“Go Logan! Go Logan!” The Ryle assistant football coaches screamed in the press box.
Logan – better known as senior quarterback Logan Verax – was in the middle of a 34-yard run during the second quarter Friday’s Class 6A second-round game against Bullitt East. The rest of the Raiders went, too – they emphatically dethroned the defending champion Chargers in a 43-20 running clock win at CR Borland Sr. Stadium.
Ryle coach Mike Engler thought the score would be a little closer.
“But we’ve been playing really well lately,” Engler said. “I had the confidence that we could perform … Our team’s gaining confidence and confidence and confidence. We’re just getting better and better and better every week. Now, to have a running clock on the defending state champs? I don’t know if I expected that, but it was fun.”
Ryle put on quite a performance.
Verax was responsible for much of Ryle’s offense – through the air he was 21-of-25 for 245 yards and three touchdowns, and he ran eight times for 83 yards and a score.
A quick calculation: of the Raiders’ 435 total yards, Verax had a hand in 328, or a little more than 75%.
What was more: unofficially, Verax has thrown for 7,753 career yards. That’s second to Beechwood’s Cameron Hergott among Northern Kentucky quarterbacks. (Verax passed Highlands’ Gino Guidugli.)
“I didn’t know I was second,” Verax said. “A long-standing second place.”
Two more numbers: Verax now has 3,053 passing yards this season with 27 touchdowns and another 328 on the ground.
Of course, Verax had lots of help: Dylan Lee caught six passes for 139 yards and a touchdown; Grady Reynolds hauled in five for 82; and Jacob Savage and Landon Lorms caught a touchdown pass and threw a 65-yarder to Lee to open the third quarter.
And the Raiders defense? Stout – it limited quarterback Jack Zwernemann, who came into Friday with 2,128 passing yards, another 778 on the ground and 35 combined scores, to 81 passing yards and 59 rushing.
After holding the Chargers to a three-and-out to open the game, Ryle (8-4) moved from its own 5-yard-line to the Bullitt East 40, where the drive ended when Isaiah Hare recovered Savage’s fumble.
Savage nicely atoned just 72 seconds later when he caught Verax’s 20-yard pass for the score.
Savage’s score was the beginning of Ryle’s (8-4) 28-point second quarter. The rest of the Raiders’ scoring: Verax’s four-yard run; Verax-to-Lorms for 12 yards; and Savage’s nine-yard run.
Ryle opened the third quarter with some chicanery – Verax flipped the ball to Lorms, who found Lee running free down the right sideline 65 yards for the score.
“That’s (Lorms’) second touchdown pass this year,” Engler said.
Bullitt East (9-3) gained 217 yards altogether. Zwernemann ran for three touchdowns.
“I don’t think scheme hurt us, it was execution,” Bullitt East coach Keegan Kendrick said.
Next for Ryle: Bryan Station, a 43-10 winner over Tates Creek, in the quarterfinals next Friday in Lexington.
Verax, meanwhile, isn’t focusing on career passing yardage.
“Right now, I’m more worried about taking my team to the next round of the playoffs and beating (Bryan Station),” Verax said.
RYLE RAIDERS 43, BULLITT EAST CHARGERS 20
BULLITT E. — 0-7-0-13— 20
RYLE — 0-28-15-0 — 43
Scoring Plays
2nd Quarter
(R)-Jacob Savage 20 pass from Logan Verax (Josh Line kick), 10:48
(R)-Verax 4 run (Line kick), 7:10
(BE)-Jack Zwernemann 1 run (Jacob Campbell kick), 5:32
(R)-Logan Lorms 12 pass from Verax (Line kick), 3:21
(R)-Savage 9 run (Line kick), :10.5
3rd Quarter
(R)-Dylan Lee 65 pass from Lorms (Line kick), 11:41
(R)-JR Hayes 5 pass from Verax (Gavin Lyons pass from Verax), 10:36
4th Quarter
(BE)-Zwernemann 14 run (Campbell kick), 10:44
(BE)-Zwernemann 21 run (kick blocked), 2:40
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Bullitt East 81 (Zwernemann 7-18-0 TD, 0 INT); Ryle 305 (Verax 21-25-3 TD-0 INT, Lorms 1-1-65-1 TD-0 INT)
Rushing Yards: Bullitt East 136 (Zwernemann 15-59, West 5-25, Britt 7-49, Cowan 1-3); Ryle 125 (Savage 9-28, Verax 8-83, Lorms 1-7, Lyons 1-5, Galicia 3-2, Depue 1-0, Jenkins 1-2, Warner 2-(minus-2))
Receiving: Bullitt East 81 (Cowan 1-26, Spalding 1-2, Bostock 2-11, Baker 4-39, Rayhill 1-3); Ryle 245 (Lords 3-26, Lee 6-139, Reynolds 5-82, Lyons 3-14, Hayes 3-19, Savage 2-30)
Turnovers: Bullitt East 2, Ryle 1
Penalties: Bullitt East 5-38, Ryle 6-45
Records: Bullitt East 9-3, Ryle 8-4.