DAYTON, Kentucky – Newport Central Catholic put an emphatic end to Dayton’s perfect season on Friday night, rolling past the host Greendevils, 47-7, to clinch another Class 1A, District 3 regular-season championship.
The Thoroughbreds (3-5) entered the contest with just two victories and faced a Dayton squad averaging 44.3 points per game. None of that mattered as NewCath dominated from the opening quarter, scoring the game’s first 14 points and building a commanding 26-7 halftime advantage.
Van Hundemer got the Thoroughbreds rolling with a two-yard touchdown run at the 6:28 mark of the opening quarter. Following a Dayton fumble on a backward pass, NewCath capitalized on the short field as Hundemer scored again from two yards out to make it 14-0.
Dayton (7-1) responded late in the opening quarter when Malachi Kennedy scored on a three-yard run with 32 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 14-7. It would be the Greendevils’ only points of the evening.
NewCath continued to pound away on the ground in the second quarter. Phenix Hundemer scored on a four-yard touchdown run with 7:54 remaining before quarterback Tyler Fennell connected with Van Hundemer on a 26-yard touchdown pass with just 22 seconds left in the half.
The Thoroughbreds took a 26-7 lead into the locker room and quickly eliminated any hopes of a Dayton comeback.
Van Hundemer added his third touchdown of the night on a five-yard run just over two minutes into the second half, pushing the advantage to 33-7.
Max Meyer then got into the action with a two-yard scoring run at the 4:39 mark of the third quarter. Meyer scored again later in the period, extending the lead to 47-7 and triggering a running clock with 45 seconds remaining.
The Thoroughbreds’ offense was particularly impressive considering the team’s struggles entering the contest. NewCath had averaged just 15.6 points per game through its first seven outings, scoring only 11 offensive touchdowns. Friday’s 47-point explosion was its second-highest scoring output of the season.
The defensive effort was equally impressive. Dayton entered the game unbeaten at 7-0, having scored at least 35 points in every contest while averaging 311.9 rushing yards per game. NewCath held the Greendevils to just seven points, easily their lowest output of the season.
The victory continued NewCath’s remarkable dominance in the series. Dayton was seeking its first victory over the Thoroughbreds since 1998 and an 8-0 start for the first time in school history.
Instead, NewCath secured another district championship under first-year head coach Terry Brown and delivered a statement victory as the postseason approaches.
SCORING BY QUARTERS
Newport Central Catholic: 14-12-21-0-47
Dayton: 7-0-0-0-7
RECORDS: Newport Central Catholic (3-5, 2-0); Dayton (7-1, 1-1)
UP NEXT: Newport Central Catholic vs. Bellevue; Dayton at Newport
