OWENSBORO, Ky. – Had it not been for three first-half misfires within smelling distance of the goal line, Crittenden County might have made things more interesting at Owensboro Catholic Saturday.
Whether Class 2A’s top-ranked Aces (6-0) would have been in jeopardy of losing the encounter is highly questionable, but Rocket coach Gaige Courtney strongly lamented missed opportunities in the 51-0 loss.
“We really did some good things offensively,” Courtney said. “Coach (Austin) Berry dialed up a really good plan and Quinn (Summers) and the receivers were executing it and we were even running the ball at times. We were moving it up and down the field, just couldn’t get it in the end zone.”
Like the coach explained, the Rocket quarterback found the trusty hands of Caden Howard and CamRon Belcher early and often. But after closing in on the goal line, CCHS stalled at the 18, the 11 and again at the 25.
“We were deep in the red zone twice and the third time I’d say it was the outer red zone, but just couldn’t get it in,” he said. “Against that team, we know we have to score there.”
Scoring wasn’t in the cards, however, for the Rockets (2-3). Meanwhile, after a cool start, O’Cath ramped it up the pressure a strong running game in the second period and led 27-0 at the break. From there, Crittenden went off the rails as some big passing strikes let the Aces speed up the clock early in the third period, courtesy of the 35-point-lead mercy rule.
CCHS lineman Keegan Pierson said conditions were not optimal with a steady, light rain, yet his team’s offense was able to move the chains with its passing game. Remnants of Hurricane Helene – which battered Florida Friday – dumped more than five inches of rain on western Kentucky prompting the game to be postponed for 24 hours. Footing was fine on the turf at Kentucky Wesleyan’s Steel Stadium, but the Rockets did have some uncharacteristic pass drops, particularly in the red zone.
“We just weren’t able to execute those little extra plays when we needed to,” Pierson said.
O’Cath piled up 462 yards of offense, and held Crittenden to 173. Summers was able to throw for 166, but the Rocket running game – which did have brief success early with Jacob Carder gaining a net 20 on the ground – finished with 7 rushing yards as a team.
Crittenden, which went into the matchup ranked No. 8 in the latest Courier-Journal Class 2A poll, will regroup and begin district action next week at Murray High.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Crittenden County 0 0 0 0
Owensboro Catholic 6 21 11 13
SCORING PLAYS
OC-Miles Edge 2 run (kick failed) 9:36, 1st
OC-Vince Carrico 11 run (Andrew Garvin kick) 9:13, 2nd
OC-Waryn Ebelhar 53 pass from Dremail Carothers (Garvin kick) 6:31, 2nd
OC-Ebelhar 75 pass from Carothers (Garvin kick) :48, 2nd
OC-Carrico 1 run (Dereon Crowe run) 5:22, 3rd
OC-Garvin 49 field goal 2:54, 3rd
OC-Jude Evans 1 run (Garvin kick) 7:45, 4th
OC-Chris Burns 20 interception (Garvin kick) 3:28, 4th
TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: CCHS 8, OCHS 14
Penalties: CCHS 6-45, OCHS 7-66
Rushing: CCHS 15-7, OCHS 22-225
Passing: CCHS 21-35-1, 166; OCHS 14-22-0, 238
Total Yards: CCHS 173, OCHS 462
Fumbles/Lost: CCHS 0-0, OCHS 2-1
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
CCHS: Jacob Carder 10-20, Michael Porter 1-0, Eli Lovell 1-5, Conner Poindexter 1-(-5), Quinn Summers 1-(-5). OCHS: Evans 2-4, Edge 8-99, Cameron Woodward 2-24, Crowe 5-67, Carrico 4-25, Mitchell Shaiden 1-6.
Passing
CCHS: Summers 21-34-0, 166; Conner Poindexter 0-1-1. OCHS: Brady Atwell 9-12-0, 76; Carothers 5-10-162.
Receiving
CCHS: Caden 9-87, CamRon Belcher 6-31, Dakota Sosh 3-24, Brayden Poindexter 1-11, Tyree McLean 2-13. OCHS: Woodward 5-24, Crowe 1-5, Ebelhar 4-183, Carrico 1-3, Edge 1-1, Braylin Coots 1-19.
Defense
Trae Taylor 2 solos, caused fumble, TFL; Tyree McLean 4 solos; Belcher 3 solos, assist; Howard 4 solos, assist; Michael Porter solo; B. Poindexter 4 solos; Carder solo, 2 assists; Blake French solo, 2 assists; Landon Curry solo, 4 assists; Sosh fumble recovery; Carson Yates assist; Kaiden Travis solo, 2 assists.
Records: CCHS 2-3, OCHS 6-0
