No, Grayson Harris did not score a touchdown Friday.
But Simon Kenton is continuing its season because of what Harris did to Oldham County. He threw a touchdown pass, intercepted another and caught six Grant Webb tosses for 95 yards in the Pioneers’ 31-9 Class 6A first-round win at Chlorine Menefee Stadium.
“It’s awesome,” Simon Kenton coach Joe Wynn said of his first playoff win since coming to Independence last year. “(We) came out and battled, earned another week and trusted the game plan. Defense executed.”
Next for the Pioneers: two-time defending champion Louisville Trinity next Friday in St. Matthews. Harris thought there was a biblical comparison – First Samuel 17 – in playing the Shamrocks.
“It’s a David-Goliath story,” Harris said.
Unofficially, Harris has 54 catches for 1,035 yards this season; he has 202 receptions for 3,057 and 22 touchdowns altogether. Harris knew he was on track for the aforementioned statistic.
“I was just thinking about winning this game,” Harris said.
Friday’s flashiest play came just before halftime – Webb tossed a backward pass to Harris, who found Forest Hughes alone for 71 yards. It was a play designed to make Oldham County’s cornerback think Harris would run.
In winning its first 6A playoff game since 2022, Simon Kenton out-gained Oldham County, 375-190. Oldham County coach Jamie Reed said Simon Kenton’s postseason experience was equally a factor.
“And so I felt like they had an edge all night, played with some confidence,” Reed said. “And I think our guys almost played like we were waiting for the last straw to drop.”
Harris, Webb (8-of-9 for 145 yards) and Hughes weren’t the only contributors. Landon Brown ran for 76 yards and a touchdown and recovered a fumble.
For a little more than a quarter, you might have thought the Pioneers and Colonels (6-5) would trade touchdowns all night.
Simon Kenton opened the scoring with Brown’s three-yard score – he carried seven times for 46 yards.
Oldham County countered with Nash Meredith’s one-yard plunge, but a low snap on the extra point turned into Colonel quarterback Derek Dees running around right end and being stopped at the 5-yard line.
The failed extra point attempt might have been a harbinger of Oldham County’s troubles because not a lot went right.
After Simon Kenton’s Jason Rabe scored from seven yards out extended the Pioneers’ lead to 14-6, Meredith ran a fake punt 20 yards before fumbling. Brown recovered, and Miles Mullen finished the drive with a 28-yard field goal.
“God, we said before the game, no turnovers,” Reed said. “And you know, we get a fake punt, we got some momentum … They (Simon Kenton) score some big plays, and then it chips away at your confidence a little bit.”
One play after Rowan Williams’ 35-yard field goal narrowed Oldham County’s deficit to 17-9 with 1:01 before halftime, Simon Kenton unleashed “Double Pass” – Webb-to-Harris-to-Hughes, the same play that resulted in an 80-yard score in Simon Kenton’s (6-5) 35-16 win over Great Crossing on Oct. 10.
“It’s not like we were surprised,” Reed said. “We worked on that play all week, stopping that play.”
The Colonels took the second-half kickoff from their 42 to Simon Kenton’s 20 – a drive that stalled with Harris’ interception.
Simon Kenton finished the scoring on Jordan Pendleton’s four-yard run with 2:29 left in the game.
Trinity is 6-0 against Simon Kenton since 2001, but the Pioneers didn’t seem fazed Friday.
“I know (the Shamrocks) are really good,” Webb said, “but I think if we execute, we can do our jobs, I think we have a chance.”
PIONEERS 31, COLONELS 9
OLDHAM CO. — 0-9-0-0 — 9
SIMON KENTON — 7-17-0-7 — 31
Scoring Plays
First quarter
SK-Landon Brown 3 run (Miles Mullen kick), 5:58
Second quarter
OC-Nash Meredith 1 run (run failed), 10:37
SK-Jason Rabe 7 run (Mullen kick), 7:08
SK-Mullen 28 field goal, 2:05
OC-Rowan Williams 35 field goal, 1:01
SK-Forest Hughes 71 pass from Grayson Harris (Mullen kick), 0:42
Fourth quarter
SK-Jordan Pendleton 4 run (Mullen kick)
Game Stats
Passing Yards: Oldham Co. 83 (Dees 7-17-83-1 INT); Simon Kenton 216 (Webb 8-9-141-0 TD-0 INT; Harris 1-1-71-1 TD-0INT).
Rushing Yards: Oldham Co. 107 (Meredith 19-75, Corum 5-14, Mount 3-6, Dees 5-12, Snyder 1-3); Simon Kenton 159 (Brown 14-76, Pendleton 6-36, Webb 6-40, Turner 1-0, Ober 1-(minus-4), Rabe 1-7).
Receiving: Oldham Co. 83 (Kightlinger 5-47, McRoberts 2-15, Mount 2-21); Simon Kenton 216 (Harris 6-95, Pendleton 1-22, Ober 1-4, Hughes 1-71, Brown 1-24).
First downs: Oldham Co. 12, Simon Kenton 13.
Turnovers: Oldham Co. 2, Simon Kenton 0.
Penalties: Oldham Co. 2-20, Simon Kenton 4-40.
Records: Oldham County 6-5, Simon Kenton 6-5.