No team has
been able to slow down the Simon Kenton Pioneers so far.
The Newport
Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team was the latest one in a 46-13 loss
at Newport Stadium on Friday. Undefeated Simon Kenton (4-0) outgained NewCath,
484-78 in total offense. The Pioneers ran for 257 yards and passed for another
227.
Shortly after Clay Clevenger took over as the new head football coach of the Danville Admirals, he put a picture on Twitter of the title years on the school’s stadium and raised the question, “What are you doing that will help hang another banner?”
The Admirals rank fifth in Kentucky for the most football state championships with 10 only behind Highlands (22), Louisville Trinity (22), Louisville St. Xavier (12) and Beechwood (11). But they’ve not won once since 2003.
I remember those dominant Danville teams led by Kelvin Turner and Andrew Hopewell. I was Sports Editor of the Commonwealth Journal in Somerset during that time when the Admirals won three titles in four years.
In fact, Danville has not played for a state championship since 2006 when Newport Central Catholic edged the Admirals, 37-34 for the title when there were still four classes. Since going to six classes, the furthest Danville has advanced in the playoffs came in 2010 when it made it to the state semifinals before losing to eventual state runner-up Owensboro Catholic. They’ve not been able to beat arch-rival Somerset in the playoffs the past two years.
Why am I talking about Danville? It’s simple. The Highlands and Newport Central Catholic football teams have to be on the lookout against against what some Danville fans on http://www.bluegrasspreps.com say has occurred there and could be a reason why longtime head coach Sam Harp left to take the same position at struggling Lebanon (Tenn.) High other than to be closer to his daughter and her family.
That’s a sense of entitlement.
That’s the thought process where you feel like you’ve earned the right to win state championships based on your past and do not put in the work that it takes to earn them. It is a reason why Highlands Co-Head Coach Dale Mueller does not like to talk much about the school’s great history of an overall record of 842-225-26 good for the second-most wins in school history in the country behind Valdosta, Georgia’s 876 victories and Kentucky state-record six straight state championships. (I tried to sneak in a question about it during the playoffs last year and he did a great job deflecting it. Thus, I won’t even try again.)
When I covered a school in Tennessee years ago that won in a nearby opposing stadium for the first time in school history, the head coach said, “History can hurt you if you dwell too much on the negatives.” The opposite holds true for Highlands and NewCath.
Highlands finds itself at that perch in Class 4A and Newport Central Catholic at the same throne in Class 2A after winning the respective titles last fall. But based on what I’ve seen in the offseason, both teams are putting in that same work that has made previous teams successful. The current players want to add to the legacies of their predecessors.
“We have such a determined group of guys,” Mueller said. “They just want to do well.”
Mueller and staff emphasize improvement each and every day. He said that after Highlands handled Scott County, 60-37 this past year. There is a reason that’s important.
I remember covering the game at Louisville Western in Week 3. The Bluebirds won 51-23. But you just felt like something was not right.
Surely enough, the Bluebirds responded with a 61-3 thrashing of Mason County the following week. The Royals may not be to the level of the Bluebirds. But they’re still a good team having made the third round of the 3A playoffs before losing to undefeated Bourbon County last year.
The coaches and players at Highlands know the moment you stop working your tail off to improve is the moment someone will knock you off. The only thing the coaching staff needs to remind the current players of in those terms is that rival Covington Catholic is constantly improving like recently graduated center Mitch Dee mentioned last year.
Covington Catholic may be the main threat to the Bluebird dominance. But you never know when a Lexington Catholic, Boyle County, Johnson Central, Ashland Blazer or even a Warren East or Collins could rise up and knock them off. Thus, the Bluebirds continue to stay on their guard and do the extra push-ups and repetitions.
One big way Highlands has improved in recent years is putting players on just offense or defense. That has especially helped with the depth growing each year that is expected to rise above 100 players this fall. Highlands gets twice as much practice time at its position as opposed to half the time on offense and half on defense.
I remember walking into the Highlands locker room this past spring. There was no room to walk while Co-Head Coach Brian Weinrich led the offseason conditioning drills. So many head coaches in the country wish that as many players would be as dedicated as the Bluebirds have been. Instead, they have to deal with a mentality like, “Why should we put in that time if we’re not going to win a state championship anyway?”
Over at NewCath, newly-promoted head coach Dan Wagner and staff do not need to remind the Thoroughbreds what happened two years ago. They came into 2011 as state champions and district rival Covington Holy Cross upset them in the regional title game before winning the state championship.
The Thoroughbreds rebounded to bring the gold back across the Licking River last year. But while they may be head and shoulders above the rest of the region, teams like Lloyd Memorial, Holy Cross and Walton-Verona could beat them if they are not careful.
On the statewide level, Somerset and Caldwell County will definitely enter the season hungry to challenge the Thoroughbreds. Both teams had young quarterbacks last year.
We’ll find out more about these teams in just more than two months when the season begins on Aug. 23. It should be another exciting ride.
G. Michael Graham is preparing to enter his 16th season covering high school sports. He has previously covered high school sports in Ohio, Texas, Tennessee and Alabama in addition to Kentucky.
The
opportunity came for Eddie Eviston and he simply could not pass it up.
So after
three impressive years as the head football coach of the Newport Central
Catholic Thoroughbreds, Eviston is leaving his high school alma mater to coach
at his college alma mater. The 33-year-old held a meeting with the players
Friday and told them he’d accepted the position of offensive coordinator for
the Georgetown College Tigers of the National Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics’ Mid-South Conference.
“Although I am leaving the place I call ‘home,’ I am
returning to a place that occupies a very special place in my heart,” Eviston said. “My
alma mater, Georgetown College, is the place where my love and deep appreciation
for the game of football began. My experience there as a student-athlete was
greater than I could have ever imagined and provided me vast opportunities for
life. My family and I look forward to this new opportunity and challenge, and I
sincerely hope the Lord blesses me with the tools I need to help provide a
similar experience to the one I had to the young men of the Georgetown College
football program.”
Eviston is
taking over for former Boone County standout quarterback Craig Mullins. Mullins
is taking over the same spot at Morehead State University after serving as
Georgetown’s offensive coordinator the previous 16 years under current head
coach Bill Cronin. Like NewCath, Georgetown also runs a spread offense with the
quarterback mostly lining up under center.
The former
Georgetown and Thoroughbred quarterback still owns a number of Tiger records.
That includes 9,282 passing yards, 12,703 total offensive yards, 83 passing
touchdowns and 132 touchdowns responsible for. Eviston completed 559-of-927
passes and just 40 interceptions in his career.
“We’d thought about bringing him back many times,” Cronin said. “The
opportunity never developed. It is the right thing for Eddie. He understands
our system and the type of athletes it takes for it to be successful.”
Eviston had
been on the NewCath staff since 2006. The school promoted him to the tough role
of filling in for the retiring legendary 44-year head coach Bob Schneider in
2010.
But Eviston
added to the tradition going 35-8 in those three years adding three more
district championships, three more appearances in the regional finals and two
state championships in 2010 and this year. The Thoroughbreds own an overall
record of 447-334-10 in school history with five state championships, six
runner-up finishes, 20 district championships and 12 regional championships.
NewCath
owns 13 straight winning seasons and 13 consecutive trips to the third round of
the playoffs. The Thoroughbreds have posted double-digit victories in all but
2009 during that time. They’ve won a school-record 13 games in a season five
times in that span including Eviston’s first year in 2010.
“It is with mixed emotions that I inform all that
Eddie Eviston is not returning as our head football coach next year,” said Carl Foster, NewCath Principal. “A part of me knows we are losing a great
coach and more importantly, an excellent role model for our young men. Another
part of me knows he has accepted a great offer to be Offensive Coordinator for
Georgetown College. I am happy Eddie can return to Georgetown, a school he
successfully quarterbacked to two National Championships (in 2000 and 2001).”
Eviston graduated
from NewCath in 1997. NewCath finished 34-16 in his four years of high schools
winning an undefeated district championship his freshman year. The
Thoroughbreds constantly battled Beechwood for district supremacy in those days
and could not get past the Tigers in the playoffs in Eviston’s freshman and
junior seasons.
Eviston
still ranks among the all-time passing leaders in school history. He completed
111-of-230 attempts for 1,574 yards and 17 touchdowns in his career.
“He’s been with us a lot longer than I think a lot of
people realize,” said Rob Detzel,
NewCath Director of Athletics. “He’s
part of the NewCath family. He walked into a tough role taking over for Coach
Schneider and handled it beautifully. It was a seamless transition. We’re
thankful for what he did not only as a coach but also a mentor to the young men
we have.”
The players
said they took the news with mixed emotions like Foster did. Graduating wide
receiver Pete Collopy said they didn’t know what to expect at the meeting.
“We were somewhat shocked,” Collopy said. “But
we want what’s best for Coach (Eviston). He had a heck of an opportunity in
front of him. You can’t fault him for that. We hope to get another coach in
here that can do what he’s been doing. That’s keep winning.”
The
Thoroughbreds finished 13-2 in 2010 losing to just Ryle and Beechwood in double
overtime in the regular season. They capped off the year with a 42-0 throttling
of Owensboro Catholic in the state championship.
Despite
graduating Chris Kelly and Jake Cain among others, NewCath came into 2011
hoping for a repeat like the 2006 squad did. But eventual champion and district
rival Covington Holy Cross shocked the Thoroughbreds, 24-21 in the regional
title game. NewCath’s lone other loss
in the 11-2 season came 29-20 to Beechwood to conclude the regular season.
This past
season did not start off well. The Thoroughbreds love playing bigger schools
and they started the year 2-4 losing close games to Cincinnati McNicholas
(27-24), Simon Kenton (28-20) and Covington Holmes (12-7). But that tough
schedule paid off as NewCath rolled through district action by a combined
219-24.
After
beating Holy Cross to move to 5-4, Eviston and staff made a huge challenge to
NewCath after a bad practice early the following week. The staff did not want
the Thoroughbreds to settle for mediocrity after rolling through the district.
NewCath responded with a 34-14 win over rival Beechwood for the first time
since 2009.
“It shows he had the foresight to play these tough
teams,” Detzel said. “It made our kids better forcing them to
work harder. He wasn’t panicking. It honestly wasn’t one of our better teams.
That’s a credit to Eddie and the staff for keeping those kids focused and
coming back to win the state championship.”
The
Thoroughbreds then rolled to another regional championship smashing Gallatin
County, Holy Cross and Walton-Verona by a combined 150-27. NewCath ventured to
a hostile environment for the state semifinals and came away with a 27-18
victory over a hungry Somerset squad.
NewCath
then concluded the season with a thrilling 30-26 win over Caldwell County in
the 2A title game at Western Kentucky University. Quarterback Josh Cain
completed the game-winning 4-yard pass to Tyler Lyon with 26 second left to
lift the Thoroughbreds to their fifth state championship.
“I want to thank the coaching staff and all the young men who I had the
honor of coaching at Newport Central Catholic the past 3 years,” Eviston said. “Their efforts are
a big reason I have been provided this opportunity, and I cannot be more
grateful for the tremendous experiences and memories we share.I know no matter where I am and what I am
doing, I will always be a Thoroughbred.”
Georgetown finished 10-1 winning another
MSC title last year. The Tigers finished the regular season undefeated but lost
45-44 to MSC rival Bethel University in the first round of the NAIA playoffs.
NewCath will have some question marks
for next season after graduating 15 seniors including Cain and leading rusher
Dylan Hayes. Leading receiver Mac Franzen returns. The new head coach and staff
will need to determine if Franzen will stay at wide receiver or move into the
quarterback role.
“A fortunate problem we’ve had is we lose good players every year,” Detzel said. “We’ve been pretty
much not had to rebuild, but reload. We have some good, young underclassmen.
We’re hoping to step up and be in the mix for a state championship next year.”
The Thoroughbreds do return a number of
key players from the state championship team. Aside from Franzen, junior
linebacker Jack Sutkamp returns after leading the team in tackles. Freshman
Jacob Smith is the leading candidate to step into the top running back role.
“We just have to continue to work hard no matter who the coaches are,” Smith said. “We hope to continue
in the footsteps of the (past players) and do well.”
Detzel said he and Foster will have
lunch next week to talk about the hiring process, but nothing will be done
about the hiring process until Jan. 7 when NewCath returns from holiday break.
Detzel also said plans have been made for current assistant coaches to oversee
offseason weight lifting and conditioning programs that being that day.
NewCath Defensive Coordinator Dan Wagner
is a leading candidate to take over the job. He’s held that role since 2000.
This looks
to be their biggest challenge of the Class 2A football playoffs.
But the
fourth-ranked Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds (9-4) do not mind. They travel
near Lake Cumberland with history on their side.
NewCath
began its current run of 13 consecutive trips to the regional title game in
2000 and when the Thoroughbreds advanced past that round, they’ve ended up
playing two extra games. NewCath (9-4) sports a perfect 7-0 record in state
semifinal contests during that time.
That includes
wins in 2005 and 2006 against Friday’s opponent in the host and second-ranked
Somerset Briar Jumpers (11-2) back when there were four classes. Game time is
7:30 p.m. at Clark Field.
NewCath
beat Somerset, 35-10 in Newport in 2005 and 40-24 in Somerset the next year in
the Class A semifinals. The Thoroughbreds went on to beat Mayfield, 42-7 for
the 2005 state championship and Danville, 37-34 for the 2006 title.
They went
into the second-round Class 2A football playoff game at Newport Stadium confident.
But the
Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds were not overconfident unlike last year’s
playoff meeting with the arch-rival Covington Holy Cross Indians. The
fourth-ranked Thoroughbreds had beaten the defending state champions, 49-10 on
Oct. 18 at Scott in the regular season and did not want a repeat of last year.
When the
Class 2A football brackets came out, the fourth-ranked Newport Central Catholic
Thoroughbreds knew this was a possibility.
The last
two 2A champions will meet in the second round of the playoffs Saturday at 7
p.m. at Newport Stadium. In the first round Friday, the Thoroughbreds (7-4)
took care of the Gallatin County Wildcats, 49-13. At the same time, Covington
Holy Cross Indians (4-7) took care of host Owen County, 42-32 to set up another
meeting between the rivals on opposite sides of the Licking River.
“It’s about pride in our program,” said Eddie Eviston, NewCath head coach. “We want to be the best 2A program up here
(in Northern Kentucky). We need to make sure we go out and play that way. We’ll
let the guys know what they might see and go from there.”
The
Thoroughbreds have won five in a row, including 49-10 over Holy Cross on Oct.
18 at Scott High in the anticipated rematch of the 2011 Region 3 title game.
Holy Cross won that title game, 24-21 on its way to the state championship.
That marked NewCath’s lone loss to a district opponent since 2006.
But the
teams have gone in different directions this season. Holy Cross finished third
in district action behind NewCath and Lloyd Memorial and lost five in a row at
one point during the regular season after going 12-3 last year.
TAYLOR MILL
– The emotions hit high points in the battle between the last two Class 2A
state champions, both from District 6.
But when
the final horn sounded, the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds showed why
they’re once again the team to beat in the district and region if not the
entire state of Kentucky. The Thoroughbreds (5-4 overall, 4-0 district) rolled
to their third straight win and 23rd consecutive regular-season win against
district opponents with a 49-10 bulldozing of the Covington Holy Cross Indians
(3-6, 2-2) on Thursday at Scott High. They ended up outscoring the four
district opponents, 219-32.
This marks
the eighth consecutive district title for NewCath and 20th overall. The
Thoroughbreds improved to 17-2 all-time against Holy Cross. The only losses to
the Indians came in 2006 and in the regional title game last year.
NewCath
made its faithful fans forget about that loss quickly. The Thoroughbreds
dominated the trenches on both sides of the ball and on special teams. They
built a 35-3 halftime lead and never took the pedal off the metal forcing the
running clock in the second half.
It is a
game that has been on the minds of both sides for some time for different
reasons.
The Newport
Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team wants to expunge the sour taste of
the 24-21 defeat to the District 6 rival Covington Holy Cross Indians on Nov.
18, 2011 in the Class 2A regional title game. The Thoroughbreds had ideas of
repeating as state champions coming into last year.
On the
other side of the Licking River, the defending state champions want to become
more than just a one-year wonder. Kyle Fuller booted a 32-yard field goal with
about 10 seconds to lift the Indians to that victory. The Indians went on to beat
Somerset in the state semifinals and Glasgow in the title game.
Playoff
seedings are at stake in this contest. The Thoroughbreds want to win another
outright district championship. They stand 4-4 overall and 3-0 in district action.
They’ve won 19 district titles overall, including seven in a row. NewCath has
won 22 straight against district opponents in the regular season dating back to
2006, including a spotless 11-0 mark since Eddie Eviston took over as head
coach in 2010. They’ve outscored district opponents, 170-22.
“The thing is we’ve been working hard,” Eviston said. “It’s
obviously good to get some wins. We’re trying to build some confidence and
we’re playing well now.”
The
Thoroughbreds played a tough non-district schedule against bigger schools in
Class 4A, 6A and Ohio Division III. Voters in the statewide Associated Press
have taken notice of that. NewCath moved up three spots to fourth behind
Owensboro Catholic, Somerset and Danville in the lastest poll.
The seventh-ranked
Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team wanted to win consecutive
games for the first time this year.
They did
that with a 49-0 thumping of the in-town rival Newport Wildcats on Friday in
the Fireman’s Bell. The Thoroughbreds moved back to .500 at 4-4 overall and 3-0
in Class 2A, District 6 action. The Wildcats fell to 3-6 and 1-2.
“We played well from the very first play through the
final horn,” said Eddie Eviston,
NewCath head coach. “I think our kids
were focused and into it. It was good to see.”
NewCath
moved to 10-0 since Eviston took over as head coach in 2010 against district
opponents during the regular season. The Thoroughbreds have also won 22 in a
row against district competition during the regular season going back to 2006 and
14 in a row against Newport dating back to 1999.
The game
finished quick. NewCath scored 21 in the first quarter and added 28 more in the
second to go up 49-0 at halftime and force the running clock. The running clock
comes into play when teams lead by 45 points or more at halftime.
The
Thoroughbreds outgained the Wildcats, 319-198 in total offense, including
204-153 on the ground. Dylan Hayes again led NewCath on the ground with 12
carries for 125 yards and three touchdowns for an overage of just more than 10
yards a carry. Teammate Mason Myers had two carries for 39 yards and two
touchdowns.
NewCath
quarterback Josh Cain completed 7-of-10 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown.
Dan Ruwe led the Thoroughbreds with two catches for 68 yards.
“We’re getting more balanced offensively,” Eviston said. “We
have some guys running the ball well. Josh (Cain) is coming along. It’s still
his first year as a (starting quarterback). It’s good to see as we gear up
toward the end of the season and into the playoffs.”
Defensively,
NewCath focused on Wildcat running back Daylin Garland. Garland had just 43
yards on 16 carries and completed just 1-of-3 passes for a yard.
The last
time the Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team lost to its
in-town rivals came during its last losing season.
That was
1999 when the Thoroughbreds finished 4-8 including a 42-0 season-opening loss
to the Newport Wildcats in the battle for the Fireman’s Bell. NewCath has won
13 in a row since that year including twice in 2007.
The
Thoroughbreds have also posted double-digits in the win column every year
except a 7-6 campaign in 2009. During that run, the Thoroughbreds own three
state championships, three state runner-up finishes and have been to the third
round of the playoffs 12 consecutive seasons.
In the two
meetings since Eddie Eviston took over as head coach, NewCath has outscored
Newport, 110-27. This includes a 56-14 verdict last year.
The eighth-ranked
Newport Central Catholic Thoroughbreds football team sent a strong message to
the rest of Class 2A, District 6 on Saturday.
The
Thoroughbreds are still the team to beat in the district after a 63-22 thrashing
of the improved Lloyd Memorial Juggernauts at Newport Stadium following a
strong week of practice. NewCath won its 15th in a row over Lloyd dating back
to a 31-29 loss on the last game of the regular season in 1991. The
Thoroughbreds moved to 30-6 all-time against the Juggernauts.
“Football is a game of execution and preparation,” said Eddie Eviston, NewCath head coach. “I think we prepared pretty well. Our kids
did what they were coached this week and we were able to execute.”
NewCath (3-4
overall) may have struggled at 1-4 against bigger, non-district squads from Kentucky
Classes 6A, 4A and Ohio Division III. But the Thoroughbreds have taken care of
business against district squads to move to 2-0 and grab sole possession of
first place outscoring Lloyd and Bishop Brossart by a combined 121-22.
NewCath
moved to 9-0 against district opponents during the regular season since Eviston
took over as head coach in 2010. The Thoroughbreds have won 21 in a row against
district opponents in the regular season dating back to a 28-21 loss to
Beechwood on Sept. 30, 2006.
NewCath did
not take anything for granted against a Juggernaut squad (6-2, 2-1) that already
eclipsed last year’s 5-7 record in the win column. The Thoroughbreds scored on
their first three possessions and never looked back.
The
Thoroughbreds outgained the Juggernauts, 387-337 in total offense, including
262-151 on the ground behind good blocking. NewCath ran the ball 35 times for
an average of about 7.5 a carry to 33 times for Lloyd for an average of about
4.6 a touch.
“We obviously have to get better defensively,” said Josh Stratton. “We tackled atrociously. Defensively, it was our worst performance of
the year by far.”
The main offensive
threats for the Thoroughbreds had big games as a result. Dylan Hayes rushed for
174 yards on 15 carries for an average of 11.6 a touch to go with three rushing
touchdowns and a 65-yard punt return. Hayes constantly gave the Thoroughbreds
good field position with the punt returns.
NewCath quarterback
Josh Cain completed 9-of-14 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown pass to Mac
Franzen. Franzen finished with four catches for 78 yards, including the 15-yard
touchdown reception.
But NewCath
saw some other players step forward in the win. Mason Myers scored touchdowns
on both rushes for a combined 13 yards and took back an interception 36 yards
for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Freshman
Jacob Smith also had a nice day rushing the ball. He carried the pigskin 10
times for 63 yards and a 3-yard touchdown run with 3:58 left in the game.
“We’re trying to get the ball spread around a little
bit,” Eviston said. “We told the (offensive) linemen we were
going to put everything on their shoulders (Saturday) and they responded well.”
On the defensive
side, NewCath constantly put pressure on Juggernaut quarterback Dexter Smith.
The Thoroughbreds held him to no yards rushing on eight carries and sacked him
four times. Logan Neff, Jimmy Raleigh, Jack Sutkamp had at least one sack for
NewCath.
“We’ve been working on getting better at (pressuring
quarterbacks) the past few weeks,”
Neff said. “It started off with
(Campbell County dual-threat quarterback) Tyler Durham (who ran for 194 yards
against NewCath on Aug. 31 in a 42-16 Camel win). We worked through that. It
has helped us a lot.”
Dexter Smith
did complete 10-of-17 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns. But the scores
came with the Thoroughbreds up by at least 32 points. Four of those passes went
to Akintomide Mejolagbe for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
Juggernaut
running back Jared Gabbard did have some luck running out of Lloyd’s spread
attack. He finished with 125 yards on 18 carries for an average of just under
seven a carry.
Turnovers
played a big part in the win. Lloyd turned the ball over twice to none for
NewCath. The Thoroughbreds scored 15 points off those turnovers.
NewCath led
20-3 after the first quarter. The Thoroughbreds opened with the ball and
marched 64 yards in 10 plays and scored on a Myers 3-yard run with 9:42 left in
the quarter. Cain hit Franzen on a 25-yard pass on 3rd-and-6 from the 50 to
continue the drive.
After a
Juggernaut field goal, NewCath drove down the field another 64 yards in eight
plays capped off by a Hayes 1-yard plunge with 2:39 left. Hayes broke free for
a 59-yard touchdown scamper less than two minutes later.
NewCath
pulled away in the second quarter. Down 17, Lloyd decided to go for it on 4th-and-2
from its own 34 and Myers picked off Dexter Smith and returned it 36 yards for
a touchdown to put NewCath up 28-3 following Cain’s two-point conversion.
“Every week, we work hard,” Myers said. “I
could tell we’d have a good game because we did that this week.”
After
Franzen’s touchdown reception, NewCath responded to a Lloyd score when Myers
ran it in from 10 yards out. The Thoroughbreds then recovered the ensuing
kickoff at the Juggernaut 30. Hayes broke free for a 30-yard scamper for his 11th
rushing touchdown of the year to put NewCath up 49-9 at halftime.
The teams
played about even on the scoreboard in the second half. They scored one
touchdown in each of the quarters.
The
Thoroughbreds continue district action Friday against in-town rival Newport
(3-5, 1-1). Game time is 7 p.m.
NewCath soccer also wins:
The Newport
Central Catholic Thoroughbreds soccer team (4-9-5 overall) also won Saturday
knocking off winless Campbell County (0-15), 3-0.
Sam Barth,
Matt Tolle and Ben Tiereny scored goals for NewCath. Senior goalkeeper Nathan
Grosser saved all six Camel shots.
NewCath faces Highlands at Tower Park on
Thursday at 8 p.m. for the District 36 championship.
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.
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.
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.
A common trait of the Newport Central
Catholic Thoroughbreds is their ability to pick themselves up after a loss.
The proud football team finds itself in
this situation when it heads to Alexandria on Friday for another non-district
clash with the Campbell County Camels of Class 6A, District 6. Both teams are
1-1 overall.
The Thoroughbreds have not lost
consecutive games since Eddie Eviston took over as head coach in 2010. NewCath
is 25-5 during that time and 137-35 since the start of 2000. The Thoroughbreds
came into 2012 tied for fifth in Kentucky with Louisville St. Xavier with 136
wins since 2000.
The last time they did lose consecutive
games was Sept. 18 and 26, 2009 when Campbell County and Covington Catholic
handed them 21-17 and 28-14 defeats respectively. Campbell County has been on
NewCath’s schedule since 2007 and that was the Camels’ lone win in five games in
the series.
The Thoroughbreds will face a team on the
rise. The Camels finished 4-8 last year, starting off 0-5, but bounced back to
go 3-1 in Class 6A, District 6 action to win their first district championship
in 31 years. They lost at home to Lexington Lafayette, 20-7 in the second round
of the playoffs.
Dual-threat quarterback Tyler Durham is a big
reason for that turnaround. Durham ran for 217 yards and three touchdowns and
threw for 140 yards and one touchdown in Campbell County’s 34-14 win at Milford
(Ohio) on Friday.
