Logan County got one of three Davin Yates touchdowns on a crucial fourth-and-23 play with 6:58 remaining and took advantage of a Hopkinsville missed extra point attempt with 4:42 to go Friday to earn a key 28-27 district win at the Stadium of Champions.
The Tigers, who were attempting to end a four-game losing streak against the Cougars, seemed poised to tie the game when quarterback Aiden King glided for a 40-yard touchdown run that sent his sideline into a frenzy. On the ensuing PAT, however, the kick went just wide to keep Logan ahead by a point.
Clinging to the single-point advantage, the state’s ninth-ranked Cougars proceeded to milk the clock and got a pair of clutch first-down runs by Yates that sealed the dramatic victory. Yates, who came into the contest with 17 total TDs, accounted for three more in the back-and-forth affair. He finished the night with 303 all-purpose yards and even took over at QB when Holman was taken out of the game midway through the second quarter.
With just under seven minutes to go, though, and his team needing a deep throw after an unsportsmanlike penalty brought up the aforementioned 4th & 23, Holman re-entered the game and threw up a jump ball that was hauled in by Yates for the pivotal go-ahead score. Yates then ran in the two-point conversion to give LCHS a 28-21 lead.
The win clinched a spot in the Class 4A playoffs for Logan County. Hopkinsville, on the other hand, will host Allen County-Scottsville next week in a must-win for both squads, which have identical 1-3 records in district play. The victor will be the No. 4 seed in the six-team First District. The loser will be eliminated from playoff consideration.
Both teams were coming off a bye week during Friday’s tilt. Logan County was the aggressor and scored first on a 52-yard catch-and-run by Yates. His long touchdown and Kyla Bilyeu’s extra point had the Cougs up 7-0 with 7:21 to go in the first quarter.
Nearly six minutes later, Hoptown answered back when James Bradley Jr. countered with a 25-yard TD catch that tied the game late in the first. Bradley, who finished the night with over 30 receiving yards, also had an interception on defense. It was his first touchdown and pick of the 2023 season.
The Tigers took their first of two leads when King found Deo’ndre Coleman for a six-yard TD with 6:11 to go in the first half. After Yates took over under center, however, the senior playmaker drove LCHS down to the goal line and capped the scoring drive with a one-yard touchdown run to square the contest at 14-all at halftime.
Derek White used a one-yard TD dive of his own to put Logan County up 20-14 with 4:19 left in the third quarter. After HHS blocked the ensuing PAT, the Tigers capped their own scoring drive with a 12-yard King scamper that helped Hopkinsville reclaim a 21-20 advantage with 58 seconds to go in the third quarter, abruptly putting the Cougars on the defensive.
Hopkinsville hasn’t played Allen County-Scottsville since an overtime win over the Patriots in 2012. ACS defeated Calloway County 41-20 on Friday to move to 3-5 overall. The Tigers (1-7) will have to slow down Scottsville QB Braylon Adams, who has already thrown for over 1,000 yards this season.
The last time HHS missed out on the playoffs was 2011.
