After losing a Division I lineman to the University of Kentucky (Aba Selm) and a 1,400-yard rusher (Durrell Turner) to a transfer from the 2023 season, Simon Kenton showed no ill effects of it as they opened the 2024 season with a bang.
The Pioneers put up a 50-burger and racked up 527 yards of offense in a 50-35 victory over Dixie Heights on Friday night in Edgewood.
They did so in a pretty clean manner too, without a turnover and flagged for just two penalties all night.
“We’ve had some growing pains for sure, but we’ve got some playmakers,” Pioneers coach Roy Lucas said. “Brady has a big time arm, (Tysin) Weaver and (Grayson) Harris, those kids are playmakers and Torin Turner did a great job at running back. Pretty much all new offensive line and the kids really stepped up.”
Brady Lee threw for 301 yards and ran for 107 more, combining for five touchdowns, three passing, two rushing. Whatever Simon Kenton wanted to do offensively, they pretty much got as they piled up the 50-piece before the fourth quarter horn even hit.
“It just starts with chemistry,” Lee said. “We’ve got receivers that we played with last year. They’re good and our offensive line, even though they haven’t played that much, they’re all seniors except for one and they just do their job well.”
The most impressive stat of them all? No penalties from pretty much an entire new offensive line.
“I still feel like we could have done better,” Pioneers lineman Preston McCauley said. “But you can’t complain about not getting a holding call all night.”
For Dixie Heights, they knew coming into the season they were going to have to learn on the go defensively with 11 of their top 15 tacklers graduated and Brach Rice no longer there in the middle of the field to bring the opponent down. They struggled to tackle at times and it was evident in the numbers.
Where the big struggle was in getting off the field, the Pioneers converting numerous third and fourth down opportunities to extend drives.
“Got to be able to stop people,” Colonels coach Pat Burke said. “It was tackling, on the edges, linebacker play hurt us a bit. But really it was communication, we are young. That communication piece, playing on a Friday night with some younger guys certainly hurt. I think we can correct it, have to get tackling and communication fixed and settle down and play ball.”
Despite the lack of defense from the Colonels it was a 21-20 game after Armani Gregg’s two of three rushing touchdowns on the night with 2:16 to go before the half.
But it was too much time for the Pioneers, marching right down the field and Brady Lee’s three-yard touchdown run making it 28-20 at the break.
The Pioneers first punt of the night came on their opening possession of the second half, but got the ball right back as they stopped the Colonels on fourth and short in their own territory. After Lee’s second touchdown pass of the night, Mason Fields was intercepted by Jackson Kellerman on their first play from scrimmage after the score.
The Pioneers then answered with scores on their next two possessions to put the game out of reach, the last coming from Tysin Weaver on a four-yard scoring run to make it 50-27 with less than a minute to play in the third.
The Colonels added a score late on David Anderson’s 24-yard run to make things a little more respectable. Dixie had no trouble gaining yards on the ground, finishing with 307 rushing yards, Gregg with 208 of them higlighted by a 68-yard rushing touchdown.
“That’s who we are. Armani ran well, Mason did well in his first varsity start and thought he managed the game well minus the interception,” Burke said. “It’s not an offensive issue right now, it’s a defensive issue.”
The Colonels (0-1) will return to action next week at home against Hughes (Ohio).
The Pioneers (1-0) open the season with a victory for the third straight year, their second straight over Dixie. They’ll play Mercer County at Woodford County next week.
Lee’s top targets were Grayson Harris and Tysin Weaver, Harris finishing with nine receptions for 188 yards, Weaver adding six receptions for 69 yards. Six different Pioneers caught a pass while six different Pioneers carried the ball. Torin Turner had 82 yards rushing on 16 carries.
“That’s what we try to do and what our offense is all about,” Lucas said. “We try to make people defend everybody. When you can do that, you get kids like Weaver and Harris to make a play and they go do it.”
PIONEERS 50, COLONELS 35
SIMON KENTON — 7-21-22-0 — 50
DIXIE HEIGHTS — 7-13-7-8 — 35
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(SK) Lee 4-yard run (1:12) Eveland kick
(DH) Gregg 48-yard run (:30) Niemeyer kick
2nd Quarter
(SK) Turner 4-yard run (10:57) Eveland kick
(DH) Fields 29-yard pass to Kriger (8:18) Niemeyer kick
(SK) Lee 29-yard pass to Harris (5:37) Eveland kick
(DH) Gregg 15-yard run (2:16) Kick failed
(SK) Lee 3-yard run (:10) Eveland kick
3rd Quarter
(SK) Lee 10-yard pass to Weaver (6:28) Eveland kick
(SK) Lee 31-yard pass to Harris (3:46) Eveland kick
(DH) Gregg 68-yard run (3:28) Niemeyer kick
(SK) Weaver 4-yard run (:48) Weaver pass to Harris
4th Quarter
(DH) Anderson 24-yard run (:44) Anderson run
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Simon Kenton 301 (Lee 21/42), Dixie Heights 95 (Fields 11/18, Gregg 0/1)
Rushing Yards: Simon Kenton 226 (Lee 17-107, Turner 16-82, Smith 8-16, Weaver 3-12, Webb 2-8, Harris 1-1) Dixie Heights 307 (Gregg 18-208, Anderson 11-66, Fields 6-33)
Receiving: Simon Kenton (Harris 9-188, Weaver 6-69, King 2-20, Back 1-19, Powell 1-4, Turner 2-1) Dixie Heights (Kriger 3-58, Morris 3-21, Gregg 2-6, Anderson 1-5, Linville 1-5, Golsch 1-0)
Turnovers: Simon Kenton 0, Dixie Heights 1
Penalties: Simon Kenton 2-20, Dixie Heights 7-64
Records: Simon Kenton 1-0, Dixie Heights 0-1
