Blake Ladson would have probably preferred to receive a Gatorade bath the week prior, when it was nearly 25 degrees warmer at the Stadium of Champions. But the first-year Christian County High School head football coach was cool as a cucumber following his team’s dramatic 34-20 win Friday over Murray.
After his squad committed turnovers on consecutive drives to start the game, and a sputtering offense continued to struggle finding the end zone, Ladson pulled junior quarterback Jordan Miles aside for a private conversation. The result was an epic performance and a much-needed come-from-behind victory that helped County erase a 12-0 deficit and snap a four-game skid.
Miles, who finished with 200 rushing yards and four total touchdowns, came up with one of the night’s biggest plays late in the first half. After getting sacked and then throwing a pair of incomplete passes that forced a fourth down, Miles avoided a Murray blitz and burst through the line of scrimmage to start a clutch 66-yard TD run with 35 seconds to go in the second quarter. The late scoring drive would cut the Tiger lead to five points at halftime and provide CCHS with the confidence it desperately needed.
The Tigers, who came into the contest ranked No. 8 in Class 2A, were looking to topple the Colonels for a second straight year after winning 56-32 last season in Murray. And the run-heavy MHS team appeared poised to do just that when QB Collin Wilson converted a 4th & 8 scenario and scored on an 18-yard run to put host Christian County in a 20-7 hole.
Just over 30 seconds later, however, Miles found JaSean Riley and exploited Murray’s edge defense with a catch-and-run play that went for a 66-yard touchdown. It was Riley’s second TD reception of the season and suddenly had the Cols back within 20-14 at the 6:15 mark of the third quarter. The momentum then swung for good when Christian County recovered a fumble — one of five Colonel takeaways — that led to one of Miles’ three rushing TDs. His three-yard score with 3:36 left in the third period gave CCHS its first and final lead at 21-20.
Following a Martravion Handy interception with just seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Colonels nearly struck for big plays twice to start the fourth. Miles stepped out of bounds by an inch on a would-be 89-yard TD run, and a 92-yard pass play was called back due to a holding penalty, eventually leading to a CCHS punt. Two plays later, though, the Colonel defense forced another Murray fumble and finished the short return to provide some breathing room in the one-possession game at 28-20.
County’s Jayvion Hawkins then got into the interception act with a massive pick of his own with 5:01 remaining in the contest. And after the Tigers jumped offsides twice on third-and-short plays, forcing a pair of automatic first downs, Miles scored his second fourth-down touchdown of the game — a 10-yard keeper — that iced the win. Following the triumph and handshake line, several CCHS players dumped a Gatorade cooler on Ladson’s head in celebration.
Murray High, which entered the night averaging 331 rushing yards per game — sixth most in all classes of Kentucky high school football — finished with 40 rushing plays for 376 yards. Nearly 70 of those came on the game’s second-to-last play, though, when Biggers broke a big run with time winding down.
The Tigers (2-3) opened the game on a one-yard touchdown run from Sokolowski with 5:09 left in the first quarter. Wilson then hit Biggers for a 51-yard TD — Murray’s fifth completed pass of the season — to give MHS a 12-0 advantage with 3:05 to go until halftime. Both point(s)-after tries failed.
The comeback victory for Christian County (2-4) provides a boost as the Colonels begin Class 5A, District 2 play next week with a home matchup against Greenwood. The Gators won 39-7 last year in Bowling Green.
SCORING PLAYS
MHS: (1Q, 5:09); Gage Sokolowski 1-yard run (PAT no good)
MHS: (2Q, 3:05); Xavier Biggers 51-yard pass from Collin Wilson (two-point conversion no good)
CCHS (2Q, 0:35); Jordan Miles 66-yard run (Joshua Settle PAT)
MHS (3Q, 6:47); WIlson 18-yard run (Soklowski 2-point conversion run)
CCHS: (3Q, 6:15); JaSean Riley 66-yard pass from Miles (Settle PAT)
CCHS: (3Q, 3:36), Miles 3-yard run (Settle PAT)
CCHS (4Q, 6:43); 6-yard fumble return
CCHS (4Q, 0:36); Miles 10-yard run (PAT blocked)
