[RedRaiderNation]

what did the article in the independent say?

With a home playoff game at stake, it was the home team that earned it at Greenup County on Friday night.

The Musketeers (2-6) fought their way out of a tight game against Lawrence County with a 22-point fourth quarter, led by senior tailback T.J. Stephenson, en route to a 35-20 district victory.

“He’s just a great back,” said Greenup County coach Mike Sammons. “We’ve struggled to kind of feature him and to find plays that work well with him and the offensive line, but it worked tonight.”

It worked, but Stephenson did not fully get his motor running until the fourth quarter, when he scored three touchdowns.

“We got in a (power-I formation) and he just kind of hid behind the offensive line, just to squirt free at the last minute,” Sammons said.

Stephenson “squirted free” for 150 yards rushing against the Bulldogs. But he wasn’t the only problem for Lawrence County.

The Bulldogs were seeing yellow all night, which was Greenup County’s homecoming night. Lawrence County had a whopping total of 18 penalties for 157 yards.

“A lot of bad things happened,” said Lawrence County coach Billy Goldsmith. “Penalties just killed us. A lot of that was just bad leadership.”

After senior tailback Coty Roberts ran one in for six early in the second, the Bulldogs began to compile the penalties. Roberts finished with 103 rushing yards.

The officials whistled the Lawrence County sidelines for several of the penalties.

And after a Greenup County run by Corey Justice in the second quarter, Lawrence County senior Tim Hayes was ejected following a personal foul call.

Goldsmith thought injuries caught up to the Bulldogs as well.

“We have a lot of kids banged up, and we really struggled to finish,” he said. “This is the most amount of injuries we’ve ever had, but the kids played hard and they never quit.”

Despite injuries and penalties, the Bulldogs stayed in the game and actually led the affair going into the fourth quarter, 14-13.

Freshman quarterback Chandler Shepherd connected on 12 of 14 passes for 193 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown pass to senior wideout Acie Waller, who had six catches for 177 yards.

“Other than that long pass, they couldn’t get too much going against us,” Sammons said.

Greenup County’s defense, with the help of penalties, held Lawrence County deep in its own territory twice late in the game.

On both occasions, the Bulldogs punted to give Greenup County excellent field position, in which the Musketeers capitalized upon.

This erased any serious chance at a Bulldog comeback.

Along with Stephenson, Greenup County quarterback Eric Craft played a big role in the win, which secured the No. 2 seed in the district and a home playoff game on Nov. 9 against Rowan County.

Craft was 12-for-21, throwing for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

“Eric has played well all season long,” Sammons said. “He managed the game really well tonight, and he just keeps getting better and better each week.”

Next week Craft and the Musketeers will be at home against winless Lewis County, another team with a good passing game.

Lawrence County (1-7) will travel to Breathitt County next Friday.