he first time the Simon Kenton and Ryle football teams met this season, they played one of the closest and most important games of the season.
When they played again Friday night, the stakes were even higher. Ryle produced the same result, sans the drama.
Powered by a grind-it-out ball-control ground game and five rushing touchdowns from junior Travis Elliott, the Raiders beat Simon Kenton 35-14 at Borland Stadium in a Class 6A regional title game.
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“We’re a way different team now,” Elliott said. “This is the playoffs. We have everything to lose. The season could end any week.”
Instead, the Raiders advance to next week’s state semifinals against state power Louisville Trinity. The game will be played at Ryle.
“Trinity’s a terrific program,” said Ryle coach Bryson Warner. “The opportunity to play them here, obviously is somewhat of a plus. We’re going to come here and defend our field and compete.”
Ryle, which dominated time of possession 28 minutes to 15 minutes, scored 21 unanswered points to put the game away. Elliott scored on a 52-yard run midway through the third quarter to make it a two-touchdown game. Elliott finished the game with 21 carries for 191 yards.
“If you don’t get three or four bodies to him and get him on the ground, he makes you pay,” said Simon Kenton coach Jeff Marksberry. “Great backs do that. And they controlled the line of scrimmage. They’re pretty good up front.”
The Pioneers pulled out all the stops with 5:30 to play, attempting a fake punt in their own territory. But the Raiders sniffed out the play and stopped Simon Kenton short, effectively ending the Pioneers’ comeback chances. They converted on the next possession, scoring on Elliott’s final touchdown.
Like in the first meeting of the game – a 38-35 overtime victory for Ryle – the teams traded scores throughout the first half. Ryle claimed a 21-14 lead just before halftime when Elliott rushed for his third touchdown of the game.
Simon Kenton seemed poised to tie the game before the end of the quarter, driving to the Ryle 25-yard line with 25 seconds left. But then Ryle junior defensive back Ryan Smith picked off a Lawrence pass at the goal line to end the threat and preserve the Raiders’ 21-14 lead.
“That changed the momentum quickly,” said Warner. “It was a huge play.”
Ryle maintained that momentum with a very similar third-quarter play. Simon Kenton got the ball to start the second half and drove to the Ryle 24-yard line, but then Ryle defensive back Luke Boggs picked off another pass in the end zone to end that threat.
Smith said the Ryle defensive players spent the week chasing around shifty backup quarterback Caleb Lonkard to simulate Lawrence’s improvisational playmaking ability.
“He basically ran all around and the receivers scrambled all over the place until somebody gets open,” he said. “We’d be covering people for 20 seconds at a time. But it worked great. We were on him all game.”
Lawrence finished with 67 rushing yards and was 22-37 passing for 223 yards and a touchdown. Senior receiver Ryan Winkler caught seven passes for 104 yards.
Friday’s state semifinals will mark the first meeting between Ryle and Trinity since the Shamrocks beat the Raiders 41-7 in the 2006 Class 4A state finals.
Simon Kenton….7 7 0 0 -- 14
Ryle……………7 14 7 7 -- 35
R – Elliott 10 run (Mead kick)
SK – Lawrence 1 run (Herald kick)
R – Elliott 12 run (Mead kick)
SK – Carroll 13 pass from Lawrence (Herald kick)
R – Elliott 3 run (Mead kick)
R – Elliott 52 run (Mead kick)
R – Elliott 4 run (Mead kick)
Records: SK 10-3, R 12-1
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