We’ve reached the quarterfinal round of playoff action in the Bluegrass State and several Northern Kentucky teams fought through the rain and for their playoff lives. Here’s a look at how things unfolded and which teams are moving on..
CLASS 6A
RYLE 28, FREDERICK DOUGLASS 27
Ryle stunned Frederick Douglass 28–27 in an overtime thriller to claim its second straight Region Championship and eighth consecutive victory. The Raiders struck first on a shifty touchdown run from quarterback Nathan Verax, but the Broncos answered with a score from standout back Dakari Talbert, who powered Frederick Douglass throughout the night. Tied 7–7 at halftime, the game remained tight into the fourth quarter. With time expiring, Ryle completed a dramatic drive capped by a touchdown on the final play to pull within 20–20—only to see the potential game-winning PAT clang off the upright. In overtime, Talbert opened with two carries, the second producing his fourth touchdown and giving the Broncos a 27–20 lead. Ryle responded immediately, leaning on Verax and receiver Dylan Lee, who had 113 yards on just three catches, including an 85-yard sideline burst that set up an earlier score. After punching in the overtime TD, the Raiders kept the offense on the field. Verax kept the ball on the two-point try, muscling across the goal line to seal a gutsy road win made even more impressive by Ryle finishing the game without two-way star Jacob Savage.
CLASS 4A
BOYLE COUNTY 49, COVINGTON CATHOLIC 14
Boyle County got payback for last year’s season-ending loss, eliminating Covington Catholic with a dominant home performance. The night belonged to Ji’Dyn Smith-Hisel, who delivered one of the most remarkable playoff outings in state history — rushing for 432 yards and four touchdowns on just 25 carries as the Rebels controlled the game from start to finish. CovCath found the end zone twice, once on a Cash Harney touchdown pass to Donovan Bradshaw and again on a 9-yard run by Dylan Gaiser, but could never slow Boyle County’s explosive ground attack. It marked a disappointing finish to an otherwise impressive turnaround for the Colonels, who rebounded from an 0–2 start to win nine of their next ten entering the matchup.
CORBIN 35, HIGHLANDS 21
Corbin powered past Highlands 35–21 on a rainy night in Fort Thomas, earning its third state semifinal berth in four seasons. The Bluebirds stumbled early, as Rio Litmer was intercepted by Trey Person on the opening drive, and moments later Mason Salmons sprinted 53 yards to put Corbin up 7–0. The Redhounds dominated on the ground, extending the lead with Person’s 1-yard run before Issac Nieman’s 3-yard score brought Highlands within 14–7. Corbin answered with a late first-half touchdown from Person to take a 21–7 lead into the break, a margin that held through the third quarter. Cam Estep pushed it to 28–7 early in the fourth, and while Highlands added two late Litmer touchdown passes, Estep’s second rushing score sealed the win. Highlands ends its season at 10–3.
CLASS 3A
LLOYD 28, RUSSELL 13
Lloyd continued its historic season with a 28–13 win over Russell, avenging last year’s loss and advancing to the state semifinals for the first time since 2022. The undefeated Juggernauts (13–0), who have now set a school record for wins, led 14–7 at halftime behind long touchdown runs from Lincoln Tomlinson and Avery Conrad and a 64-yard TD pass from Kaleb Evans to Colten Barger. Russell pulled within 14–13 in the third on a Kaiden Benge score, but Lloyd took control late. Conrad punched in an 8-yard TD, and Evans hit Izzy Turner on a 35-yard double move to seal the victory.
CLASS 2A
BEECHWOOD 42, PRESTONBURG 0
Beechwood rolled to its eighth straight win and a spot in the KHSAA Class 2A semifinals with a dominant shutout at home. Brody Aylor opened the scoring with an 11-yard run midway through the first quarter, and after a 60-yard burst by Nathan Prabst, Tyler Fryman added a 6-yard TD to make it 14-0. Emmett Queen connected with Fryman on a 23-yard strike just before halftime to push the lead to 21-0. Prestonsburg fumbled on the first play of the second half, setting up Aylor’s second TD. Prabst followed with a punt-return score to trigger the running clock, and Queen later hit Prabst for a final TD as the Tigers cruised 42-0.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW: Jay Volker, Beechwood
CLASS 1A
Campbellsville 28, Newport Central Catholic 0
Kentucky Country Day 37, Newport 6
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Get the complete scores from all of tonight’s action on the Underground Sports Shop Scoreboard at TriStateFootball.com/scores.
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