The last time Madisonville North Hopkins had topped Union County in football, it was 2019. Jeriah Hightower was a senior about to commit to Eastern Kentucky. Jay Burgett — now Paducah Tilghman’s athletic director — was still the skipper. And the squad was on the brink of a historic, special 11-win season.
Things came full circle Friday night, as Burgett and Hightower awaited the star running back’s halftime high school jersey retirement ceremony — and watched as the Maroons mauled the Braves, 34-6.
An ominous start, in which an electrical failure caused a short in the press box and scoreboard, did little to deter Chris Price’s Class 5A crew — one that marched for more than 300 yards rushing behind senior quarterback Kanyon Johnson and junior running back Markezz Hightower, and throttled Union County’s typical attack to less than 200 yards on the ground.
“We know that coach (Derek) Johns, he always has a physical team,” a beaming Price said after the victory. “You talk about a team that’s had 10 wins or more over the last three seasons. I told my kids: ‘We have to match their toughness.’ That’s a team that’s always exuded toughness. And they’ve always had resilience. And when things get tough, they always find a way to keep fighting. And so I told my kids: ‘You don’t get in a room full of fighters, and not be ready to go in all rounds.’”
For a moment, “all rounds” looked like a possibility.
MNH had full control at halftime behind a 16-0 lead, thanks to a pair of Johnson second-quarter rushing touchdowns. He capped an 11-play, 80-yard drive with a 6-yard scamper for six — a move that came eight plays after a long 30-yard-plus scramble for a third-down conversion. An interception on the Braves’ very next drive paved the way for an eight-play, 40-yard drive.
On the first play from scrimmage, Jarren Johnson, a 2,000-yard rusher for the Braves last season, opened the third quarter with a gashing 70-yard touchdown along the right sideline — suddenly closing the gap.
Instead of folding the shop, however, the Maroons marched for 18 unanswered points. A 35-yard slash down the right sideline from Hightower made it 22-6 just four plays after Johnson’s magic, and with 3:23 left in the third quarter, a 40-plus-yard punt return from sophomore Ryder Sandidge allowed Travion Stafford to punch it in from three feet.
“A guy who has shown he can do this, but was doing it in freshmen games and now he’s getting his opportunity from varsity, is Ryder Sandidge,” Price added. “He’s going to start for us, both ways, and he’s one of those guys that you’re going to have to see over the next few years.
“Ryder’s a special kid. He’s not just a one-sport athlete. He plays baseball. He can do anything. He used to play basketball, but he kind of cut it down to two sports. But I’m saying he’s one of those kids…who can do whatever they want to, but they chose football, and I’m glad they did.”
While “KJ” (159 yards on the ground) and Hightower (143 yards on the ground) dazzled in rushing lanes, it was Madisonville’s defense that should probably be lauded the most. This is a Braves team that, last season, rushed for more than 300 yards against the Maroons, including 200-plus from “JJ.”
Instead, MNH only lost containment on its defensive keys three times, giving up gains of 70, 40 and 19. All other Braves rushing attempts were 10 yards or fewer.
Price also noted last year’s 8-3 record felt “unfinished,” and victory against Union County to start the 2024 campaign was necessary, in order to prove worthiness.
“We’ve talked about how we fell short last year,” Price added. “A team that finished 8-2 in the regular season, playing some good teams, and we were probably the only team in the state of Kentucky that finished 8-2 and ended up on the road as the third seed, as a No. 8 team in the state at the time, going to the No. 3 team. You know what I mean? We did not finish last year.
“And so, our kids this year are thinking about finishing every game. And it started with Union, because we knew going into it that ‘we have to win this game.’ It wasn’t ‘we’re going to win this game.’ We had to win this game. And I believe this is just the beginning.”
MADISONVILLE 34, UNION COUNTY 6
(all stats unofficial)
Maroons (5A, 1-0) 0 16 12 6 — 34
Braves (3A, 0-1) 0 0 6 0 — 6
SCORING PLAYS
MNH: Kanyon Johnson 6 rush (Travion Stafford rush), 8-0, 9:24 2Q
MNH: Kanyon Johnson 2 rush (pass succeeds), 16-0, 6:56 2Q
UC: Jarron Johnson 70 rush (2 pt. Fails), 16-6, 11:46 3Q
MNH: Markezz Hightower 35 rush (2 pt. Fails), 22-6, 10:46 3Q
MNH: Travion Stafford 1 rush (2 pt. Fails), 28-6, 3:22 3Q
MNH: No. 6 34-yard pass from Kanyon Johnson (2 pt. Fails), 34-6, 3:46 4Q
PASSING LEADERS
MNH: Kanyon Johnson 12-21-159-1-0. UC: Jarren Johnson: 4-10-38-0-1
OTHER
Total Rushing: MNH 46-320, UC 28-166
Penalties: MNH 18-175, UC 7-55
First Downs: MNH 21, UC 9
Punts: MNH 1, UC 5
