams from Kentucky’s largest Class 6A, District 6 and another from Ohio Division III – Ohio’s third-largest class.

The Thoroughbreds finished 1-3 against that schedule. They lost two decisions by less than 10 points against Cincinnati McNicholas and Simon Kenton and lost 42-16 to Campbell County all after opening with a 37-22 win over Dixie Heights.

“High school football is all about the experience for these players,” said Eddie Eviston, NewCath head coach. “We are not helping that experience if we are not playing good, competitive football. I think our kids understand that our schedule offers the chance to play big, competitive schools and that we have to be at our best, and practice at our best in order to win those games. These games identify our weaknesses and strengths better than say an ‘easier’ opponent. Thus, it will only help us as we move forward.”

NewCath hopes that starts with Friday’s game at the Bishop Brossart Mustangs. Brossart is also 1-3 entering the game and on a three-game losing streak. The Mustangs started varsity action in 2007. They opened with a 42-20 win at Middletown (Ohio) Christian before losing to Bracken County, Dayton and Pendleton County.

Despite the three-game losing streak, the Thoroughbreds improved tremendously between the games against Campbell County and Simon Kenton. They had a chance to tie the game late in the fourth against the Pioneers, but fumbled the ball at the Simon Kenton 5 on 4th-and-2.

Three players saw their first action against Simon Kenton and three or four more are still rehabbing and trying to get back. One player that returned Saturday is senior offensive lineman and linebacker Brady Thacker.

“We’re able to get more people rotated in and get more (repetitions),” Thacker said. “But with the injuries, it’s helped us give the young guys some looks. We’re working hard and looking forward to every week. The coaches have been pushing us hard trying to make us better.”

Thacker said the Thoroughbred defense hopes to do a better job containing quarterbacks. Pioneer quarterback Brennan Kuntz hurt NCC breaking outside the pocket a couple times and completing passes downfield. He completed 17-of-30 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns.

NewCath’s 4-4 defense will face a spread Brossart offense that seems centered around senior running back Jacob Elbert. Elbert has 1,083 yards rushing on 106 attempts for an average of about 10.2 per carry and eight touchdowns. Opponents have outgained NCC, 364.75-319 in total offense on average.

Mustang junior quarterback Casey Pelgen has completed 23-of-49 passes for 316 yards, three interceptions and no touchdowns. Brossart’s leading receiver is junior Sean Tieman with nine catches for 181 yards.

“I think the biggest thing is that you really do not know what to expect,” Eviston said. “It seems as if they are still trying to identify who they are as a program. Thus, I am sure they are in a trial and error situation with who they have available and what style of play will stick.”

NewCath will counter with a spread attack. Quarterback Josh Cain has completed 60-of-96 passes for 695 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Dylan Hayes has 430 yards on 70 carries with seven touchdowns for an average of about 6.14 a carry. Leading receiver Mac Franzen has 20 catches for 340 yards for an average of 17 yards per catch.

The Mustangs run a 4-3 defense. Elbert leads Brossart defensively with 49 tackles.

Game time is 7 p.m. in Alexandria.

 

Simon Kenton bests NCC, 28-20

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

NEWPORT – The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team is getting healthier and that turned into better play Saturday.

But NewCath still made a number of mistakes and that led to a 28-20 loss to the 5-0 Simon Kenton Pioneers in the home opener at Newport Stadium. The Thoroughbreds dropped their third straight falling to 1-3, including a 1-2 mark against opponents from Class 6A, District 6.

The Thoroughbreds had their chances. But they made more mistakes than Simon Kenton, especially down the stretch.

“They (Pioneers) made plays when they needed to,” said Eddie Eviston, NewCath head coach. “We kept fighting, but could not make the plays when we needed to. We have to learn to be consistent. We need to play every play like it’s our last. If we continue to do that, we might be alright.”

NewCath took the ball down eight with 9:40 left from its own 38 and converted several third-down plays on a 16-play drive. But the biggest mistake of the game came on that final play. On 4th-and-2 from the Pioneer 5, the Thoroughbreds mishandled the snap and the Pioneers recovered with 1:23 left in the game. That marked the game’s lone turnover.

The Pioneers ran out the clock in four plays after that point. Pioneer running back Andrew Sampson broke free for a 35-yard run before quarterback Brennan Kuntz knelt twice in Simon Kenton’s victory formation.

Mistakes in pass coverage and penalties mostly led to the defeat. NewCath had 10 penalties for 85 yards and Simon Kenton had eight for 56 yards.

Kuntz completed 17-of-30 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns of at least 21 yards. His first touchdown pass came from 38 yards out to Sampson with 7:37 left in the second quarter to pull Simon Kenton within eight at 14-6. After a Sampson 8-yard run cut the lead to 14-12 with 5:16 left in the half, Kuntz found Lars McEntyre wide-open on a post route with 53.6 seconds left to give the Pioneers the lead for good at 18-14 at halftime.

Kuntz’ final touchdown came with 1:42 left in the third. Kuntz broke free from NewCath pressure and found Jacob Huesman for a 52-yard score as the Thoroughbreds could not get back in time on the scramble. That made the final score of 28-20.

Simon Kenton outgained NewCath, 346-304 in total offense. The Pioneers also had 19 first downs to 12 for the Thoroughbreds.

The Pioneers did gain just 105 yards rushing on 28 carries for an average of 3.75 per carry. The Thoroughbreds did much better against the run than in the 42-16 loss at Campbell County on Aug. 31 thanks to the return of players like linebackers Brady Thacker and Jack Sutkamp to their natural positions. The Camels ran for 302 yards on 42 rushes for an average of 7.2 a touch.

“We’ve been waiting for these guys to get back,” Eviston said. “For the most part, some of them were rusty. But some of them played well. It’s good to have them on the field.”

On the offensive side of the ball, running back Dylan Hayes had 138 yards on 17 carries for an average of just more than 8.1 a carry and one touchdown. Quarterback Josh Cain also had a big game completing 15-of-24 passes for 188 yards and two touchdowns, including six to Mac Franzen for 138 yards.

NewCath jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the second quarter. Cain completed a 13-yard pass to Pete Collopy just 1:51 into the game. Cain completed a 58-yard pass to Franzen to set up the score.

The Thoroughbreds went up 14-0 with 10:28 left in the second when Cain found Tyler Lyon from 11 yards out. That capped an eight-play drive that Hayes set up with a 68-yard scamper down the right sideline from the Thoroughbred 6.

NewCath cut the margin to 21-20 with 4:35 left in the third when Hayes scored from a yard out. He ran for 28 yards on the six-play drive. Cain also completed a 43-yard bomb to Franzen on the play. But NewCath did not convert the two-point run because of a bad snap.

“We were out of position (on NewCath’s long pass plays),” said Jeff Marksberry, Simon Kenton head coach. “Our safety came up and bit on something. We told our secondary to over the top and not let anything get behind them.”

The Thoroughbreds travel to Alexandria to battle Bishop Brossart to open Class 2A, District 6 action Friday at 7 p.m.

 

Thoroughbreds hope to get back on track for first home game of 2012

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM
Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter
The Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team has entered games as favorites in recent years.
That may not be the case for Saturday's matchup against the rejuvinated Simon Kenton Pioneers. The Pioneers are undefeated at 4-0 and entering off a 31-7 victory over visiting Covington Holmes in a game called a halftime because of lightning. The Pioneers went 2-9 last year losing 72-0 to state-power Louisville Trinity in the first round of the playoffs.
This marks the third opponent NewCath has faced out of Class 6A, District 6. The Thoroughbreds beat Dixie Heights, 37-22 to open the season before losing 42-16 at Campbell County on Aug. 31. The 1-2 Thoroughbreds have their first losing streak since 2009.
NewCath used its bye week to heal up. Head coach Eddie Eviston said the Thoroughbreds "have had several players out and a handful more nursing some injuries over the last three to four weeks." Eviston and staff hope to see some of them playing at or close to 100 percent in the coming weeks.
Injuries have especially hurt the Thoroughbreds on defense. Teams have run for 598 yards for about 200 a contest against NewCath's 4-4 defense. Campbell County and Cincinnati McNicholas had some success running the spread read-option attack. The Camels ran for 302 yards on 42 carries for an average of 7.2 a carry.
"No matter how you want to 'skin the cat,' the fact is we have had some players over the last three games who have really been playing out of their natural position," Eviston said. "In no way is that an excuse for poor execution, but due to our onslaught of injuries, we have had to put players in positions that they are not necessarily built for. We have and will continue to coach guys up on proper technique and making correct reads to be successful."
NewCath will face another balanced, shotgun spread offense against Simon Kenton. Led by junior quarterback Brennan Kuntz and running back Andrew Sampson, the Pioneers have run for 515 yards and passed for 831. Kuntz has completed 47-of-73 passes for 732 yards and seven touchdowns and ran for 171. Sampson has run for 298 yards on 56 attempts with six touchdowns for an average of 5.3 a contest.
Eleven different receivers have catches for Simon Kenton. Sampson and Grant Wassom lead the way with 10 each. Sampson has 183 yards and one touchdown reception and Wassom has 145 yards and two touchdowns.
Simon Kenton has outscored opponents 114-38 for an averge of 28.5-9.5. The Pioneers had two close wins over Danville, 12-7 and Beechwood, 21-17 before smashing Pulaski County, 50-7.
The Thoroughbreds have been outscored an average of 30.3-25.7. They have 465 yards rushing and 507 passing. Dylan Hayes leads NewCath with 292 yards rushing on 53 carries for an average of 5.5 per attempt.
NewCath has improved passing the ball each week out of its spread offense that will face a 3-4 or 3-5 Pioneer defensive scheme. Quarterback Josh Cain has completed 45-of-72 passes for 507 yards with two touchdowns. Mac Franzen leads NewCath with 14 catches for 202 yards and Pete Collopy has 10 for 88.
"For a senior, Josh (Cain) is still inexperienced when it comes to the quarterback position, but I feel he has done a tremendous job for the most part," Eviston said. "He has all the tools to be one of the top quarterbacks in the area and I think that will continue to shine through as he gains more experience and becomes more comfortable in that role. With that, our receivers continue to improve on their understanding of the offense as well and that will only help our passing game as we we roll on into our season."
Game time is 7 p.m. at Newport Stadium.