Behind bookend 14-yard touchdowns, and with 262 rushing yards racked up in between, Jeriah Hightower continued to look like a Mr. Football hopeful Friday at Stadium of Champions.
No high school football player in the state has more yards (938) on the ground than the Madisonville-North Hopkins senior running back. And despite another courageous effort from the Christian County High School defense, it was Hightower who inflicted the most damage in the Maroons’ 25-15 win.
The Colonels never trailed by more than two touchdowns against Class 4A’s No. 3-ranked Madisonville, but allowed a couple of big plays in key moments to remain winless. It’s the first time County has started a season 0-4 since 2000.
Hightower, who carried the ball 30 times in the contest, appeared to fumble during the game’s first scoring drive, but managed to scoop up the loose ball and scamper in for a TD run to give MNHHS a 6-0 lead midway through the first quarter.
And after Christian County pulled within 19-15 of the Maroons on L’Ray Coleman’s 56-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter, Hightower answered again. The relentless RB proceeded to break off consecutive runs of 44, 22 and 14 yards to cap a self-made 80-yard drive in 40 seconds, putting Madisonville ahead 25-15. It was his 11th touchdown run of the season.
Despite several chances in the fourth quarter, both squads were held out of the end zone, allowing Madisonville to achieve a four-game winning streak to start a season for the first time in over 20 years.
The Maroons also got a pair of touchdown hookups from quarterback Hayden Johnson and Deljuan Johnson. The first of those strikes came on a 57-yard jump ball that Johnson managed to snag over a mistimed leap from the County secondary.
Johnson’s second TD reception was from just two yards out, after the Cols turned the ball over on downs when the CCHS punter was unable to get away the kick, and was forced to take a knee.
Johnson and Hightower have combined to score half of Madisonville’s 22 offensive touchdowns through four games.
After Christian County was held scoreless in the first half, senior linebacker Niko Bussell abruptly gave his team some life by stepping in front of a Reynolds pass, snagging it out of the air in stride and rumbling 49 yards untouched for an impressive pick-6.
The defensive points managed to cut the Maroon lead to 13-7 just four minutes into the third quarter.
The aforementioned long touchdown catch by Coleman was part of a big night for the junior playmaker, and kept County within a possession at the time. Helping to implement an option package, and taking advantage of an expanded field as a wideout, Coleman and QB Danta Abren played pitch-and-catch much of the night. Coleman also had a pair of kickoff returns that went for over 50 yards in defeat.
Christian County will now turn its attention to crosstown rival Hopkinsville. The Colonels will be the “host” team when they tangle with the Tigers (2-2) at Stadium of Champions on Sept. 20. CCHS defeated Hoptown 16-7 last year behind two touchdowns from JLin Powell.
(– Chris Jung)
SCORE BY QUARTER
MNHHS (4-0) 7 6 12 0 – 25
CCHS (0-4) 0 0 15 0 – 15
SCORING PLAYS
MNHHS: 1Q (5:50): Jeriah Hightower 14-yard run (Simen Lind kick)
MNHHS: 2Q (0:58): Deljuan Johnson 57-yard catch from Hayden Reynolds (PAT blocked)
CCHS: 3Q (8:20): Niko Bussell 49-yard interception return (George Forrest kick)
MNHHS: 3Q (2:20): Johnson 2-yard catch from Reynolds (2-point conversion no good)
CCHS: 3Q (1:53): L’Ray Coleman 56-yard catch from Donta Abren (Coleman 2-point conversion run)
MNHHS: 3Q (1:13): Hightower 14-yard run (2-point conversion no good)
