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| Brayden Mahnke went down with a knee injury, and never returned to the field. |
OWENSBORO, Ky. – For the fifth time across the last 13 seasons, Crittenden County’s football playoff aspirations have come to an end in Owensboro. The Rockets lost Friday on the road 41-13 to Class 2A’s top-ranked Owensboro Catholic.
The Catholics had scored twice just five plays into the game, courtesy in part to a Rocket fumble. The Aces stayed on the gas, posting 35 points in less than 13 minutes following the opening whistle – thanks, again, in part – to two more CCHS turnovers in the early going.
Crittenden had been "clock'd" in the first minute of the second period.
In a sense, the Aces’ fast start hurried the Rockets’ slow walk to the virtual gas chamber that has existed in playoff games at O’Cath over the team’s association in Class 2A. When the running-clock mercy rule kicked in, misery was mitigated to an extent.
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| Caden Howard was injured catching a pass near the end zone on fourth down. Booster Club President Serena Dickerson holds an ice pack on the wound. |
Crittenden was unable to gain any momentum at all, and the game was never close – a slight contrast to the Rockets’ first loss (51-0) at O’Cath six weeks ago when they were able to compete for a time.
One of few bright spots for CCHS was a 75-yard kickoff return by Caden Howard that put Crittenden in scoring position in the first quarter. Yet that chance was squandered when the Rockets went four and out in the red zone.
Senior Tyree McLean scored twice in the second half – on a pass from junior QB Quinn Summers and on a 1-yard run – to get CCHS on the scoreboard against O’Cath reserves.
Crittenden entered the playoffs as a No. 4 seed in the regional post-season format after going winless in league play this season. Next fall, the district makeup will change a great deal. It will be a six-team league with newcomers Fort Campbell, Trigg County and Todd Central joining Crittenden, Mayfield and Caldwell County in the Class 2A First District. Murray High, a district foe in recent years, will be leaving the league as part of KHSAA’s reclassification.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Crittenden County 0 0 6 7
Owensboro Cath 27 8 6 0
SCORING PLAYS
OC-Xavier Maddox 13 pass from Brady Atwell (kick failed) 11:15, 1st
OC-Deron Crowe 13 pass from Atwell (Andrew Garvin kick) 10:29, 1st
OC-Miles Edge 10 pass from Atwell (Garvin kick) 7:03, 1st
OC-Edge 48 run (Garvin kick) 2:36, 1st
OC-Edge 18 pass from Atwell (Waryn Eblhar pass from Atwell) 11;17, 2nd
CC-Tyree McLean 6 pass from Quinn Summers (Adri Berry kick failed) 6:19, 3rd
OC-Shaiden Mitchell 12 run (pass failed) 1:40, 3rd
CC-McLean 1 run (Berry kick) 5:47, 4th.
TEAM TOTALS
First Downs: CCHS 11, OCHS 12
Penalties: CCHS 3-15, OCHS 6-51
Rushing: CCHS 12-11, OCHS 21-203
Passing: CCHS 14-26-1, 170; OCHS 15-20-0, 197
Total Yards: CCHS 181, OCHS 400
Fumbles/Lost: CCHS 2-2, OCHS 2-1
INDIVIDAUL STATISTICS
Rushing
CCHS: Brayden Mahnke 4-11, Trae Taylor 1-0, McLean 1-1, CamRon Belcher 1-8, Summers 5-(-9). OCHS: Mitchell 7-34, Crowe 1-4, Vince Carrico 3-15, Edge 2-60, Dremail Carothers 1-(-6), Carter James 2-16, Atwell 5-74.
Passing
CCHS: Summers 14-26-1, 170. OCHS: Atwell 13-17-0, 180; Carothers 2-3-0, 17.
Receiving
CCHS: Caden Howard 3-31, Brayden Poindexter 1-24, McLean 4-45, Belcher 4-44, Taylor 1-10, Mahnke 1-16. OCHS: Maddox 2-51, Crowe 1-13, Ebhlar 3-32, Carrico 1-17, Edge 2-28, Cameron Woodward 1-9, Noah O'Nan 2-18, Russ Boarman 1-12, Carter James 2-27.
Defense
CamRon Belcher solo, assist; Landon Curry 3 assists; Blake French 3 solos; Brayden Mahnke 6 solos, assist, TFL, fumble recovery; Tyree McLean 2 solos; Michael Porter solo; Kaiden Travis solo, TFL; Braydin Brandsasse 2 solos, assist; Caden Howard solo; Brayden Poindexter 5 solos; Trae Taylor 2 solos, assist; Noah Byford 3 solos, assist; Gaige Markham solo, assist; Eli Lovell solo, assist.
Records: Crittenden 4-7, Owensboro Catholic 11-0
