Rockets roast Lakers on Senior Night

The team enters Rocket Stadium for last time in 2024

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County put a bow on its final performance of 2024 at Rocket Stadium, wrapping up a shutout victory decorated with several firsts in a game that marked the last home appearance for 10 seniors.

Senior Tyree McLean scores in the first half
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The Rockets dispatched winless Calloway County 36-0, a rewarding win after two consecutive losses—their third two-game skid of the season. But the victory also celebrated memorable milestones for several players: junior Trae Taylor scored his first career touchdown, senior Landon Curry (typically a defender) took his first and possibly last chance at carrying the ball on a rushing play, and senior Michael Porter notched both his first career touchdown and first-ever pass reception. Junior receiver Caden Howard also broke Preston Morgeson’s touchdown receptions record with his 26th career TD catch, one of two in the game, while junior quarterback Quinn Summers threw for over 300 yards for the first time.

“It was a good night for the Rockets,” said coach Gaige Courtney. “It was a really good way to send off the seniors. That was our message all week. It was the last time they will get to play here. It’s a special place and it means a lot to them. It was just really good to see a lot of things happen.”

Injuries in the Rocket lineup provided plenty of opportunity for others to step up. With senior running back Brayden Mahnke and junior lineman Michael Counts sidelined, Curry and Taylor saw more action, leading to standout moments on the field.

The Rocket defense posted a shutout, preserving
although Calloway got into the red zone once
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“It was good see all of (the seniors) get a lot of playing time, make plays and get some touches. Michael Porter getting in the end zone really meant a lot to me. He’s a kid that works his hind end off and to be reward like that on senior night is a big deal,” the coach said. “And that’s just one example. There were tons of them out there. Landon Curry made a ton of plays. There were a lot of guys who did. That’s the way senior night should be.”

Crittenden (4-6) scored three times in the first half and twice in the second. Summers nailed four touchdown passes with senior Tyree McLean and Taylor getting one each, and Howard had the other two. Howard finished with 142 yards on six catches. Porter added the only rushing touchdown, closing out the Rockets’ offensive performance. Senior CamRon Belcher posted eight catches for 107 yards and intercepted a pass on defense. 

With their season finale at Rocket Stadium behind them, the Rockets quickly shift focus to the postseason, which opens next Friday at undefeated Owensboro Catholic, the No. 1 team in Class 2A.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Calloway County 0 0 0 0

Crittenden County 8 14 8 6

SCORING PLAYS

Critt - Tyree McLean 1 pass from Quinn Summers (Caden Howard pass from McLean) 6:35, 1st

Critt - Howard 25 pass from Summers (Adri Berry kick) 11:15, 2nd

Critt- Trae Taylor 6 pass from Summers (Berry kick) 2:52, 2nd

Critt - Howard 42 pass from Summers (Summers run) 4:52, 3rd

Critt - Michael Porter 1 run (Berry kick failed) 9:58, 4th

TEAM TOTALS

First Downs: Rockets 17, Lakers 10

Penalties: Rockets 6-50, Lakers 9-65

Rushing: Rockets 14-33, Lakers 37-156

Passing: Rockets 29-36-1, 362; Lakers 4-9-1, 37

Total Yards: Rockets 395, Lakers 193

Fumbles/Lost: Rockets 1-1, Lakers 5-1

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Rockets: Summers 6-22, Taylor 2-11, McLean 1-(-2), CamRon Belcher 1-(-1), Blake French 1-(-6), Gaige Markham 1-3, Landon Curry 1-5. Lakers: Logan Smith 22-96, Christian McIntosh 1-(-2), Shaun Phillips 5-44, Carter Tudor 9-18. 

Passing

Rockets: Summers 28-35-1, 351; Conner Poindexter 1-1-0, 11. Lakers: Tudor 4-9-1, 37.

Receiving

Rockets: Howard 6-142, Belcher 8-107, Taylor 4-23, Dakota Sosh 1-6, McLean 7-58, Markham 1-9, Eli Lovell 1-6, Porter 1-11. Lakers: Smith 1-7, JayDynn Darcus 2-26, Phillips 1-4.

Defense

CamRon Belcher assist; Landon Curry 7 solos, 8 assists; Josh Marshal solo; Tyree McLean 7 solos, 3 assists, TFL, caused fumble, fumble recovery; Michael Porter solo, assist; Kaiden Travis 6 solos, 3 assists, 3 TFL; Caden Howard 6 solos, 3 assists, TFL; Pierson solo; Brayden Poindexter 8 solos, 3 assists, 2 TFLs; Trae Taylor solo, assist; Noah Byford 2 solos, 2 assists; Trent Todd 2 solos, 2 assists; Eli Lovell solo. 

Records: Crittenden 4-6, Lakers 0-10

Calloway County Lakers

 BY: ANDY HUNT

Calloway County Series (5-6)

• 1979 – Away – 22-6 – WON
• 1980 – Home – 29-6 – WON
• 1981 – Away – 40-8 – LOST
• 1982 – Home – 29-26 – LOST
• 2003 – Home – 34-7 – LOST
• 2004 – Away – 49-15 – WON
• 2005 – Home – 43-28 – WON
• 2006 – Away – 32-0 – LOST
• 2007 – Home – 49-7 – LOST
• 2008 – Away – 28-6 – LOST
• 2023 – Away – 34-13 – WON
• Scoring in the series is 280-231 in favor of Calloway County
• 1979 was Calloway County’s first varsity season of football.
• Calloway County was

THE SHOW | 10w2024 | Calloway for Sr Night

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Rockets derailed by mistakes at Caldwell

PRINCETON, Ky. – In a pivotal district game Friday, when Crittenden County needed to be at its best, a series of mistakes derailed the Rockets’ hopes for a win at Caldwell County and crushed their chances for a more favorable postseason seed.

In a game where Crittenden led three times, Caldwell County had the momentum late to secure a 36-27 Class 2A First District victory.

Rocket senior Kaiden Travis tries to stop
Caldwell County RB Kam Spikes

Three interceptions, a fumble, and critical penalties spelled doom for the Rockets as the Tigers (3-6) scored 20 fourth-quarter points en route to their only district win of the season. The Rockets (3-6) are winless in league play and will make their second trip of the fall to Owensboro Catholic on Nov. 8 for the opening round of the playoffs. The Aces, ranked as Class 2A’s No. 1 team, beat CCHS 51-0 earlier in the year. Caldwell will open the postseason at Fort Campbell.

For the second week in a row, junior Rocket receiver Caden Howard had an impressive, record-setting performance. His 13 catches for 143 yards tied a single-game school record for receptions. A week earlier, in a loss to district foe Mayfield, he set a new team record for career receptions.

“They ran the ball on us; we had a lot of trouble stopping them,” Rocket coach Gaige Courtney said. “They made plays when they had to, and we didn’t. We just made a ton of errors—turnovers and penalties.”

The Rockets fell behind for good early in the fourth quarter, 22-21, on a touchdown set up by Caldwell’s second of three interceptions. But Crittenden clawed its way back into contention with a touchdown pass from QB Quinn Summers to CamRon Belcher with 6:28 to play. Down by two, Crittenden needed a conversion to tie the game, but a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty on the touchdown put the Rockets in a tough spot from the Tigers’ 18-yard line. The infraction occurred when a Crittenden player from the sideline came onto the field to celebrate in the end zone. Crittenden’s ensuing conversion pass fell 5 yards short, and Caldwell went on to score later in the game for the final margin.

The Tigers, led by senior Kam Spikes with 112 rushing yards, found success on the ground in the second half. Caldwell rushed for 219 yards, with 185 of those coming in the last two quarters. Meanwhile, Crittenden’s running game was severely hampered when running back Brayden Mahnke left the field injured in the third quarter. The Rockets rushed for just 52 yards.

Caldwell’s sophomore lefty quarterback completed 13 of his 16 passes, while Summers was 25-for-37 for CCHS, which outgained Caldwell through the air 255 to 205.

The Rockets will close out the regular season next Friday at home against Calloway County. The playoffs begin the following week. 

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Crittenden Co. 7 0 14 6

Caldwell Co.        3 7 6 20

SCORING PLAYS

Cald-Sutton Ritchey 22 field goal, 7:18, 1st

Critt-Quinn Summers 7 run (Adri Berry kick) 3:21, 1st

Cald-Luke Maddox12 pass from Daelyn Landers (Ritchey kick) 6:11, 2nd

Critt-Brayden Mahnke 18 run (Berry kick) 11:27, 3rd

Cald-Kam Spikes 1 run (kick blocked) 7:41, 3rd

Critt-CamRon Belcher 3 pass from Summers (Berry kick) 4:54, 3rd

Cald-Cam Wilson 2 pass from Lander (pass failed) 10:40, 4th

Cald-Luke Parker 57 pass from Lander (Ritchey kick) 9:26, 4th

Critt-Belcher 22 pass from Summers (pass failed) 6:28, 4th

Cald-Spikes 5 run (Ritchey kick) 4:52, 4th

TEAM TOTALS

First Downs: Critt 15, Cald 20

Penalties: Critt 6-31, Cald 7-65

Rushing: Critt 17-52, Cald 42-219

Passing: Critt 25-38-3, 255; Cald 13-16-1, 205

Total Yards: Critt 307, Cald 424

Fumbles/Lost: Critt 1-3, Cald 2-2

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

Critt: Mahnke 9-32, Tyree McLean 2-11, Belcher 1-1, Summers 5-8. Cald: Spikes 20-112, Maddox 4-19, Wilson 10-86, Lander 8-2.

Passing

Critt: Summers 25-37-3-, 255; Howard 0-1-0. Cald: Lander 13-16-1, 205.

Receiving

Critt: Howard 13-143, Belcher 5-52, McLean 4-35, Dakota Sosh 2-17, Mahnke 1-8. Cald: Parker 4-96, Maddox 3-27, Wilson 3-14, Spikes 1-15, Gus Fox 2-53.

Defense 

CamRon Belcher 8 solos, 4 assists, TFL; Landon Curry 4 solos, 5 assists, TFL; Blake French 2 solos, 3 assists; Brayden Mahnke 6 solos, assist; Tyree McLean 7 solos, 2 assists, TFL; Kaiden Travis 2 solos, TFL; Carson Yates 3 solos; Braydin Brandsasse 2 solos, assist; Caden Howard 2 solos, assist, fumble recovery; Keegan Pierson solo, 2 assists, fumble recovery; Brayden Poindexter 7 solos, 7 assists, TFL, fumble recovery; Trae Taylor 4 solos; Noah Byford 5 solos, assist; Gaige Markham 5 solos; Trent Todd assist.

Players of the Game: Offense Caden Howard, Defensive Brayden Poindexter, Lineman Carson Yates, Special Teams Quinn Summers.

Records: Crittenden 3-6 (0-3), Caldwell 3-6 (1-2)

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First United Bank

USA Mortgage, Darrick Myers

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Johnson’s Furniture and Appliance

Full Body Fitness Studio Serena Dickerson trainer 

YTG Insurance, Tanner Tabor agent

Frazer Law, Bart Frazer, Jonathan James Wes Hunt

Hodge’s Sports and Apparel

C-Plant Federal Credit Union 

Livingston Hospital | Deaconess

H&H Home and Hardware

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Deer Lakes Golf Course

KB Pharmacy 

Caldwell County Tigers

 BY: ANDY HUNT

2024 Caldwell County Record (2-6, 0-2)

• Week 1 – Hopkins County Central – WIN – 42-6
• Week 2 – Madisonville-North Hopkins – LOSS – 52-14
• Week 3 – Union County – LOSS – 42-14
• Week 4 – Graves County – LOSS – 46-21
• Week 5 – McCracken County – LOSS – 44-27
• Week 6 – Christian County – WIN – 37-6
• Week 7 – Mayfield – LOSS – 47-14
• Week 8 – Murray – LOSS – 35-18
• Week 9 – Crittenden County
• Week 10 – Trigg County

Crittenden County Single Game School Records Versus Caldwell County

• Passing Yards: 306, Hunter Boone, 2017
• Passing Completions: 25, Micah Newcom, 2023
• Passing Attempts: 37, Luke Crider, 2021
• Passing Touchdowns: 3 (twice),

Howard's record no help vs Mayfield

MARION, Ky. – In a 42-6 loss against Mayfield Friday when highlights were rare, Crittenden County’s biggest moment went unnoticed by most. 

While the event was nothing to change the complexion of the game, it had some personal value. It was worth a new entry in Crittenden County’s football record book. In the fourth period, junior Caden Howard inconspicuously became the team’s career receptions leader. He caught a shovel pass for an eight-yard gain to tie the six-year-old record previously held by Ethan Dossett, then broke it a couple of plays later on a middle screen for a five-yard gainer, giving him 128 receptions. SEE RECORD BOOK.

CCHS's defense gets a stop on this play
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Howard finished the game with 41 yards on a half dozen receptions, but his performance had no particular bearing on the outcome as Mayfield scored early and often. Runaway carries by junior Cardinal running back Josiah England laid a foundation for the Mayfield triumph. The Rocket defense was no match for his combination of speed and size as he rushed for  191 yards and three touchdown. 

Mayfield’s dominance was clear from the outset. England powered through Crittenden’s defense with an impressive combination of speed and strength, rushing for 191 yards and three touchdowns. England’s efforts set the tone for a Cardinal team that put the game out of reach by halftime.

Crittenden County's offense struggled to gain traction against Mayfield’s relentless defense. The Rockets were forced to punt six times in the first half and turned the ball over on downs twice. Their best opportunity to score came on their opening drive after recovering an onside kick, starting at Mayfield's 34-yard line. The Rockets pushed into the red zone but were ultimately stopped on fourth down at Mayfield’s four-yard line.

Quarterback Quinn Summers faced constant pressure from Mayfield's pass rush, taking four sacks in the first half alone. Though he completed 13 of 29 passes for 126 yards and one interception, Summers was unable to generate the offense needed to keep pace with the Cardinals.

The lone touchdown for Crittenden County came in the fourth quarter when Brayden Mahnke broke free for a 22-yard run. It was the senior back’s first career touchdown.

Crittenden’s defense, though forcing two fumbles, could not contain Mayfield’s potent attack. In addition to England’s standout performance, quarterback Gray Robbins was effective through the air, completing 9 of 12 passes for 140 yards and two touchdowns, including a 23-yard strike to Malik Kirby.

One of the few other bright spots for Crittenden County was CamRon Belcher, who had six catches for 78 yards. In addition to his offensive contributions, Belcher recovered that onside kick to start the game and recorded an interception in the first half, showing his versatility on both sides of the ball.

Despite Mayfield's two fumbles, their offensive efficiency and physical play on defense ensured the game was never in doubt. The Cardinals controlled the pace, and a running clock was initiated just before halftime.

Crittenden County will have to regroup in order to prepare for its final district game of the season next week at Caldwell County. The Rocket loss to Mayfield, their second district loss of the season, will mean a road game for CCHS to start the playoffs in a few weeks. Mayfield will play Murray High next week for the district’s regular-season title. Caldwell lost 35-18 to Murray on Friday. See this week's KHSAA Scoreboard.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

Mayfield 14 21 7 0

CCHS 0 0 0 6

SCORING PLAYS

M-Josiah England 12 run (Owen Byrd kick) 5:23, 1st

M-England 49 run (Byrd kick) 3:07, 1st

M-Malik Kirby 23 pass from Gray Robbins (Byrd kick) 9:00, 2nd

M-England 48 run (Byrd kick) 1:29, 2nd

M-Kirby 6 pass from Robbins (Byrd kick) :33, 2nd

M-Reggie Dowell 22 run (Byrd kick) 1:00, 3rd

C-Brayden Mahnke 22 run (bad snap) 7:37, 4th

TEAM TOTALS

First Downs: CCHS 8, MHS 11

Penalties: CCHS 7-65, MHS 7-65

Rushing: CCHS 17-50, MHS 20-251

Passing: CCHS 17-33-1, 147, MHS 9-13-1, 140

Total Yards: CCHS 197, MHS 391

Fumbles/Lost: CCHS 1-0, MHS 2-2

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing

CCHS: Mahnke 7-49, Gaige Markham 2-(-1), Quinn Summers 7-(-8), Conner Poindexter 1-10. MHS: England 12-191, Dowell 4-45, Aubrey Sherrill 1-16, Jace Houston 2-(-9), Robbins 1-8.

Passing

CCHS: Quinn Summers 13-29-1, 126; Conner Poindexter 4-4-0, 21. MHS: Robbins 9-12-1, 140; Jace Houston 0-1-0.

Receiving

CCHS: CamRon Belcher 6-78, Caden Howard 6-41, Tyree McLean 3-13, Brayden Poindexter 1-0, Dakota Sosh 1-15. MHS: Mak Hoover 4-84, Kirby 3-41, Sherrill 1-5, Caden Morris 1-10.

Defense

CamRon Belcher 3 solos, 3 assists, fumble recovery, interception; Blake French 2 los; Brayden Mahnke solo, 2 assists; Tyree McLean 2 solos, 2 assists; Kaiden Travis 3 solos, assist; Braydin Brandsasse 2 solos, fumble recovery; Caden Howard solo, 2 assists; Keegan Pierson 2 solos, caused fumble; Brayden Poindexter 3 solos, assist; Dakota Sosh assist; Trae Taylor 2 assists; Noah Byford 2 solos, fumble recovery; Gaige Markham 3 solos, assist.

Records: CCHS 3-5 (0-2), Mayfield 5-2 (2-0)