[Stardust]

On a night when momentum shifts were measured in seconds, Simon Kenton speedster Jared Swanson recorded his first career kick return for a touchdown at a most opportune time for the Pioneers.

Swanson raced 91 yards for a TD on the opening kickoff of the second half as Simon Kenton, ranked No. 9 in the Enquirer Northern Kentucky coaches’ poll, rallied for a 21-17 victory over No. 6 Beechwood on Friday night in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown.
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“He told me at halftime, ‘Let me get my hands on the ball, I’ll make something happen’,” said Simon Kenton coach Jeff Marksberry. “He can scoot.”

The Pioneers, who lost 28-0 to Beechwood last season, trailed by 10 points at halftime on Friday. The locker room discussion centered around the importance of scoring on the opening possession of the third quarter. Swanson took care of that.

“We just had to come out and score,” Swanson said. “I followed my lead blockers. I thought, ‘just do what I do’. I finally got my chance.”

Friday night’s game was chock full of big plays by both teams.

After Tyler Smith’s 24-yard field goal was blocked by Beechwood’s Gage Erdman, a 42-yard reception by Chris Lightner set up Miles Sletto’s 24-yard field goal to make the score 3-0.

Simon Kenton caught the Tigers defense off guard in the second quarter when Pioneers QB Brenan Kuntz ran play action and found junior wideout Grant Wassom wide open for a TD putting them ahead 7-3.

Beechwood answered on the next offensive play when Cameron Lane found Lightner open on a seam pattern and the senior wide receiver raced 67 yards to put Beechwood ahead 10-7. Lightner had two catches for 107 yards and a TD in the first half.

Erdman’s 18-yard TD putting the Tigers ahead 17-7 just before halftime, setting up Swanson’s game-changing return.

A halftime adjustment by Simon Kenton to move senior linebacker Jared Bowling to the weak side resulting two key sacks. “That adjustment is one of the reasons we pitched a shutout in the second half,” Marksberry said.

After Bowling sacked Lane for the second time, Andrew Sampson scored on a 22-yard run to put the Pioneers ahead 21-17 on the first play of the fourth quarter.

A gutsy call by Beechwood to fake a punt from its own end zone kept its drive alive late in the fourth quarter. But Lane’s fumble was recovered by Simon Kenton two plays later.

“Young kids in those situations are going to make mistakes,” said Tigers coach Noel Rash. “It will take time for us to come together. The sun will shine on us eventually.”

Beechwood 3 14 0 0 - 17
Simon Kenton 0 7 7 7 - 21

B Sletto 24 FG
S Wassom 28 pass from Kuntz (Smith kick)
B Lightner 67 pass from Lane (Sletto kick)
B Erdman 18 run (Sletto kick)
S Swanson 91 kick return (Smith kick)
S Sampson 22 run (Smith kick)