Despite a monster night for Hopkinsville’s James Bradley, Jr. on Friday at the Stadium of Champions, McCracken County came up with a fourth-quarter interception to get the stop that turned the tide and allowed the Mustangs to hold on for a 59-56 victory.
The Tigers dropped their third straight game to slip to 3-4, with next week off. McCracken moved to 3-4 and also has a week’s rest before hosting Christian County.
McCracken’s Maddox O’Neal opened the scoring on a pass to Dawson Hayden, before Hoptown answered on a Jasiah McCarley strike to Aiden Jesse to give the Tigers an 8-7 advantage after a two-point conversion. O’Neal then rumbled for a 30-yard TD to put the Mustangs back in front 14-8 after the opening quarter.
The teams combined for five touchdowns in a frantic second quarter, but it would be a 50-yard Brock Wilson field goal that would prove decisive. McCracken’s O’Neal hooked up with Jakari Matchem for a score before Bradley, Jr. raced 55 yards for a Tiger TD. Wilson snuck his kick in just over the bar with 8:10 left in the half before the teams traded scores over the final four minutes.
McCarley found Bradley, Jr. over the middle for a 72-yard TD pass to put the Tigers in front 28-24, and Landon Newman found the end zone on a one-yard plunge to nose McCracken back into the lead at the halftime break.
Hopkinsville’s Jeremiah Smith scored on a 54-yard run to open the scoring in the second half before Newman collected his second TD on a two-yard run for the Mustangs.
McCarley’s pass to Tremayne Clay gave Hoptown a four-point edge at 42-38 with 7:34 left in the third, but O’Neal and Matchem hooked up again to restore the Mustang advantage. Less than a minute later, Bradley, Jr. was back in the end zone on a 61-yard run for a 49-45 Hopkinsville edge, but that would be the last lead for the Tigers. Newman found his way over the line from two yards out to put the Mustangs in front for good and close the third quarter.
McCracken seized the momentum early in the fourth on Jude Lanier’s interception, and O’Neal took advantage with a TD pass to Sam Goodman after a time-consuming drive to give the Mustangs some breathing room at 59-49 with 4:43 to play.
McCarley and Bradley got together for one final score on a 14-yard pass over the middle, but McCracken was able to pick up a couple of 1st downs on their final possession to run out the clock.
The teams combined for 1,032 total yards, including 585 on 47 total plays for the Tigers. McCracken racked up 447 yards on 73 total plays.
Hopkinsville rushed for 303 yards, with Bradley, Jr. accounting for 283 on the ground on the way to a 380-yard night. McCarley completed 11 of 20 passes for 283 yards for the Tigers.
McCracken rushed for 297 yards, led by Newman with 208 on 36 carries, and O’Neal completed 21 of 29 passes for 150 yards.
Hopkinsville will have an extra week to regroup before hosting Henderson County on October 17. The teams haven’t met since 2020 when the Tigers prevailed 27-16.
