Bardstown Football

Disastrous second quarter sinks Tigers’ playoff hopes

Photo by Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown’s Tanner Culver (11) and Ben Lyvers wrapped up Monroe County’s Tanner Kendall on this play, but the Falcons were able to run roughshod over the Tiger defense during Friday’s 49-14 rout.

By Peter W. Zubaty
Monroe County erupted for 35 second-quarter points Friday to turn a close game into a rout, advancing to the Class 2A Region 2 championship with a 49-14 win at Bardstown.

The Falcons (9-3) eliminated the Tigers (5-7) for the second consecutive season. Bardstown fell 45-14 in a second-round meeting last year in Tompkinsville. Monroe County advances to face District 3 mate Green County (9-3) for the Region 2 crown. The Dragons whipped Danville 61-22 Friday in second-round play.

The game had the makings of a shootout early on.

After Bardstown went three-and-out on its initial drive, Monroe pieced together a long drive capped by a 2-yard scoring run by fullback Dillon Vickery midway through the first quarter.

The Tigers responded, however, putting together a long drive of their own as quarterback Keaton Hall — seeing his first action under center in a month because of a shoulder injury — was able to find some soft spots in the Falcon pass defense. Bardstown capped the drive with a 1-yard run up the middle by Ricky Harper to tie it up just before the end of the first quarter.

Monroe County retook the lead with a quick drive less than four minutes into the second quarter, when Vickery struck again, this time from 10 yards out, for his second score of the game. Bardstown quickly answered, however, when Harper broke off a 68-yard touchdown run, shaking off would-be tacklers near the line of scrimmage before sprinting away from the Falcon defense to tie it at 14-14.

Things went horribly wrong for the Tigers after that, however, when the Falcons showed some big-play ability as Neil Wilson ran around right end and sprinted up the sidelines for a 50-yard scoring run. Disaster struck on the ensuing kickoff when Harper fielded the ball deep in Tiger territory but coughed it up while looking for room to run, and Monroe’s Chad Wilson recovered it at the 13. Two plays later, Tanner Kendall ran it in from 11 yards out to put the Falcons up 28-14.

Bardstown couldn’t get much done on its next possession and had to punt from deep in its own territory. A few plays later, Monroe scored on a 23-yard pass from Jackson Arnett to Neil Wilson, making it 35-14. Offensive woes continued for the Tigers on their next possession, and the Falcons blocked Hall’s punt deep in Bardstown territory, with Chad Wilson scooping it up and returning it 22 yards to make it 42-14 and cap off an outburst of 28 points in less than three-and-a-half minutes.

The Tigers fumbled it away deep in their own territory on the next possession, but Marcus Cosby intercepted Arnett in the end zone to keep things from getting worse just before halftime.

Monroe put together a long drive to open the second half, setting the final margin at 49-14 when Vickery got his third touchdown of the game, this time from 2 yards out.

Bardstown graduates eight seniors.

Class 2A Region 2 playoffs

Monroe Co. 49, Bardstown 14

MC    7    35    7    0—49

B    7    7    0    0—14

First Quarter — (MC) Vickery 2 run (Harrison kick), 6:31; (B) Harper 1 run (Kremser kick), 42.6. Second Quarter — (MC) Vickery 10 run (Harrison kick), 8:29; (B) Harper 68 run (Kremser kick), 6:21; (MC) N. Wilson 50 run (Harrison kick), 5:58; (MC) Kendall 11 run (Harrison kick), 5:04; (MC) N. Wilson 23 pass from Arnett (Harrison kick), 2:58; (MC) C. Wilson 22 punt block return (Harrison kick), 1:35. Third Quarter — (MC) Vickery 2 run (Harrison kick), 6:58.

FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: Nelson, Bardstown knocked out in second round

By Peter W. Zubaty

Second-round playoff games were unkind to local teams Friday, as Bardstown and Nelson County each saw their seasons end.

Bardstown finished up its season at 5-7 after suffering a 49-14 defeat at the hands of visiting Monroe County (9-3). The Falcons eliminated the Tigers in last year’s second round as well, 45-14, in Tompkinsville.

Nelson County (6-6) was on the road looking to avenge an earlier defeat at the hands of Greenwood (9-3). The Cardinals enjoyed a 14-0 first half lead and got a Daniel Mudd field goal just before halftime to go up 17-14, but the Gators held the Cardinals scoreless after the half to win 28-17.

CLASS 2A PLAYOFFS: Tiger defense stands tall in shutout

Force 5 Metcalfe turnovers

Photo by Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown’s Ricky Harper (6) shakes off Metcalfe County defenders for a gain Friday. Harper scored all three Tiger touchdowns during a 138-yard rushing night.

By Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown’s defense has been suspect during the regular season, allowing 30 points a game.

But the Tigers clamped down at just the right time Friday — the first round of the Class 2A Region 4 playoffs — in dealing visiting Metcalfe County a 19-0 defeat, the second straight season the Tigers have shut out the Hornets in a first-round game.

“It’s kind of a joke, but maybe we shouldn’t practice defense very much during the week, because we were limited (with) six starters out,” Tiger coach David Clark said. “One day, we didn’t even get to play defense.”

The Tigers (5-6) have been battered by injuries all season long. Compounding matters, the team has been hit hard by the flu bug in recent weeks, making depth an issue.

Despite that, the Tigers forced five Metcalfe turnovers and limited the Hornets to 145 total yards.

“They were just really focused on what they did (on defense),” Clark said, “and we were able to stop their strengths. We played really aggressive tonight, so I was really pleased with that.”

Bardstown didn’t manage much on offense either, mind you. But the Tigers played mistake-free football with zero turnovers and only 10 penalty yards against them.

The Tigers found themselves locked in a defensive struggle in the first half, with the lone score being an 81-yard scamper by Ricky Harper for a 7-0 halftime lead.

After the break, the injury bug hit again. Sophomore quarterback Bobby Butler — who has been filling in during the absence of senior Keaton Hall, who’s been limited to punting duties because of a shoulder injury — came up with an ankle sprain while playing special teams on the opening kickoff of the second half. He’s expected to be out a few weeks.

“We’ll have to see what we’re going to do at the quarterback position,” Clark said. If Hall or Butler can’t go, Clark said the Tigers will opt for freshman Marcus Cosby, who has been coming into his own in recent weeks as a wide receiver.

Friday, however, Clark improvised, putting Harper in the shotgun and running the Wildcat formation the entire second half. Bardstown didn’t attempt a pass in the second half, and only six all game while rolling up 180 yards on the ground.

The Wildcat formation, featuring Harper, has snuck into the Tiger game plan a few times in recent weeks, but they’ve never used it this extensively.

“We’ve been practicing it for six or seven weeks, but it was a necessity tonight,” Clark said. “The longer we did it, the more comfortable he got with it. He did a great job.”

The strategy seemed to catch the Hornets (4-7) off-guard, as Clark said the Tigers only ran three different plays the entire second half.

Harper ended up leading the way with 138 rushing yards on just 11 carries. He scored on a 15-yard run late in the third quarter set up by a Terrence Hickman interception, and Harper added a 12-yard score midway through the fourth quarter following a Ben Lyvers pick.

Bardstown hosts Monroe County (8-3) — 42-7 winners over Washington County in the first round — in the second round Friday. The Falcons knocked the Tigers out of the playoffs last season with a 45-14 win at Tompkinsville.

E’town too much for wounded Tigers

Photo by Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown’s Marcus Cosby elevates for one of the freshman’s three touchdown catches against Elizabethtown Friday.

By Peter W. Zubaty

Elizabethtown 48, Bardstown 29

With several starters sidelined with injuries or illness, Bardstown didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with Elizabethtown as the Panthers got off to a 20-0 lead in the second quarter and didn’t let up until staking a 48-14 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

“We had a lot of young kids playing last night,” Tiger coach David Clark said. “To their credit, they never quit.”

The Tigers (4-6) committed four turnovers in the game, including a costly first-quarter interception that spotted the Panthers (4-6) a 14-0 lead before Bardstown could get its offense on track.

“You can’t make mistakes against a team like E’town, and they were able to capitalize on the mistakes.”

Bardstown only lost one fumble, but had trouble with the quarterback-center exchange all game, which Clark said was surprising, as that had not been much of a problem all year, despite sophomore Bobby Butler taking over at quarterback three weeks ago for an injured Keaton Hall.

“Those were drive-killers,” Clark said.

For the Panthers, Kyle Todd threw four touchdown passes and ran for another to lead the attack, and Titus Sublett rushed for 159 yards on six carries, including scores of 56 and 68 yards, and he also caught a Todd touchdown pass.

There were a few bright spots for the Tigers. Freshman Marcus Cosby caught five passes for 86 yards, three of them touchdowns. Ricky Harper rushed for 63 yards and a score.

Clark said today’s growing pains will pay dividends in the future — hopefully as soon as Friday, when the Tigers welcome Metcalfe County (4-6) to town for the first round of the Class 2A playoffs. The Hornets were the No. 4 seed in District 3, while the Tigers were the top seed in District 4.

“We’re gaining more and more experience as the season wears on,” Clark said.

FB playoff picture all clear, fortunately

Fall sports pictures available at www.kystandard.com

In Class 2A’s Region 4, Bardstown can take solace from its bruising loss Friday at Fort Knox in the knowledge that the Tigers get to host as many as two games in the upcoming playoffs. That’s how important that road win over Danville — as well as the Homecoming Night fourth-quarter stand by the defense against Washington County — proved to be.

So while the Tigers’ ego is nicked up, they can use those hurt feelings as a motivator against the same two teams Bardstown faced in last year’s playoffs: Metcalfe County and Monroe County (a tough road loss that still stands as one of the coldest nights I’ve ever spent on a football field). There’s still time left for the Tigers to do big things in the playoffs, and home is a great place from which to start.

Bardstown stunned by Fort Knox

Eagles snap 40-game losing streak with upset win over Tigers

By Peter W. Zubaty

Fort Knox’s extended losing streak spanning four seasons had to end at some point. Unfortunately for Bardstown, the Eagles stopped the skid at 40 games Friday night with a 27-17 win over the Tigers in the Class 2A District 4 finale.

Bardstown coach David Clark said that despite a sloppy McAdams Field, the normally turnover-prone Eagles were able to spring the upset by taking care of the football and keeping the explosive Tiger offense parked on the sideline.

“They did a good job offensively of keeping our offense off the field,” Clark said. “We only ran 20 plays on offense in the second half.”

Bardstown and Fort Knox had one turnover apiece.

Fort Knox sophomore running back Quensie Brown ran 24 times for 117 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“He took them on his shoulders and told them they weren’t going to lose,” Clark said. “Those were big yards — tough yards.”

Fort Knox’s last win came in the 2005 regular-season finale at Green County, ending that season 1-9. Fort Knox (1-8, 1-2 dist.) last beat Bardstown in 2003.

The Eagles also had a kickoff return for a score, and quarterback Scott Hubner tossed a pair of touchdowns.

Bardstown (4-5, 2-1 dist.) running back Ricky Harper ran for 100 yards and a touchdown, and Bobby Butler threw a touchdown pass to Terrence Hickman.

Clark said the Tigers have taken the loss hard.

“We self-evaluate and take a deep swallow and understand that we have to come out and be ready to play, no matter who the opponent is,” he said.

The loss does not affect the playoff standings in District 4. Bardstown is the district champ by way of its win at Danville, also 2-1. Washington County gets the No. 3 spot via its win over Fort Knox.

Clark said his team will try to have “short memories,” and hopefully get some momentum back in its home finale against Elizabethtown leading into the playoffs and a first-round matchup with Metcalfe County.

“Luckily, it wasn’t a playoff game. It doesn’t affect our standing in the district. We have more games to play,” he said. “We have to remember what it takes to be successful … and mentally be ready to prepare for next week.”

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 Bardstown sews up district’s top seed

Photo by Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown’s Codi Cramer blocked this third-quarter punt against Washington County. He also recovered a first-half fumble that led to a touchdown.

 By Peter W. Zubaty

For the second straight game, Bardstown got another key fourth-quarter field goal from Victor Kremser to ice the game Friday against Washington County, 24-14.

The Tigers improved to 4-4 overall and 2-0 in Class 2A District 4 play with the win, and claimed the regular-season district championship with the help of Danville’s 55-25 win at Fort Knox. Washington County dropped to 2-6 overall and 1-1 in the district.

Bardstown visits Fort Knox (0-8, 0-2 dist.) next week with a chance to stretch its current win streak to four games. Danville (2-6, 1-1 dist.) hosts Washington County next week with a home playoff game going to the winner.

The Tigers got a pair for second quarter touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead into halftime. Ricky Harper got a 1-yard score set up by a Codi Cramer fumble recovery near the Commander goal line. Cramer also blocked a punt in the third quarter.

Bobby Butler hit Quintez Cissell just before halftime with a 20-yard scoring pass to break a 7-7 tie.

Bardstown added to its lead a minute into the second half when Jack Whitfield scored on 45-yard run, making it 21-7.

Washington County’s Quan Turner cut it to 21-14 a few minutes later, and looked to have tied it just before the end of the third quarter when Turner broke off another long run, but it was called back. The Tiger defense came up big in the fourth quarter, however as Harper got one of his pair of interceptions in the frame, giving him three in the past two games.

Bardstown 24, Washington Co. 14

WC 0 7 7 0—14

B 0 14 7 3—24

Tigers sink Admirals

FG with 1:47 wins it

Photo by Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown’s Ricky Harper (6) delivers a stiff-arm to Danville’s Will Dunn at the tail-end of an interception return. Harper rushed for 124 yards, caught a touchdown pass of 60 yards, picked off one pass and nearly intercepted another, and had a big game returning kicks and punts to lead the Tigers to a 17-15 win.

By Peter W. Zubaty

DANVILLE — As two of the state’s traditional small-school powers, when Bardstown and Danville meet the stakes are usually very high.

Before the 2007 realignment of Kentucky’s football districts, those matchups almost always came in the playoffs. Now, the two share Class 2A District 4, and since the realignment, their regular-season meeting has decided the district championship, with the Admirals prevailing in 2007 and 2008, but with the Tigers winning the 2007 playoff rematch.

On Saturday, the Tigers evened the score when Victor Kremser’s 27-yard field goal with 1:47 left to play proved the game-winner in a 17-15 Bardstown win over Danville.

The win gave the Tigers a leg up in the Class 2A District 4 race, improving to 3-4 overall and 1-0 in district games.

“Our goal is to be district champs, and this is step one of three,” Bardstown coach David Clark said.

Sole possession of first place in the district race will be on the line when Washington County visits Bardstown Friday.

“It was just a great game,” senior Ricky Harper said. “Big game defensively — we made great plays in the second half.”

Harper carried the ball 17 times for 124 punishing yards and his lone catch was a 60-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass from Keaton Hall to give the Tigers a 14-12 third quarter lead. His big yards in the fourth quarter — 79 on seven carries, especially on the game-winning drive — helped the Tigers burn up the clock and set up Kremser’s boot. Harper also played a big part on special teams, with several long returns that set his team up in scoring position.

“We challenged him to be a man and be the best football player on the field tonight,” Clark said. “And he was. He dominated, and that’s a tribute to this kid.”

Bardstown fell behind 12-0 in the first quarter on a pair of short touchdown runs by Will Dunn (18-163 rushing), but clamped down on defense after that, picking off a pair of Danville passes at key junctures in the second half to kill Admiral drives.

“We came out on our heels, and they took advantage of it,” Clark said of falling in the early hole. “To our kids’ credit, they’ve been in that situation before, and they believed they could get back in the football game.”

Wet field conditions led to four fumbles by the Tigers and two by the Admirals, but the fumbling team recovered each time. The game was originally scheduled for Friday, but Danville school officials postponed it.

“In the locker room (at halftime), we all just focused and got ready to play,” Harper said.

Photo by Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown’s Victor Kremser delivers the winning 27-yard field goal with 1:47 remaining out of the hold of Bobby Butler (18).

 Harper said it was difficult dealing with the sloppy field, but that a team’s got to do what it has to do to get the win.

Evidence of that spirit came when Tigers got their first score in the second quarter.

Bardstown got a short field on a Danville punt, starting the drive from the Admiral 27 with a little more than four minutes to play in the half. The Tigers had trouble moving the ball, bringing up a fourth-and-four when Hall hit Marcus Cosby near the left sideline for a 21-yard catch, but Cosby fumbled the ball near the goal line, and Tiger lineman Jacob Ferrell recovered it in the end zone.

“The key of the game is we didn’t have turnovers,” Clark said. “In a sloppy game like this, when kids play hard, good things are going to happen.”

Danville kicked a field goal midway through the fourth quarter to take a 15-14 lead. But on the very first play from scrimmage following the kick, Harper broke off a 39-yard run, plowing over and through Admiral tacklers to set up the winning Bardstown drive.

“We knew all along it was going to come down to one or two big plays and who was going to make them,” Clark said. “Fortunately we made them.”

Danville gained 325 yards to Bardstown’s 261. Danville dropped to an uncharacteristic 1-6 overall and 0-1 in district play. The Admirals visit Fort Knox Friday.

Bardstown 17, Danville 15 Dunn 2 run (run failed), 9:25; (D) — Dunn 1 run (pass failed), 3:57. Second Quarter — (B) Ferrell fumble recovery in end zone (Kremser kick), 2:14. Third Quarter — (B) Harper 60 pass from Hall (Kremser kick), 3:50. Fourth Quarter — (D) Meckes 28 FG, 5:29. (B) Kremser 27 FG, 1:47.

B 0 7 7 3—17

D 12 0 0 3—15

First Quarter — (D)

Bardstown’s Marcus Cosby coughed it up following a 21-yard reception, but teammate Jacob Farrell (65) was johnny-on-the-spot, recovering the fumble in the end zone for Bardstown’s first touchdown of the game.

Harrison County cancels game with Bardstown

School has been hit hard by flu absences

By Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown football will get a second, unexpected bye week Friday — and a win — in the wake of Wednesday’s cancellation of school and all other activities in the Harrison County School System.

Harrison County’s student population has been hit particularly hard by the flu in recent days, with 450 out of 3,144 students absent Wednesday — nearly double the 270 from Monday, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

Bardstown football coach David Clark, who doubles as the school’s athletic director confirmed the cancellation, but said other details were hazy Wednesday evening, and he was still waiting on a follow-up phone call from Harrison athletic director Lee Kendall.

“There won’t be a game, and it won’t be made up,” Clark said.

In other cases where a team elected to cancel a game because of illness at the school, they were forced to forfeit, which means Bardstown would be credited for a 2-0 win over Harrison County.

Bardstown had a bye week Sept. 18, and dropped a 22-20 decision Sept. 25 at Hopkins County Central. The cancellation gives the Tigers two weeks to prepare for its visit to Danville. The Admirals have won the regular-season matchup of Class 2A District 4 rivals the past two seasons, but fell to the Tigers at home in the playoffs two years ago.

Danville is 1-5 so far this season, having dropped four straight. The Admirals are also coming off a bye week.

Clark said he would address his team Thursday morning at school.

“This all just came on my plate at 5 p.m. today.”

Crawley gets in Tigers’ craw

HCC QB does all the scoring in 22-20 Bardstown defeat

By Nick Brockman

MORTONS GAP — Hopkins County Central quarterback Lucas Crawley accounted for all of his team’s points, scoring three rushing touchdowns and a pair of conversion runs to lead his team to a 22-20 win over Bardstown

The Tigers (1-4) had the ball late with a chance to win it and hit on their first pass attempt for 11 yards, but two straight incompletions ran out the clock for a Hopkins Central win.

Crawley gave the Storm its lead with 10:04 remaining with a 5-yard scoring run to make it 22-20.

A series of turnovers then hit both teams.

Bardstown ran the kickoff into the redzone. Lucas Duncan quickly picked off a pass on second down. Four plays later, Central gave the ball back on a lost fumble.

The Tigers failed to get anywhere despite the favorable field position. On fourth-and-8 from the 11, Ricky Harper took the carry on a reverse, but lost the ball after a small gain. A Bardstown lineman picked up the ball and took it to the 4-yard line, but not far enough for the first down.

That’s when Tino Nance took the ball and did his best to run out the clock, rushing seven times on the Storm’s final drive and finishing with a 100-yard rushing night.

Offense escaped the Storm for much of the season, but not during the first half. Crawley led Central to two scores and a total of 198 yards offense during the first two quarters.

The Storm shed their offensive woes on the opening possession on a 12-play, 70-yard scoring drive during which Crawley passed for 34 yards and rushed for 27 yards, including a 14-yard touchdown carry.

Bardstown returned the ensuing kickoff to Central’s 25-yard line, and two plays later scored on a Deangelo Poynter run from 21 yards out. Bardstown failed on its two-point conversion.

Central netted just 16 yards on its next three possessions. In between those drives, Bardstown produced another quick scoring strike when J.P. Willett caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Keaton Hall, and Harper made it 14-8 with a conversion run.

The Storm’s next drive began in favorable territory after Rashad Wilkes recovered a fumble at the Tiger 35-yard line. On second down, Crawley completed a pass down to the 1-yard line, and ran it in two plays. His conversion run made it 16-14.

As the first half wound down, Central appeared poised to plunge in from one more score. Bardstown reclaimed the lead late in the third quarter on a 12-play, 47-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown rush by Poynter.

The Tigers managed just 168 yards of total offense. Poynter had 43 yards rushing to go with his two scores. Crawley passed for 127 yards and rushed for 63.

Nick Brockman is a sports reporter for the Madisonville Messenger.

Hopkins Cent. 22, Bardstown 20 Crawley 14 run (Crawley run), 7:29; (B) Poynter 21 run (run failed), 6:33. Second Quarter — (B) Willett 52 pass from Hall (Harper run), 11:52; (HCC) Crawley 1 run (Crawley run), 6:22. Third Quarter — (B) Poynter 1 run (conversion failed), 2:59. Fourth Quarter — (HCC) Crawley 5 run (conversion failed), 10:04

B 6 8 6 0–20

HCC 8 8 0 6–22

First Quarter — (HCC)