Under first-year coach Scott Carmony, Manual High School finds itself at 2-0 for the fifth time in the past six seasons, and the Crimsons have posted that mark against one of the toughest early-season schedules in the area.
But while Carmony is happy with the way his team – No. 7 team in The Associated Press’ Class 6-A rankings – has started the season, a giant red flag has his full attention. The Crimsons have turned the ball over six times in the two games. So far, the miscues (five fumbles and an interception) haven’t haunted the Crimsons, but Carmony knows better than to continue tempting fate.
“We have to get that corrected,” Carmony said. “My running backs coach and I have a lot to discuss this weekend, as well as the running backs (who have been responsible for half of the turnovers). They just have to understand the importance of how valuable that ball is when the game’s on the line.”
On Friday, Manual downed Fern Creek 14-0 and held the visiting Tigers to just three first downs and 74 yards of offense. However, what became a dominant effort by Manual could have turned into a dogfight in just a couple of plays.
Fern Creek recovered the first of Manual’s three fumbles in the final minute of the second quarter, and Armon Wells returned the ball 19 yards to Tigers 49. Three plays later, on a third-and-one at the Crimsons’ 42, quarterback Shamar Bryant found Kyree Hawkins behind the Manual secondary. But the pass was just beyond the Hawkins’ grasp at the Manual 10.
PHOTO GALLERY | Fern Creek at Manual
Hawkins recovered the second fumble midway through the third quarter and cut his way downfield for an apparent touchdown. However, a holding call behind the return negated the score. Fern Creek eventually turned the ball over on downs in the ensuing series.
On Manual’s next snap, the Crimsons fumbled it right back.
ABELL SEEKS ACCOUNTABILITY
Fern Creek coach Josh Abell laid it out clearly for his players as they huddled on the field after the Tigers’ loss at Manual.
“I told these guys just now that the guys that play from this point on have got to be disciplined and coachable,” he said.
After racking up 11 penalties for 101 yards in the season-opening win versus Seneca last week, the Tigers committed seven more on Friday. Those flags didn’t cost them just 75 yards, some of them had a direct impact on the game.
Besides the holding call that negated Hawkins’ fumble-return touchdown, the Tigers committed two personal -foul penalties that aided Manual’s scoring drives. The Tigers ran into the Crimsons’ punt returner signaling a fair catch, allowing Manual to start its first drive from its 43.
On Manual’s next series, quarterback Will Britt scrambled for 6 yards on a second-and-17 play from the Crimsons’ 35. However, a couple of Tigers defensive players hit him out of bounds. So, instead of it being third-and-11 from the Manual 41, it became first-and-10 at the Fern Creek 44.
Seven plays later, it was 14-0.
The penalties are just one symptom of the Tigers’ undisciplined play so far, Abell said.
It’s also “discipline with what they’re asked to do and coached to do,” he said. “If big plays were given up, it was because we weren’t doing what we’re coached to do, and that’s what’s going to change from this point on.”
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS
* Down 28-0 early in the second quarter, St. Xavier rallied for a 42-28 victory at Lexington Catholic in the Bluegrass Bowl.
The Tigers (1-0) scored 29 points in the fourth quarter and took the lead for good with 4:08 remaining. His team down 28-26, St. X junior quarterback Jack Albers scored on a 2-yard touchdown run and connected with Mack Blincoe on a two-point conversion pass for a 34-28 lead.
Sam Taylor’s 10-yard touchdown run and Brett Metzmeier’s two-point conversion run completed the scoring with 1:50 remaining.
Taylor had a huge night for the Tigers, rushing for 260 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries. Albers completed 9 of 20 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown.
Kirk Fagot completed 14 of 36 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions to lead Lexington Catholic (1-1).
* Male got a pair of touchdowns from its defense in a 31-13 victory over visiting Ballard. Robert Sheffield returned an interception 35 yards for a score and Nathan Hobbs returned a fumble 85 yards for a touchdown as the Bulldogs (2-0) extended their winning streak to 17.
Jordan Gunter had seven catches for 141 yards and two TDs to lead Ballard (1-1).
* Chase Pfaadt rushed for 66 yards on 14 carries and Austin Tharp added 55 yards and a touchdown on 13 rushes to lead DeSales (2-0) to a 17-0 victory at Butler (1-1). It marked the 50th career victory for Colts coach Harold Davis, who is 50-10 in his fifth season at the school.
Butler quarterback Blake Showalter completed 18 of 33 passes for 199 yards but was intercepted three times as the Bears finished with five turnovers. DeSales had no turnovers.
* Dewayne Hall rushed for 84 yards – including a 58-yard touchdown run – as Pleasure Ridge Park (2-0) rolled to a 46-6 victory over host Meade County (0-2).
Arius Harris’ 39-yard interception return for a touchdown and Bryson Washington’s 55-yard punt return for a score helped PRP build a 46-0 halftime lead.
* Oldham County (1-1) got its first-ever victory over North Oldham (0-2) as Tommy Grogan and Will Stanley scored touchdowns in a 14-6 Colonels victory. Jared Grantz’s interception – his second of the night – sealed the victory with 29 seconds left.
The Mustangs had won the first five meetings in a series that began in 2011.
* Junior quarterback J.R. Lucas completed 21 of 29 passes for 389 yards and tied a school record with six touchdown passes as host Collins (2-0) recorded a 55-52 victory over Bullitt East (0-2). Lucas’ 12-yard touchdown pass to Sam Harrod with 19 seconds remaining was the game-winning play.
* It was a rough Friday’s night for Louisville schools in the Cumberland Falls Pigskin Classic, as Waggener fell 46-7 to Knox Central and Central lost 20-14 to host Corbin.
* Nic Mayer’s 30-yard field goal on the final play of the game gave host Campbell County (1-1) a 24-21 victory over Highlands (1-1). The Camels hadn’t defeated the Bluebirds since 1991, breaking a 14-game losing streak.
POWER FIVE
* No. 5 – Male (2-0). The Bulldogs got a pair of defensive touchdowns – one interception return and one fumble return – in a 31-13 victory over Ballard. Up next: At Fairdale (0-2) on Friday.
* No. 4 – Bowling Green (2-0). Clark Payne completed 20 of 26 passes for 232 yards and four TDs as the Purples rolled past Christian County 42-22. Up next: Hosts St. Xavier (1-0) on Friday.
* No. 3 – Lafayette (1-0). Scheduled to play at Boyle County (0-1) on Saturday. Up next: Hosts Trinity (2-0) on Friday.
* No. 2 – St. Xavier (1-0). Scored 29 points in the fourth quarter to rally for a 42-28 victory at Lexington Catholic. Up next: At Bowling Green (2-0) on Friday.
* No. 1 – Trinity (2-0). Spencer Blackburn (181 yards, one TD) and Roderick Thomas (157 yards, three TDs) had big games on the ground in a 35-21 victory over Tennessee’s Brentwood Academy. Up next: At Lafayette (1-0) on Friday.
GAME BALLS
Sam Taylor, St. Xavier
The senior rushed for 260 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries as the Tigers rallied from a 28-0 deficit to beat host Lexington Catholic 42-28 in the Bluegrass Bowl.
J.R. Lucas, Collins
The junior completed 21 of 29 passes for 389 yards and tied a school record with six touchdown passes as host Collins posted a 55-52 victory over Bullitt East. Lucas’ 12-yard touchdown pass to Sam Harrod with 19 seconds remaining was the game-winning play.