Charged with an unenviable task, Todd County Central and its faithful followers didn’t want to leave War Memorial Stadium on Friday — despite a 43-22 defeat to the Mayfield Cardinals in the opening round of the KHSAA Class 2A playoffs.
Because leaving simply meant the end of a 5-6 season for the Rebels. One filled with hellacious fun, competitive games, and a beloved senior class that did not go quietly into that great, dark night.
In those painful minutes after the game, third-year coach Josh Robins had his Class of 2023 fellers line up in the end zone to greet teammates, friends and family for hugs and handshakes, warm wishes and whispers of what could’ve been.
A large prayer circle formed. People, players, personnel chained hand-to-hand.
Robins talked about his team, especially the seniors, until the lights flipped from bright to black, eyes wet with tears.
With senior starting quarterback Gavyn Nolan out with injury, fellow senior Nate Reding got the call — where he’d go 4-for-10 passing and 20 yards, while adding 16 carries for 119 yards and a score.
Another senior, star running back Jamarion Smith, would finish with 20 carries, 69 yards, a score and a pair of converted two-pointers.
But revered coach Joe Morris and Mayfield would muster a 36-0 lead by halftime to remain unbeaten in 2022, courtesy of their beef and brawn so well known in the Commonwealth.
The Cardinals scored in five consecutive trips, beginning with a drive-capping 3-yard touchdown from Ian Williams and a 29-yard touchdown pass from Zane Cartwright to Ben Hite — before defensive Michael Hughes took a tipped Reding pass 25 yards for his seventh interception and third returned for a score.
And that was just the first quarter.
Late in the second stanza, Cartwright hit Brajone Dabney on a 39-yard rainbow that was well-covered, and Caden Morris would finish that drive with a 15-yard score for a 27-0 advantage.
Mehki Dumas, star backup running back for the Cardinals, would end his evening with eight carries and 111 yards rushing — his 7-yard score pushing on the running clock with 3:33 left in the second quarter.
Morris, of course, rolled out his reserves after the break, but the Rebels didn’t blink. Robins said a half-time discussion helped spurn a final burst of energy into the game.
In fact, Todd County Central would score on it first possession after the half, as Smith would find paydirt on a 10-yard rush, then call his own number to make it 36-8.
After Mayfield’s Reggie Dowell rumbled for a 31-yard score to make it 42-8, the Rebels would roll up twice more. A 44-yard RPO rush from Reding, inside his left hash, helped set up his touchdown at the right pylon.
Moments later, the Cardinals would botch a handoff, and Logan Moose capitalized with a 44-yard scoop-and-score — cheers of “Mooooooooooooooooooose!” coming from the sidelines and the stands.
Overall, it wasn’t exactly the gameplan Robins wanted to run against the high-powered Cardinals. Nolan had passed for more than 1,300 yards and 12 touchdowns on a 50% completion rate, alongside more than 600 yards rushing and eight more scores. Reding, meanwhile, had been his top receiver — coming into Friday with 48 catches, 679 yards and five touchdowns, along with another 236 yards rushing and three more scores.
Reding also had four interceptions in 10 games, but instead had to devote himself mostly as a signal-caller in this final game.
With his 69 yards on the ground, Smith finished 2022 with more than 1,100 yards in the dirt for the season — a huge leap from the 17 carries and 148 yards rushing he had last year behind Nolan and former star Omarion Riddick.
Eight Rebels seniors bid that final farewell, and Robins noted that even with a running clock, the scoring and aggressive second-half play wasn’t an intentional disrespect.
He just wanted his older guys to see more snaps before the final whistle. Robins said he wished Mayfield well on their next steps in the playoffs.
Since 1999, the Cardinals are 4-0 against Todd County Central.
The 22 points the Rebels scored is the second-most surrendered by Mayfield this season. Only McCracken County, who fell to Meade County Friday in the opening round of the KHSAA Class 6A playoffs, forced more (26).
MAYFIELD 43, TODD COUNTY CENTRAL 22
Rebels (5-6) 0 0 8 14 — 22
Cardinals (11-0) 21 15 0 7 — 43
SCORING
MAY: Ian Williams 3 rush (Lincoln Suiter PAT), 8:11 1Q, 7-0
MAY: Ben Hite 29 pass from Zane Cartwright (rush fails), 2:27 1Q, 13-0
MAY: Michael Hughes 25-yard INT (Cartwright pass to Hite), 1:33 1Q, 21-0
MAY: Caden Morris 15 rush (Lincoln Suiter PAT), 6:42 2Q, 28-0
MAY: Mehki Dumas 7 rush (Gavin Jackson rush), 3:33 2Q, 36-0
TODD: Jamarion Smith 10 rush (Smith rush), 2:41 3Q, 36-8
MAY: Reggie Dowell 31 rush (Christian King PAT), 6:42 4Q, 43-8
TODD: Nate Reding 10 rush (Smith rush), 3:48 4Q, 43-16
TODD: Logan Moose 44 fumble recovery (rush fails), 3:05 4Q, 43-22
PASSING LEADERS
TODD: Nate Reding 4-10-20-0-1. MAY: Zane Cartwright 5-5-80-1.
RUSHING LEADERS
TODD: Nate Reding 16-119-1, Jamarion Smith 20-69-1. MAY: Mehki Dumas 8-111-1, Ken Shelly 7-11, Reggie Dowell 5-45-1, Malik Kirby 3-(-4), Zane Cartwright 1-18, Caden Morris 1-15-1, Ian Williams 1-3-1.
RECEIVING LEADERS
TODD: Brian Farlow 2-10, Antonio Fitzgerald 2-10. MAY: Ben Hite 3-32-1, Brajone Dabney 1-39, Gavin Jackson 1-9.
MISC.
TODD: First Downs 10, Penalties 4-30. MAY: First Downs 6, Penalties 8-60.
