Two seasons ago, on Nov. 15, 2024, Lloyd Memorial left Ivan McGlone Field at Henry R. Evans Stadium with their season coming to an end in stunning fashion. The Juggernauts held a 20-0 lead before watching Russell rally for a 21-20 victory.
Lloyd returned Friday night with that loss still in the back of their mind, but there was little doubt about the outcome this time around. The Juggernauts got their hands dirty, controlled the line of scrimmage and pummeled Russell 42-14 in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs.
Lloyd entered No. 7 in Class 3A in the final statewide media football poll sporting a 9-1 record and had plenty of obstacles to navigate. Russell came in at 9-2, and the circumstances surrounding the matchup presented their own challenges.
The Juggernauts made a road trip of at least two hours and 20 minutes in 36-degree temperatures, with intermittent rain and a grass field that was far from familiar territory. Lloyd plays their home games on turf and had played on another grass field just once all season.
Add in the memory of its previous trip to Russell, and there were plenty of reasons for the Juggernauts to approach Friday night with caution.
“It had a recipe for disaster written all over it,” Lloyd Memorial head coach Kyle Niederman said. “We played at Henry County on the grass and, boy, we did not play well. We’re playing on grass, it’s going to be muddy, two-and-a-half-hour drive and this isn’t the NFL. Unfortunately, we don’t get million-dollar flights here. These kids reacted and did a great job.”
It ended up being a non-issue. In fact, the Juggernauts embraced the conditions.
Lloyd did nearly all of their damage on the ground, attempting just three passes and completing one.
“We controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides,” Niederman said. “Anytime you control the line of scrimmage, things are going to work out for you, and we executed very well.”
The line of scrimmage wasn’t the only thing Russell struggled to contain. Quarterback Colten Barger was virtually unstoppable.
Barger didn’t need the passing game to find success, drawing inspiration from a familiar former University of Kentucky standout: wide receiver-turned-quarterback Lynn Bowden Jr.
“He was a great running quarterback and didn’t really throw it a lot, so I really admire my game after him,” Barger said.
Barger looked just as elusive, rushing for four touchdowns while also returning a punt for a score.
“It really starts with my guys up front, the linemen blocking for me, wide receivers blocking and my running back, too,” Barger said. “They help me find the end zone.”
Two of Barger’s rushing touchdowns came in the first seven minutes, helping Lloyd build a 14-0 lead after the opening quarter.
His third rushing score and the punt return touchdown came within the first three minutes of the second quarter.
With Lloyd leading 28-0, the game began to take on an eerily familiar feel. Kaiden Benge found the end zone on a rushing touchdown with 3:27 remaining in the first half, then the Red Devils intercepted a Lloyd pass on the ensuing possession.
Marjae Peterson quickly calmed any lingering nerves among the Juggernaut faithful, returning an interception 37 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 35-6 at halftime.
“We turned it over, the quarterback dropped back and I knew it was going to be an outward route,” Peterson said. “I waited, baited him and went and got the ball.”
There was little doubt from that point forward.
Benge added another touchdown in the third quarter, but Barger answered with his fourth rushing score in the fourth to cap the night.
With the highest RPI in their respective region, Lloyd Memorial will host district foe Bourbon County next Friday in the third round. The Colonels handed the Juggernauts their lone loss of the season, a 41-34 decision in Paris.
LLOYD MEMORIAL 42, RUSSELL 14
LLOYD MEMORIAL — 14-21-0-7 — 42
RUSSELL— 0-6-8-00 — 14
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(LM) Barger 5-yard run (9:12) Gomes kick
(LM) Barger 1-yard run (5:05) Gomes kick
2nd Quarter
(LM) Barger 7-yard run (11:06) Gomes kick
(LM) Barger 74-yard punt return (9:06) Gomes kick
(R) Benge 1-yard run (3:27) Hampton run no good
(LM) M. Peterson 37-yard interception return (0:51) Gomes kick
3rd Quarter
(R) Benge 1-yard run (3:39) H. Williams pass to Jacobs
4th Quarter
(LM) Barger 8-yard run (11:54) Gomes kick
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Lloyd Memorial 16 (Barger 1/3), Russell 135 (H. Williams 16/26)
Rushing Yards: Lloyd Memorial 185 (Conrad 19-81, Barger 15-56, Tomlinson 5-43, M. Peterson 1-5), Russell 79 (Benge 8-37, Osborne 8-23, Rowe 8-16, Williams 3-3)
Receiving Yards: Lloyd Memorial (Conrad 1-16), Russell (Deskins 5-36, Fisher 3-29, Rowe 2-25, McDaniels 3-21, Osborne 2-14, Jacobs 1-10)
Turnovers: Lloyd Memorial 2, Russell 3
Penalties: Lloyd Memorial 1-10, Russell 7-65
Records: Lloyd Memorial 11-1, Russell 9-3
