Winning takes guts and that’s exactly what Covington Catholic had.
Trailing 13-7 late in the third quarter, CovCath made a gutsy move on fourth down and goal from Johnson Central’s eight-yard line. Colonels’ Cash Harney hit a wide-open Oliver Link in the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown. The score put the Colonels ahead 14-13, the defense doing the rest from there to secure the second round, Class 4A playoff victory over the Golden Eagles.
“Guys had to make big plays at key times,” CovCath head coach Eddie Eviston said. “Our guys did. I’m so darn proud of them because they didn’t waver. They made the plays when they needed to.”
On the previous drive, Harney had just lost the ball on a fumble, but he received some crucial support in his response.
“It’s really my teammates,” Harney said. “They keep my head in the game. I was mad at myself, but me teammates picked me up. My coaches trusted in me and they all believed in me.”
The junior also accounted for the other touchdown as well, an eight-yard rushing touchdown late in the first half. Harney totaled 90 of the team’s 128 total yards in a tough sledding contest.
It wasn’t just the offense that needed a reboot. Facing a Johnson Central team with a powerful rushing attack, the Golden Eagles dominated early with a 13-0 lead after Logan Morrow’s one-yard touchdown run.
Johnson Central entered with a potent rushing attack, averaging nearly 400 yards per game. The Colonels nearly cut that in half to 227.
“We had made a couple adjustments,” Eviston said. “Our defensive coordinator did a great job of making those. Our players responded with those and we were able to then slow them down.”
Tate Kruer and Dylan Gaiser both made key contributions, with Kruer recording 18 tackles and Gaiser grabbing an interception.
The Golden Eagles threw the first punch as Christian Barnes found the endzone on a six-yard run. Harney’s rushing score late in the second made it 13-7 at half.
All three phases earned CovCath the win, coming up with what turned out to be a crucial blocked extra point along with some solid kickoff return coverage.
Logan Music led Johnson Central with 71 rushing yards, followed by Zack McCoart with 54 and Logan Morrow with 49
Golden Eagles’ quarterback Austin Slone had 22 passing yards and one interception.
“I wish that ball would’ve bounced different tonight, but it didn’t” Johnson Central head coach Jesse Peck said. “That’s the game of football. You’ve got to pick yourself up and get back to work.”
For the second consecutive season, CovCath proved too much for Johnson Central in the postseason, eliminating the Golden Eagles from the playoffs. However, the Colonels’ journey continues—and it’s far from easy.
Covington Catholic will travel to Danville next week for a rematch of last season’s Class 4A State Championship against Boyle County, the top-ranked team in the class and a top 25 team nationally.
However, there’s no sign of backing down in Park Hills.
“We’re feeling confident,” Harney said. “We have a salty taste in our mouth from last season. Chip on our shoulder, go in there and see what we can do.”
COLONELS 14, GOLDEN EAGLES 13
COVINGTON CATHOLIC — 0-7-7-0— 14
JOHNSON CENTRAL — 7-6-0-0— 13
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(JC) Barnes 6-yard run (1:34) Bentley kick
2nd Quarter
(JC) Morrow 1-yard run (7:50) Bentley kick failed
(CC) Harney 8-yard run (2:06) Urti kick
3rd Quarter
(CC) Harney 14-yard pass to Link (1:11) Urti kick
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Covington Catholic 57 (Harney 4/8), Johnson Central 22 (Slone 2/4)
Rushing Yards: Covington Catholic 71 (Harney 8-33, Gaiser 7-32, Pitzer 1-6, Bessler 1-zero), Johnson Central 227 (Music 17-71, McCoart 14-54, Morrow 17-49, Barnes 6-28, Braxton Perry 1-6)
Receiving: Covington Catholic (Link 2-49, Brooks 1-7, Gaiser 1-1), Johnson Central (Conley 1-15, Davis 1-7)
Turnovers: Covington Catholic 1, Johnson Central 1
Records: Covington Catholic 10-2, Johnson Central 8-4