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Beechwood headed to title game

FORT MITCHELL, Kentucky – The Beechwood Tigers are headed to Lexington next Friday, aiming to capture its fifth state championship in six years after knocking off the Mayfield Cardinals 38-7 in the state semifinals Friday night in Fort Mitchell.

The win allowed the Tigers to exact revenge on the Cardinals. The last time the two teams faced in the playoffs, Mayfield denied Beechwood its fourth straight state title after knocking off the Tigers 35-7 in the 2019 state semifinals.

“It feels great to beat those guys and get it off our back,” Beechwood running back Mitch Berger said.

The 2021 edition of the matchup began with star quarterback Cameron Hergott finding Laim McCormack for a seven-yard score. McCormack then went on defense and picked off Mayfield quarterback Brajone Dabney to give the ball back to the Tigers.

Hergott added another score by using his legs, rushing for a 13-yard score to give Beechwood an early 14-0 lead. The Tigers special teams followed up the big score with a fumble recovering on the ensuing kickoff. However, the Tigers were not able to capitalize on the turnover after Hergott was hit hard near the goal line, turning the ball over.

Mayfield also failed to convert the turnover into points, giving the ball back to Beechwood which led to a 21-yard run by Mitch Berger. Jake Conrad added a 36-yard field as the first half ended, giving the Tigers a 24-0 lead at the midway point.

Out of the locker room, Hergott extended the Beechwood lead by finding the end zone on a 10-yard run. Mitch Berger added a seven-yard scoring run later in the quarter to start a running clock.

The Cardinals finally got on the board late in the third quarter when Dabney took it in himself for a quarterback keeper. Those were all the points the Cardinals could muster up, as the Tigers punched their ticket to Lexington for a second straight season.

Beechwood Head Coach Noel Rash was impressed by the way his offense continues to perform, saying that’s where it all starts.

“It begins with that offense just grinding and grinding and just beating on those guys and that’s ultimately what made the difference,” Rash said. “That whole thing was just dominating and fun to watch.”

Beechwood will take on fellow undefeated foe Lexington Christian on Friday, Dec. 3, at 4 p.m. at Kroger Field. Lexington Christian advanced by beating Middlesboro 58-0.

SCORING BY QUARTERS

Mayfield 0-0-7-0-7

Beechwood 7-17-14-0-38

SCORING PLAYS

B: Cameron Hergott 7-yard pass to Liam McCormack (Jake Conrad kick good)

B: Cameron Hergott 13-yard rush (Jake Conrad kick good)

B: Mitch Berger 21-yard rush (Jake Conrad kick good)

B: Jake Conrad 36-yard field goal

B: Cameron Hergott 10-yard rush (Jake Conrad kick good)

B: Mitch Berger 7-yard rush (Jake Conrad kick good)

M: Brajone Dabney 3-yard run (Lincoln Suiter kick good)

RECORDS: Beechwood (14-0); Mayfield (12-1)

UP NEXT: KHSAA Class 2A State Championship v.s. Lexington Christian, Friday, Dec. 3, 4 p.m. at Kroger Field in Lexington, Ky.

Check out the COMPLETE SCOREBOARD.

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