Undefeated Hart County rolled to over 400 yards rushing on Friday in the opening round of the class 3A UK HealthCare Sports Medicine State Football finals to send Hopkins County Central into the offseason with a 57-0 defeat.
The Storm’s season ends with a record of 4-7 and a loss in the first week of the playoffs for the third straight season.
Hart County set the tone with a 49-yard touchdown run by LD Waggoner on its first play from scrimmage and led 36-0 after the first quarter.
Brennan Griffin scored on a 27-yard run, and Christian Martin added a pair of touchdowns on a 42-yard reception from Jacob Shoulders and a 47-yard run. Kohnner Trent added the final TD of the opening quarter with a pick-six on a pass into the flat by Storm quarterback Sylas Gunn.
The Raiders cruised into halftime with a 50-0 advantage after second-quarter scoring runs by Gage Owens and Jayden Whitaker.
Hart County tacked on the final score on a 1-yard run by Mekhi Hampton in the fourth quarter, the sixth Raider to rush for a touchdown.
Shoulders only attempted three passes, completing two for 48 yards and a score. Martin rushed four times for 109 yards and a score to go with a receiving touchdown.
Owens finished with 97 yards on the ground, Whitaker totaled 93 on only three attempts, Waggoner added 75 yards, and Griffin and Hampton combined for 39.
The Raiders collected 17 1st downs to Hopkins Central’s four. The Storm were held to only 92 total yards and turned the ball over four times.
Gunn completed five passes on 14 attempts for 28 yards and rushed for another 29 yards. Zayden Parker finished with 36 yards on nine carries, and Michael McDaniel ran for 14 yards on four tries.
Hart County will host Franklin-Simpson next week after the Wildcats battled back from a 21-0 deficit to knock off Hancock County 37-36.
