LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Simon Kenton received a tall order Friday in its bid to return to the state finals.
The Pioneers faced the unenviable task of trying to topple Louisville St. Xavier, the state’s top team, on the road in the third round of the Class 6A playoffs.
After a hard-fought game, however, the Tigers ended up on top, ultimately vanquishing another Northern Kentucky foe, 48-34.
While the game was a barn-burner in the end, it looked like a lost cause early. The Tigers jumped out to a 34-7 lead just under four minutes into the second quarter, utilizing a ground game with a penchant for long runs and quick scores. The rout appeared to be on.
But the Pioneers kept fighting their way back. They retained their strategy on offense, kept putting points on the board, and overcame a game-ending ankle injury to senior standout running back Miles Simpson in the third quarter to put themselves in a position to tie the score in the final minutes.
“I told them at halftime that we were going to win the football game,” Simon Kenton head coach Jeff Marksberry said. “And they believed. That’s the one thing I can say about these kids is that they believed in each other, and they believed in the things that we’ve asked them to do.”
After senior Nik Brown lunged into the end zone from one yard out to cut the St. Xavier lead to seven, 41-34, with 1:42 left in the game, the Pioneers needed to come up with an onside kick. Senior Chris Repka kicked a low, bouncing drive that caromed off the hands of a Tiger receiver, and junior Kenneth Lockard secured the loose ball to give Simon Kenton its chance.
The stars were aligning. The unspoken question had been asked: “Do you believe in miracles?” And the cheering throng of raucous Pioneer faithful chanted in unison: “We Believe! We Believe! We Believe!”
Junior quarterback Chad Lawrence lined up in the shotgun at his own 49-yard line, looking to direct one more touchdown drive the same way he had all game, with and without the help of the thoroughbred Simpson. A completion to junior wideout Jacob Krummen, his favorite target of the night, moved Simon Kenton into St. Xavier territory as the clock closed in on one minute to play.
But on the next play, Lawrence rolled out and launched a deep pass down the middle of the field well beyond his receiver, and just within reach of a diving Tiger defender who made the interception at the St. Xavier seven-yard line. The comeback attempt had been foiled.
“He tried to make a play, and you can’t fault him for that,” Marksberry said. “He’d made plays all night long, and he was trying to get the ball into the end zone. I’ve told him over, and over again, that’s his job. And that’s what he was trying to do.”
That pick, and another on a hail mary as the final seconds ticked away, were not enough, however, to mar what was a stellar performance from the budding star. Lawrence completed 19-of-32 passes for 226 yards and four touchdowns, and also knifed through the stout Tigers defense for 129 yards on 31 carries. His composure and leadership were especially vital after Simpson went down with 5:20 remaining in the third quarter.
“Chad’s a tremendously talented kid,” Marksberry beamed with pride. “He’s tremendously intelligent and athletic. He can run a little bit, he’s got some speed. He’s just a great football player, and he plays this game the way it was meant to be played. He plays it fearlessly, relentlessly and he plays it to win. That’s everything you want from your quarterback.”
For his part, Simpson was unforgiving, pounding the ball and consistently ripping off eight to 10-yard gains against a very fast St. Xavier defense. More often than not, he delivered the hit rather than being the recipient when the Tigers finally dragged him down. The Mr. Football candidate showed the brutish running style for which he’s become known while amassing 112 yards on 20 carries in just two and a half quarters of action.
It was also somewhat of a breakout performance for Simon Kenton’s Krummen, who hauled in seven catches for 79 yards and three touchdowns. He almost equaled his total receptions for the season to date (10), and in a single game, surpassed his season total for touchdowns (2).
Junior wide receiver Ryan Winkler had the Pioneers’ other touchdown reception, a 30-yard strike in the second quarter that got the offense back on track and started the comeback bid at 34-13. Winkler finished with six catches for 89 yards and the score.
While Simon Kenton won’t be headed back to the state championship this year, its players should feel a sense of pride, in time, at the fact that they tested St. Xavier like few other teams have been able to do. What’s more, they took another big step forward this year in earning respect across the state as a program on the rise, and one to surely be reckoned with.
“We still fell short of our ultimate goal, but our kids have nothing to be ashamed of,” Marksberry said. “Our program has come so far with these guys. They walked off this field holding their heads up. They walked off this field proud to be Pioneers, proud to have played for us. And that’s the most meaningful thing to me.”SIMON KENTON 7-13-7-7--34
at ST. XAVIER 20-14-0-14--48
SX-McMurray 33 run (Gray kick)
SK-Krummen 14 pass from Lawrence (Repka kick)
SX-McMurray 45 run (Gray kick)
SX-Montano 9 run (kick failed)
SX-Hayden 59 run (Gray kick)
SX-Montano 1 run (Gray kick)
SK-Winkler 30 pass from Lawrence (kick blocked)
SK-Krummen 10 pass from Lawrence (Repka kick)
SK-Krummen 16 pass from Lawrence (Repka kick)
SX-McMurray 5 run (Gray kick)
SK-Brown 1 run (Repka kick)
SX-Montano 93 run (Gray kick)
RECORDS: St. Xavier 12-1, Simon Kenton 11-2.
