The Todd County Central Rebels and the Green County Dragons had the Kentucky high school football stage to themselves Saturday as they took to the field in Elkton for the final game statewide of the regular season. And at halftime, it appeared the Rebels had things just where they wanted them. It appeared that way.
The Dragons recovered a Rebel fumble in the opening moments of the second half and turned a 21-20 halftime deficit into a 54-21 win with 34 unanswered points.
The Rebels had gone into the break seemingly with all the momentum. Todd Central had come from 20-8 down in the first quarter to take a 21-20 lead into the break after Jamarion Smith ripped off a 42-yard touchdown run with 1:12 to go in the half.
However, the Rebels fumbled the ball away on the second play from scrimmage in the second half and from there the wheels came flying off the wagon.
The game had been a high-energy affair from the very beginning. The Dragons took the opening kickoff and promptly went on a 76-yard drive that was capped off an 18-yard touchdown pass from Houston Hodges to Zack Ferguson to give Green County a 6-0 lead.
The Rebels came right back down the field, scoring in just three plays. Jamarion Smith came up with the touchdown on a 44-yard run to put Todd Central up 8-6.
It began to look like a scoreboard light check game on the next possession. Green County responded by going 60 yards on eight plays, finishing with a four-yard touchdown run and the Dragons were back in front 12-8.
After a Rebel three-and-out, Green County struck again. This time it was a 54-yard drive that concluded with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Hodges on 4th down and the Dragons moved the lead out to 20-8.
On their first possession of the second quarter, the Dragons had moved from their own 8-yard line to near mid-field, but the drive was short-circuited by a fumble that Todd Central recovered at the Green County 49.
Three plays later Gavyn Nolan hit Perez Whitlock for a 50-yard touchdown and the lead was cut to 20-14 with 7:59 to go in the half. The Rebels would get to the lead late in the half after Smith’s second touchdown run of the half.
The second half, however, was all Green County. After the momentum-swinging fumble, the Dragons seized control and refused to give it back.
Green County used the momentum of the fumble recovery to score on five straight possessions in the second half, while the Dragon defense held the Rebels scoreless and limited them to just four first downs in the second half of play.
Jamarion Smith led the effort for the Rebels with 119 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He also passed 1,000 yards for the season in the first half.
Gavyn Nolan was 8-20 through the air for 115 yards and a touchdown.
The Rebels had 115 yards passing and 162 rushing for a total of 277 yards on the day.
The loss drops the Rebels to 5-5 on the year. Todd Central opens the Class 2A playoffs on the road Friday night when they take on the Mayfield Cardinals.
