OLDHAM COUNTY RIDES DEFENSE TO 7-6 WIN OVER EASTERN

BUCKNER – Last year, the Eastern Eagles were a Week Two footnote to the Oldham County Colonels’ 8-3 season.  Despite a so-so performance offensively, the Colonels rode a superb defensive performance that included eight sacks to a 21-0 win in Middletown.

This year, with junior Grant Huyear returning at quarterback to lead the offense and a strong defense featuring a good blend of veteran performers and talented underclassmen, the Eagles presented a more stiff challenge.

And with star running back Ben Kittleson hobbled by a severe turf toe injury, the Colonels very nearly fell to the upset-minded Eagles, who came into the game as five point underdogs.

University of Louisville head coach John L. Smith was in the stands watching his son play for Eastern as the Eagles kicked off to start the game.  Oldham County got a couple of first downs before punting, only to watch the Eagles move from their own 20 to the Oldham County 29 yard line.  A 46 yard field goal attempt from Justin Bryant was no good with 58 seconds left in a fast-moving first quarter.

The Colonels then moved the ball 76 yards to the Eastern four yard line, before penalties and other miscues derailed the drive.  Facing fourth and goal from the 12, Oldham County went for it, throwing an incompletion, in lieu of attempting a field goal with an unproven kicker.

After moving the ball from their own 12 to their own 36 yard line, the Eagles punted to Oldham County with just 1:36 left in the first half.  Amazingly, each team had had the ball only two times as both teams had stayed with the running games..

But just as they had done last week against Ballard, the Colonels performed well in the final moments of the half.  Clint Carnes gave the Colonels excellent field position by returning the punt to midfield.  With time running out, Johnson hit Ben Kittleson with an 18 yard pass to the visitors’ four yard line, then spiked the ball to stop the clock with only one second showing in the half.

Kittleson, who suffered from both the injured turf toe and the tremendous attention paid to him by the Eagle defense, had carried only six times for eleven yards at the time.  But he came to life on the next play – the final play of the first half - sprinting full speed to the right and outrunning the defense to the corner of the endzone.  Thompson’s kick made it 7-0 as the teams headed to the locker room.

Kittleson was apparently still in some pain, as he carried the ball only one time in the second half for zero yardage, finishing with only 15 yards on eight carries and one reception for 18 yards.

Eastern got the ball to start the second half, but with Huyear under pressure, Brad Koenig stepped in front of a pass to end the opening drive.  After the two teams traded punts, Oldham County got a great opportunity on its second possession of the half.  As Clint Carnes called for a fair catch on a punt return near mid-field, the Eagles were called for interfering with the receiver, and Oldham County got the ball at the Eastern 34 yard line.  But after no gain on the first down play, Nathaniel Johnson was sacked on back-to-back plays, and the Colonels were forced to punt from their own territory.

The Colonel defense quickly forced another Eastern punt, but the Colonels fumbled it, and the Eagles recovered on the Oldham 25 yard line.  Two plays later, the Eagles were in the endzone on a 13 yard run by Charles Scruggs, who bounced off at least three defenders like a pinball off bumpers in his run to the end zone with 1:24 left in the third.

But Justin Bryant, one of the most talented kickers in Jefferson County, missed the extra point, and Oldham continued to lead, 7-6.

Following the kickoff, the Colonels milked the clock with a time-consuming drive that failed to generate points, but which killed nearly ten minutes.  When they finally turned the ball over on downs with 3:38 left, they left the Eagles pinned deep in their own territory.

Stilll, Huyear and company nearly pulled it out.  The Eagles drove the ball deep into Oldham County territory, to the Colonel 32 yard line.  With Justin Bryant having hit a 52 yard field goal in practice, this was a makeable distance.

But a bad snap resulted in a fumble that Oldham linebacker Terry Dell recovered, and Oldham ran off the final 1:16 to preserve the victory and improve to 2-0 on the season.  Eastern fell to 1-1.

UNOFFICIAL Y105.7 FM STATS:

Rushing:
Brandon Morton 14 carries 86 yards
Miles Brewer    7 carries 53 yards
Josh Riordan    5 carries 23 yards
Matt McCarthy   6 carries 16 yards
Ben Kittleson    8 carries 15 yards  1 TD
Clint Carnes    1 carry   5 yards

Passing:
Nathaniel Johnson 3-11-0  48 yards

Receiving:
Kittleson 1 reception, 18 yards
Smith  1 reception, 25 yards
Berry  1 reception, 5 yards

Other scores involving District opponents:
 South Oldham  14 Providence (IN) 0
 Louisville Doss 18 Shelby County  7
 Trinity   43 North Hardin  7
 Male   40  Nelson County 0
 Central Hardin  10 Elizabethtown  0

Other scores of note:
 Eminence  30 Christian Academy of Louisville 0
 Ballard   30 Butler   22
 

NEXT WEEK:  Oldham County at Madison Central (Richmond)
South Oldham versus Holy Cross (PREGAME SHOW @ 7 pm on WYKY 105.7 FM)

Return to Oldham County Online  or use the Browser BACK Button to return to previous page.