RocketsFootball.com

Friday, September 30, 2022

Close for 3 quarters, Rockets fall to late Eagle TDs

Quarterback Micah Newcom and
Offensive Coordinator Austin Berry

BARDSTOWN, Ky. – Crittenden County fell behind early before making a third-quarter comeback that fell short as No. 5 Bethlehem won 63-35 in a Class A showdown.

The Rockets trailed early 14-0 then were behind 28-7 at the half before scoring twice in the third period on runs by quarterback Micah Newcom to make it a one-possession game with just over six minutes left in the period.

However, the Eagles, who posted 322 yards passing behind college prospect quarterback Cooper Stone, scored four unanswered touchdowns in the final 13 minutes to make it a rout. Stone averaged almost 30 per reception against the CCHS secondary.

The Eagles scored on big plays and two fumble returns in the second half.

Offensively, the Rockets moved ball well at times, picking ups 16 first downs in the game. Tyler Belt rushed for 77 yards and Gattin Travis 66.

Bethlehem improved to 5-1 on the season and is projected to be a final four team in Class A's playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Rockets fell to 2-4 and will have another long-district game next Friday at Liberty Creek, Tennessee (2-4), near Nashville.

Coach Gaige Courtney, who had billed this matchup as a measuring stick for his Rockets, said there's still a lot of work to do.

Elsewhere in the Class A First District, Russellville beat Fulton County 38-32 at Hickman. The Pilots are now 2-5.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Crittenden Co. 0 7 21 7
Bethlehem 14 14 14 21

SCORING PLAYS
BHS-Justin Popovich 38 pass from Cooper Stone (Adam Winkenhofer Kick), 9:42, 1st

BHS-Zane Wickliffe 45 run (Winkenhofer Kick), 1:31, 1st

BHS-Wickliffe 28 run (Winkenhofer Kick), 9:46, 2nd

CC-Sam Impastato 3 run (Preston Morgeson Kick), 1:47, 2nd

BHS-Will Ray 46 pass from Cooper Stone (Winkenhofer Kick), 0:46, 2nd

CC-Micah Newcom 1 run (Morgeson Kick), 10:23, 3rd

CC-Micah Newcom 7 run (Morgeson Kick), 6:49, 3rd
BHS-Wickliffe 74 pass from Stone (Winkenhofer Kick), 6:27, 3rd
CC-Gattin Travis 9 run (Morgeson Kick), 3:42, 3rd
BHS-Hayden Osborne 45 pass from Stone (Winkenhofer Kick), 0:27, 3rd

BHS-Wickliffe 18 run (Winkenhofer Kick), 8:10, 4th

BHS-Ray 50 fumble return (Winkenhofer Kick), 7:45, 4th

BHS-Ray 45 fumble return (Winkenhofer Kick), 5:45, 4th

CC-Kaleb Nesbitt 3 blocked punt return (Morgeson Kick), 1:39, 4th

TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: CCHS 16, BHS 8
Penalties: CCHS 4-40, BHS 4-30
Rushing: CCHS 46-182, BHS 23-135
Passing: CCHS 11-17-1, 100, BHS 12-20-1, 322
Total Yards: CCHS 282, BHS 457
Fumbles/Lost: CCHS 2-2, BHS 0-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
CCHS: Travis 11-57, Impastato 1-3, Tyler Belt 10-72, Newcom 20-35, Caden Howard 0-(-8), Morgeson 4-23. BHS: Wickliffe 13-152, Stone 4-(-28), Cal Yates 2-7, Jacob Thornsberry 4-4
Passing
CCHS: Newcom 11-17-1, 100. BHS: Stone 12-20-1, 322.
Receiving
CCHS: Rowen Perkins 1-6, Kaleb Nesbitt 3-27, Howard 1-23, Briley Berry 1-2, Case Gobin 1-21, Morgeson 4-21. BHS: Popovich 4-64, Ray 6-139, Osborne 1-45, Wickliffe 1-74.

Defense
Check back later
Records: CCHS 2-4, BHS 5-1

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Rocket Football Coach's Show: Week 6

Presented by
Mark Williams Agent

And these Local Partners
Frazer Law Firm in Marion
Riley Tool & Machine
Hodge's Sports & Apparel
First United Bank in Marion

Farmers Bank & Trust Co. of Marion
Deer Lakes Golf Course
LaDelicia Mexican Restaurant
Par 4 Plastics

C-Plant Federal Credit Union in Marion
H&H Home & Hardware
The Heritage Golf & Pool
Clark's Marion True Value

Full Body Fitness Studio
Johnson Furniture & Appliance
Curnel Ag Repair / Corey & Derek Curnel
YTG Insurance of Marion

GET TICKETS FOR FRIDAY'S GAME
Crittenden vs Union County

AT A GLANCE: Rockets Head East to Bardstown

BY: Andy Hunt

Do You Know...?

During what season did Crittenden County football players sport this haircut for their playoff run?

Click below on "Read More" to find out the answer!

PODCAST: Coach Courtney talks about Union game

Rockets lose to Union County

- LISTEN NOW -

Click Image to Listen

Brought to you by KB Pharmacy in Marion, Ky.

Pharmacists Mike Keller and Bradley Boone

Friday, September 23, 2022

Keep-away game slips away from Rockets

MARION, Ky. – At the halfway mark of the season, Crittenden County played perhaps its best football game of the year, but it wasn’t enough to pull off an upset against Class 3A’s third-ranked Union County.

Junior Tyler Belt got his first start at running
back and rushed for 17 yards.

The undefeated Braves scored once in each period and played an old-world game of keep away down the stretch to stymie the Rockets 25-6.

Crittenden County’s typically high-yardage passing attack wasn’t there against Union County’s athletic secondary. Rocket quarterback Micah Newcom went into the game averaging 23 passing attempts and 227 yards an outing. He threw only 10, including a second-quarter, 37-yard touchdown pass to freshman Caden Howard. It was Howard’s first varsity TD reception.

Otherwise, the Rockets stayed on the ground, running the ball twice as many plays as it threw. However, there wasn’t much there either. CCHS had 73 yards rushing.

In fact, Union County hardly allowed Crittenden to play offense the entire second half. The Braves held the Rockets to nine offensive snaps on three possessions and just 14 yards after the break.

Senior Seth Guess makes a tackle in the first half.

Union County dominated the ball in the final 13 minutes, allowing Crittenden not a single play from scrimmage. Most of that time was used up by a 72-yard drive that started late in the third period and ended on Kris Hughes’ third touchdown with just 2:20 to play. The drive included three fourth-down conversions, one finished in the end zone with Hughes’ 18-yard reception from Braves’ QB Cannon Sheffer.

The Rockets had no first downs in the second half. They misfired inside the red zone once in the first half.

Defensively, CCHS tackled and played well against one of the top teams in the state. Junior linebacker Bennett McDaniel played in his first regular-season game, helping shore up a lineup that has been riddled by injuries.

“That’s a really good football team,” Rocket coach Gaige Courtney said. “They wore us down in the second half, kept the ball away from us, went power-I and kind of pounded their bigger bodies on ours. It just kind of wore on us the second half.”

Courtney was proud of his team’s effort, and its performance despite the loss.

“We’re getting better. We are going to be all right,” he said.

Crittenden will play another top 10 team next week when it travels to Bardstown to face fifth-ranked Class A Bethlehem.

SCORE BY QUARTERS
Union County 7 6 6 6
Crittenden Co. 0 6 0 0

SCORING PLAYS
UC-Kris Hughes 38 run (Collin Nalley kick) 5:08, 1st
CC-Caden Howard 37 pass from Micah Newcom (kick failed) 6:43, 2nd
UC-Cannon Sheffer 4 run (kick blocked) 1:09, 2nd
UC-Hughes 67 run (kick failed) 4:47, 3rd
UC-Hughes 18 pass from Sheffer (pass failed) 2:20, 4th

TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: CCHS 5, UCHS 12
Penalties: CCHS 3-35, UCHS 10-110
Rushing: CCHS 19-73, UCHS 38-300
Passing: CCHS 6-10-0, 60, UCHS 7-13-0, 73
Total Yards: CCHS 133, UCHS 373
Fumbles/Lost: CCHS 1-1, UCHS 1-0

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
CCHS: Gattin Travis 5-37, Sam Impastato 1-4, Tyler Belt 5-17, Newcom 8-15. UCHS: Izaiah Manuel 2-6, Hughes 19-159, Duncan Mills 2-2, Kanye Pollard 8-65, Amare Black 3-13, Willem McPeake 6-46, Sheffer 4-9.
Passing
CCHS: Newcom 6-10-0, 60, UCHS: Sheffer 7-13-0, 73.
Receiving
CCHS: Belt 2-5, Rowen Perkins 1-3, Kaleb Nesbitt 2-15, Howard 1-37.
Defense
Sammy Impastato 5 solos, 3 assits, 2 TFL; Case Gobin 4 solos, 5 assists; Rowen Perkins solo; Kaleb Nesbitt 4 solos, 4 assists, 1 TFL; Briley Berry 9 solos, 4 assists, sack; Seth Guess 7 solos, 3 assists; KeKoa Kuamoo 3 assists; Gabe Keller 3 solos; Gattin Travis 8 solos, 3 assists, TFL, sack; Tyler Belt solo, 2 assists.

Players of the Game: Offense Gattin Travis, Defense Briley Berry, Lineman Braydin Brandsasse, Special Teams Case Gobin.
Records: CCHS 2-3, UCHS 6-0