The last time Walton-Verona didn’t score a single point in a football game, was Nov. 10, 2017, a 28-0 loss to Louisville Christian Academy in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs.
Nearly five years to the day, the Bearcats were shut out in the second round again, this time by a surging Lloyd squad who rolled into Walton-Verona and marched out with a ticket to the state quarterfinals.
The Juggernauts forced five turnovers from Bearcats quarterback Jackson Smith. Lloyd’s Kaiden Zulager scored three touchdowns and had 220 yards on 18 carries.
The Lloyd defense kept Smith on the run all night, forcing the left-hander to make several ill-advised throws. Lloyd’s Isiah Sebastian intercepted the first of four passes on the Bearcats’ opening drive and the Juggernauts took advantage of the turnover, turning it into points as Zulager found his way across the goal line for a nine-yard score.
Following a three-and-out on its ensuing possession, Walton Verona punted away, and Eli Diop recovered Sebastian’s fumble near midfield. However, the Juggernauts avoided trouble but not without controversy. The Bearcats faced forth down and Smith’s pass downfield was well-covered, but cornerback Tyler Copeland appeared to bump the Walton receiver prior to the football’s arrival. There was no whistle for defensive pass interference.
The hard-luck Bearcats’ woes continued just when it appeared to be on the verge of scoring after taking advantage of recovering a Juggs’ fumble. As a host of Lloyd defenders chased Smith out of the pocket to his right, the junior threw across his body toward the middle of the field into the waiting hands of Sebastian, and the standout sophomore returned it 98 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 Lloyd lead.
Despite being hobbled after making another interception in the end zone before halftime, Sebastian led the Juggernauts to their third touchdown of the game, outrunning defenders to the end zone on a sore leg.
“He shows up, he works hard. He’s doing great in the classroom. For a sophomore, the maturity level he’s shown has been tremendous. His work in the classroom and at practice translates to the field and he’s a phenomenal player, phenomenal kid,” Lloyd Head Coach Kyle Niederman said. “He’s got a great work ethic, his GPA is high right now, his grades are fantastic in the classroom and that just shows you what a great kid he is,” adding that he will be ready to go next week.
The Bearcats looked to get on the scoreboard midway through the third quarter after Smith’s 60-yard scramble down the sideline placed W.V. inside the Juggernauts 10.
But the drive fizzled out, ending in a sack of Smith after runs by Ben Teipe and Christopher Harward gained 4 yards. Lloyd then wasted little time with Zulager racing through the middle of the Walton-Verona defense 88 yards. With a four-possession advantage and five minutes remaining in the quarter, the Juggernauts defense continued to capitalize like it had all night on Bearcats’ turnovers. Following another Smith interception, Zulager’s 45-yard run put Lloyd in position to play add-on. One play later, Zulager’s 12-yard touchdown put the Juggs ahead, 34-0.
New quarterback Kaleb Evans’ 28-yard touchdown pass to Copeland shut the door on the Bearcats, 41-0, on a windy night at the Walton Verona Sports Complex.
“We knew coming in if we didn’t give up big plays, so we played a little bit soft in the secondary and we forced him (Smith) into some bad decisions and fortunately, it worked out for us.”
The Juggernauts (9-3) will host Breathitt County next Friday, November 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the 2A quarterfinals. Walton-Verona concludes its season at 9-3.
“I want to give a shout out to Walton’s program; they’ve done a great job; Coach Barth does a great job and they’ve had a great year. It’s always fun coming over here to complete with such a good program,” Niederman said.