UNION, Ky. – In an opening-season tilt between two preseason favorites, the Covington Catholic Colonels utilized big plays and dominant performances in all three phases to defeat the Ryle Raiders, 50-6, on Friday evening.
The Colonels, ripe with new, young talent, saw their underclassmen stars shine in their first varsity action, led by sophomore running back Kiyan Miller, who tallied well over 100 all-purpose yards and three total touchdowns in his first start.
“Those guys make it so easy,” Colonels senior Jonny Lind said regarding the younger players. “They show up every day, put in the work and make it happen. And it all starts with (Miller).”
“It feels good. I’ve been waiting (months) for this,” Miller said. “To let everyone know who I am.”
Before Miller could make his mark, early-season butterflies were not in the cards for the Colonels, as fellow sophomore Brandon Smith returned the opening kickoff 99 yards to the house.
After receiving the kick, a lane opened up for Smith to streak down the sideline, leaving the rambunctious Ryle home crowd in stunned silence.
The opening kickoff touchdown was just the beginning of the Colonels’ scoring attack. Thanks to a dominant defense, junior quarterback Dylan Courtney was able to command a proficient offense on multiple early scoring drives.
Just like that….TOUCHDOWN!!
Covington Catholic’s Brandon Smith takes the opening kickoff 100 YARDS to the house!!
An electric start to the 2026 season!!
Covington Catholic 7, Ryle 0.
11:43 Q1. pic.twitter.com/7GEWosYgU7
— TriStateFootball.com (@tsfootball) August 21, 2026
Utilizing the rushing attack powered by Miller, Courtney took the Covington Catholic offense on multiple quick scoring drives, including two capped off by Miller touchdowns: one on a one-yard touchdown rush and another on an 18-yard pass.
With the Colonels out to a commanding three-score lead early, the first half’s biggest sequence, and maybe the most important one of the contest, occurred on a Miller fourth-and-two draw play that resulted in the ball hitting the turf for the game’s first turnover.
Ryle immediately took advantage as sophomore quarterback Brody Smith found junior wide receiver Zach Townsend wide open behind the Colonels’ defense for a 71-yard touchdown, the Raiders’ first score of the season.
After struggling on both sides of the ball early, it appeared the Raiders had swung momentum in their direction midway through the second quarter, forcing Covington Catholic to punt for the first time all game.
Then the Raiders sold out for the punt block and received a roughing-the-kicker penalty, allowing the Colonels to keep possession and eventually score again on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Courtney to junior wideout Evan Link.
The second half featured more of the same, with the Colonels dominating on both sides of the ball. Ryle was stymied offensively throughout the night, but the Raiders did not help themselves, either. Broken plays and mistakes consistently left the offense playing from behind and allowed the CovCath defense to take advantage.
In the third quarter, those offensive struggles, which included more than 10 penalties, finally came to a head for the Raiders. On a three-play drive, a false-start penalty set Smith and his offensive unit back. Lind teed off on the opportunity, sacking Smith on two straight bull rushes.
The second sack resulted in a safety, extending the Colonels’ lead to 37-6. The visitors did not stop there. On the ensuing post-safety kick, junior Mac Cogswell found the edge and returned it 80 yards for another CovCath touchdown.
With the game all but wrapped up, the Colonels’ defense forced a Smith interception when senior linebacker Spencer Clukey stepped in front of the Ryle quarterback’s pass and once again set up the offense with great field position.
Courtney, Miller and the rest of the Colonels’ offense had no issues taking advantage, with sophomore Jamir Kirtley taking a pitch untouched into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown.
After tallying 50 points, Covington Catholic head coach Eddie Eviston elected to run out the remainder of the contest with his backups. As the final whistle blew, the Colonels found themselves with a tone-setting win, their first in multiple years over the Raiders.
“At (Covington Catholic), we’re expected to win,” Lind said. “This feels good. I had never beaten (Ryle) before. They beat our freshman team, the last few years was a loss. It is just not expected from us, and coming out, we’ve got to set the tone. This season, we’re setting the tone early.”
Next up for Covington Catholic is its home opener against reigning GCL South champion Elder (1-0), while Ryle heads on the road to face Conner (0-1).
SCORING BY QUARTERS
Covington Catholic: 14-14-22-0-50
Ryle: 0-6-0-0-6
SCORING PLAYS
CC: Brandon Smith 99 kick return (Rocco Gillette kick)
CC: Kiyan Miller 1 run (Gillette kick)
CC: Miller 18 pass from Dylan Courtney (Gillette kick)
R: Zach Townsend 71 pass from Brody Smith (kick no good)
CC: Evan Link 10 pass from Courtney (Gillette kick)
CC: Miller 21 run (Gillette kick)
CC: Jonny Lind safety
CC: Mac Cogswell 80 kick return (Gillette kick)
CC: Jamir Kirtley 10 run (kick no good)
UP NEXT
Covington Catholic: vs. Elder (1-0); Ryle: at Conner (0-1)
Get the complete scores from all of this week’s action on the Underground Sports Shop Scoreboard at TriStateFootball.com/scores.
*Stay updated on high school football updates by following @TSFootball on X.
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