James Collier
The Ashland Beacon
RACELAND 49 HOLY CROSS 6
The first 12 minutes of the Class A State Semifinals between Raceland and Holy Cross Friday night was a dogfight for a berth in the state championship.
Raceland led 7-6 after one but what was to come from the Rams was nothing short of a good ole fashion beatdown after they rolled off 42 consecutive points for a 49-6, running clock win over the Cougars for a program-best 13th win of the season.
Raceland hung 20 points on Holy Cross in the second quarter for a 27-6 lead at the break while tallying more yards on the Cougars defense than they averaged giving up over an entire game. Raceland racked up 520 total yards of offense by the time the clock hit zero including a season high 336 rushing yards led by Noah Wallace and Isaac Browning.
Wallace rushed for a career-high 146 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Browning added 118 yards and a score. It was the first time since 2015 that the Rams have had a pair of running backs rush for over 100 yards each. It was also the first time Wallace has rushed for over 100 yards in back-to-back games.
After forcing a three-and-out on the Cougars first possession, the Rams offense got things rolling after Logan Lundy sprung free and rumbled 44 yards to paydirt and a 7-0 lead. Peyton Ison connected on the PAT for his 150th career extra point. Holy Cross answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass but the extra point sailed wide right leaving the Cougars trailing by one.
The Rams offense came to life in the second quarter after Wallace plunged into the endzone for a 2-yard score with 9:55 to play in the half. Lundy hooked up with Parker Fannin for a 58-yard score. Raceland added in some trickery on the ensuing drive with a double pass from Lundy to Mason Lykins who hit a wide-open Jules Farrow for a 50-yard TD.
Browning raced into the endzone for a 21-yard score to open the third stanza and a Conner Hughes two-point conversion pushed the Rams lead to 35-6. Wallace diced through the Cougars line before finding a lane to the endzone for a 63-yard touchdown that set the running clock in motion with 4:31 to play in the third. Lundy tossed his second touchdown of the night late in the fourth, hitting Brayden Webb for a 10-yard TD.
Raceland’s defense was as equally impressive as the Cougars were held to only 136 total yards of offense including 31 rushing yards on 21 totes.
Raceland heads to Kroger Field Friday at noon for a State Championship contest against the defending state champion Pikeville.
CHRISTIAN ACADEMY-LOUISVILLE 50 ASHLAND 7
CAL pushed the game out of reach before Ashland ever got out of the gate Friday night in the Class 3A State Semifinals in Louisville.
A pair of Centurions passing touchdowns in the first quarter followed by a pair of rushing touchdowns to open the second quarter provided the hosts a 28-0 lead with 5:35 to play in the half. But the Tomcats simply could not find an answer on either side of the ball as CAL rolled to 50-7, running clock win.
Braxton Jennings found paydirt with 4:04 to play in the half from eight yards out but it would be the only time the Tomcats would dent the scoreboard. Jennings finished with 59 yards on 14 carries. LaBryant Strader threw for 124 yards. Brandon Houston hauled in four catches for 80 yards.
Ashland closes the season at 9-5.