Racke rallies Simon Kenton

INDEPENDENCE, Kentucky – The Simon Kenton Pioneers trailed for much of the first half but came back beating the Conner Cougars at home 39-27. The win improved the Pioneers record to 3-0 on the young season as Simon Kenton sits atop of the TriStateFootball.com rankings in Northern Kentucky.

On the second play of the game, the snap sailed over the head of Pioneers quarterback Cam Racke and was recovered on the seven-yard line by Conner linebacker Peyton VanHorn. Armand Jackson punched the ball into the end zone two plays later to give the Cougars a 7-0 lead.

Simon Kenton QB Cameron Racke (photo by Brady Laber/TriStateFootball.com)

Racke knew right away that he was going to have to rally the troops to get his team back into the game.

“We came out today flat, I knew something bad was going to happen. Sure enough, first possession the snap goes over my head on a miscommunication, said Racke. “Loud crowd, I love their enthusiasm, but we just misunderstood the call and they pounded it in on us.”

Racke, who lined up not only at quarterback but also took snaps at both running back and wide receiver to give backup quarterback Matt Shearer opportunities under center was a calming influence when times looked rough for his team.

“I just went over to the bench, got on a knee and looked them in the eye and said we’re in trouble. We are going to fight the rest of this game cause we lost all the momentum and we’re going to have to get it back,” Racke explained.

Conner lead 21-7 in the second quarter before Simon Kenton started chipping away at the deficit, regaining the momentum.

Racke scored on a five-yard touchdown run putting the Pioneers within one score of the Cougars midway through the second quarter.

Shearer was a big part of the game plan as he and Racke were on the field at the same time for much of the game.

Late in the second quarter, Shearer faked a handoff to Racke and threw a pass to Fisher Hayden that turned into a 77-yard scoring play. Racke successfully ran in the two-point conversion giving Simon Kenton its first lead 22-21 with 2:31 left in the first half.

The Simon Kenton defense was able to get some big stops, not allowing Conner to earn a first down in the entire third quarter.

Racke gave a courageous performance in the second half, leaving the game first with a sprained knee and later being carried off by his offensive linemen while cramping up due to the knee brace being on too tight.

“Cam really put us on his back tonight,” said head coach Jeff Marksberry. “He’s our leader, a three-year starter, team captain and those are the kind of things we have come to expect out of him.”

In the fourth quarter, the senior quarterback lead a 14-play drive that was highlighted with Racke eluding pressure and completing an 11-yard pass to Luke Vance that set up a touchdown. Vance would score two plays later to give Simon Kenton a 32-21 advantage.

Conner, who fell to 1-1 on the season with the loss, kept the game close when Matt Simpson returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Although Conner failed to convert on the two-point conversion, the Cougars were still in striking distance trailing 32-27.

The Pioneers put the game out of reach with a 2-yard touchdown run by Shearer that capped an 11-play drive with 1:49 left in the game.

Simon Kenton will go on the road to take on the Dixie Heights Colonels next week while Conner will host the Scott Eagles.

SCORE BY QUARTERS1 2 3 4 T
Conner 14 7 0 6 27
Simon Kenton 7 15 3 14 39

SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
CON – Armand Johnson 3-yard TD run (Jacob Sheppard kick)

SK – Luke Canve 3-yard TD run (Christian Segar kick)

CON – Cooper Guillion 8-yard TD pass to Matt Simpson (Jacob Sheppard kick)

2nd Quarter
SK – Cam Racke 5-yard TD run (Christian Segar kick)

CON – Walker Buelow 3-yard TD pass to Cody Buckler (Jacob Sheppard kick)

SK – Matt Shearer 77-yard TD pass to Fisher Hayden (Cam Racke 2-point run)

3rd Quarter
SK – Christian Segar 22-yard field goal

4th Quarter
SK – Luke Vance 1-yard TD run (Christain Segar kick)

CON – Matt Simpson 85-yard kickoff return for TD (2-point conversion failed)

SK – Matt Shearer 2-yard TD run (Christain Segar kick)

Brady Laber is a 2009 graduate of Northern Kentucky University. He is in his seventh season with tristatefootball.com and has covered Northern Kentucky high school football since 2006.

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