NKY Football: A Visit to Elder; Scott Wins at Home; Ludlow Photos; Scoreboard

The River City News’s coverage of Northern Kentucky high school football this week includes a column from Dan Weber, a game recap from Jason Finnell, a photo slideshow from Brian Frey, and the full regional scoreboard below.

A rough trip for Cov Cath to Elder

Sorry Google Maps, you’re wrong. It has to be way more than 7.1 miles from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills to The Pit at Elder.

Way, way more. This is just a different place here in the heart of Price Hill. More of a college atmosphere and we’re not just talking about the tailgating on the grounds of Elder and sister school Seton where the $10-a-pop parking is a major annual fundraiser.

It was a tough trip Friday night as the Colonels made the treacherous journey in a trio of CovCath school buses to play the first game at The Pit in 650 days in front of a real crowd. Covid 19 had limited fans to two family members per game in 2020 at this iconic, top-10-high-school-places-in-the-nation to play.

With 27 seniors having departed from its state semifinalist team, CovCath’s new kids weren’t quite ready for the challenge of playing in front of a near-capacity crowd just shy of 8,000 or so, even as their legendary student cheering section — the Colonel Crazies — were in midseason form.

“We don’t like to make excuses,” CovCath Coach Ed Eviston said after Elder’s 28-6 win in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown that saw the Colonels earn something of a stalemate in a 7-6 second half after giving up too many big plays — and the football — in a 21-0 first half.

And even for CovCath players who are seniors, “they’re a lot of new students of the game,” Eviston said.

One Elder Panther who was anything but a newbie was the reason for the big smile on Elder Coach Doug Ramsey’s face as he came onto the field. His do-everything son, Drew, the third and last of his football-playing sons, was just way too good for this competition. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder play-everywhere guy could be the best all-around player in the tough Greater Cincinnati League.

Nothing the passer, pass-catcher, runner, defender and punter did on this night will disabuse anyone of that thought. Named Game MVP, Drew Ramsey ran for 64 yards and two touchdowns and caught nine passes for 180 yards — five yards more than CovCath’s total 175 yards of offense. That included one Elder school record 99-yard swing pass for a game-changing TD just when it looked like CovCath had the Panthers backed up into their own end zone.

The clock said there was 5:48 left in the first half but with the score 21-0, this one was over. CovCath had a chance — and then it didn’t.

“That’s a great opponent over there,” Eviston told his guys as they took a knee at midfield after the game. “You have to execute when you play a very good opponent like that.”

Three Elder interceptions into or near the goal line when CovCath had its chances made the point obvious. And at least twice, Colonel receivers beat the Elder secondary deep twice but could not get into the end zone. Just not enough speed.

But this was just Game 1. “You have a chance to be a very good team,” Eviston told his team saying that he was “proud of them” the way they came back and fought the second half. “We played better,” he said later. “We needed that second half.”

As for CovCath, quarterback Adam Holtz had his moments scrambling. Return man Rob Sandfoss showed some burst. Wide receiver Trevor WIlson made some plays on the ball and running back Reid Hummel showed some toughness running inside while scoring the CovCath TD on a five-yard swing pass into three defenders.

But when they needed a play, the Colonels couldn’t get it. Elder wouldn’t let them have it.

Now CovCath gears up for another world in a far different place from Park Hills — Belfry, Ky., for the Pike County Bowl Friday where it’s either a 234-mile trip if you stay in Kentucky and take the Mountain Parkway or 210 miles if you head down the Ohio River through Maysville, Ashland and come back through West Virginia. Either way it’s a tad under four hours.

“Another good setting for us,” Eviston said. Although after a 55-14 loss to Pulaski County, football school Belfry might not be the team people were expecting it to be. Which would be some kind of good news for the Colonels who follow their two opening road games with a strong trio of Lexington Catholic and Dixie Heights at home and Beechwood on the road.

“We didn’t have much choice on Game 2,” Eviston said of the back-to-back road trips to open. “It’s not easy for us to schedule.”

Which is how you want it to be. When no one wants to play you. But on this night, CovCath looked more like the visitors often do when they get to Park Hills — in over their head.

Dan Weber writes a sports column for The River City News. Contact him at dweber3440@aol.com.

Scott Beats Walton-Verona in Taylor Mill

Scott kept Walton-Verona at bay despite the Bearcats’ best effort in the second half to make a comeback on a muggy evening in Taylor Mill. Junior running back Bennie Hill led the way for the Eagles with two touchdowns as Scott rebounded from a scoreless opening quarter on a night where each team struggled with cramping: often a trademark of opening week August football.

With just a few seconds off the clock to begin the second quarter, Eagles senior quarterback Gus Howlett found senior receiver Cam Patterson for a 25-yard touchdown reception for the standout senior and a 7-0 Scott lead. After Bearcats quarterback Trey Hatmaker’s interception, an unsportsmanlike penalty on his team – the first of several personal foul penalties assessed to the Eagles and Bearcats – gave Scott possession inside the Walton-Verona 30, Howlett called his own number on two consecutive plays to place Scott at the Bearcats one-yard line. Austin Shaw scored from a yard out to put the Eagles ahead by two scores, 13-0. Only a minute later, the Eagles found the end zone once again due in part to a muffed punt by Bearcats’ punter Tyson Beach and he was tackled by Scott defenders inside his own 10-yard line. Three plays later, Hill cut up the middle for the six-yard score and a 21-0 advantage for the Eagles following a successful two-point conversion. Frustration began to set in for the Bearcats on its ensuing possession. After Hatmaker’s second interception of the game gave Scott good field position, another personal foul penalty was called on Walton-Verona and Scott, as pushing and shoving after the play created the offsetting penalties. However, out of the scrum, the Eagles offense stalled, and senior kicker Luke Iden converted a 33-yard field goal to put Scott up, 24-0 into halftime.

The Eagles picked up where they left off near the end of the first half. Howlett found Dylan Giffen for a 21-yard gain into Walton-Verona territory. Then, Patterson’s reception to the 25 gave Scott a new set of downs. Hill then sliced through the left side of the defensive line of the Bearcats for a 19-yard score, his second of the game and a 31-0 lead for Scott. Then, Walton-Verona was able to get on the board with its second possession of the third quarter following a drive which the Eagles substituted their starting quarterback being up by five scores. Senior running back Jacob Gaines’ nine-yard run pulled the Bearcats closer, 31-7, near the conclusion of the quarter. Sophomore Ben Teipe’s 18-yard touchdown run with five minutes remaining sealed the scoring for each team after Gaines two-point conversion attempt was stopped short.

Scott finished the night with 296 yards of total offense while Walton-Verona tallied 244 yards. The Eagles stay home next week to face Boone Co. while the Bearcats visit Holy Cross on their home field at Thomas More University.

The Jaguars started the season with a win on the road. Next week, Cooper is back home for a date with Dixie Heights.

Class 5A

Conner 35

Lafayette 12

The Cougars ran away from their Lexington opponent to open the season with a win. Next week, Conner is on the road at Ryle.