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| NKY Football: Another Great Week of High School Action |
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| Jason Finnell - The River City News |
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Another exciting week of Northern Kentucky high school action saw some teams continue to roll, others get their first loss, and some slumps continue -- including Highlands, which is now 1-3 on the season.
The round-up from a rainy Friday night:
Conner 28, Scott 27
Conner scored 22 unanswered points in the second half, coming back to beat Scott, 28-27, Friday night in Taylor Mill. The Cougars’ defense stuffed Scott senior running back Deondre Pleasant with 1:46 remaining in the game on the Eagles’ two-point conversion attempt to seal the victory.
Despite advancing the opening kickoff deep into Conner territory to begin the game, Scott could not convert it into points. But, Conner would punt the ball back into the Eagles’ hands and the home team took advantage. From its own 43-yard line, Scott sophomore Nelson Perrin took the ball down to the Cougars’ two. On its ensuing play, senior running back Roberto London took it in from two yards out to give Scott a 7-0 lead with 4:36 remaining in the opening quarter.
Neither team could gather any momentum until Conner senior quarterback Kyler Padgett kept the ball and found the end zone for a Cougars touchdown. The extra point was blocked and the Eagles led 7-6.
On the drive, Conner was aided by a defensive pass interference penalty on the Eagles’ defense that gave them the ball in Scott territory despite Padgett’s pass being uncatchable for his receiver, giving his team a break.
The Eagles created a break of their own on Conner’s ensuing possession, blocking a punt deep in their territory at the 24. A few plays later, Pleasant found the end zone to put the Eagles on top, 14-6, which remained unchanged leading into halftime.
Nearly four minutes into the third, Padgett kept the ball again for his second touchdown of the game and the Cougars tied it up at 14, with a successful two-point conversion. But, Scott immediately countered on its next drive. On second-and-eight from its own 34, Perrin zigzagged 66 yards for an Eagles touchdown, putting his team up 21-14.
Scott’s lead wouldn’t last for long. Conner senior Isaiah Ebarb, who came up big with several big returns, took the kickoff 30 yards into Eagles territory. Several plays later, Padgett scored from nine yards out, outracing Scott defenders to the pylon to tie the game at 21.
Though Conner could not convert its initial drive of the fourth quarter into points, it forced a Scott punt deep in its own territory. Fielding the ball near the 50, Ebarb raced down the left sideline for the go-ahead touchdown and a 28-21 lead with 7:06 left in the game. During the Eagles ensuing drive, Ebarb nearly picked off a floating Danny Fitzgerald pass in the flat that would’ve sealed the game and Scott made sure to capitalize on its extra chance. Pleasant scored from a yard out to bring his team within one. Like he’s done in the past, Head Coach Dan Woolley decided to go for two and the win. Pleasant’s name was called again, but he was stuffed short of the goal line for a several yard loss.
With a one-point lead, Conner ran out the clock with several ground-gaining runs on its final possession of the game.
“We were down and never looked back. We kept climbing, we kept climbing, we kept fighting,” Conner Head Coach Dave Trosper told his rain-soaked team after the game.
“That goal line stand, that last play, that’s what it’s all about. That’s the difference between last year and this year,” he said to screaming cheers.
Conner is now 2-1 and travels to Dixie next week. Scott drops to 3-1 and visits Holy Cross next week.
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| For more, read the full article at The River City News |
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 Wednesday, Apr 24  |
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