Bardstown Football

Disastrous second quarter sinks Tigers’ playoff hopes

November 18th, 2009 Posted in Team Information

 

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.