PADUCAH — Christian County is trying to find some way to finish its 2025, and final, high school football season with a proud momentum heading into next year’s consolidation.
The Colonels scored three touchdowns for the fifth time this season Friday night, but left Marquette Stadium with a 63-20 loss to Class 6A, District 1 foe McCracken County.
Now a tumultuous 1-7, this is week three for interim coach Kelly Myers — who has been wrapped with the main role following the resignation of Ethan Atchley.
Despite three straight losses — including South Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Henderson County and now the Mustangs — Myers believes he’s seeing some real growth.
“We’ve got some talented receivers, we’ve got some decent offensive linemen up front,” he said. “And we’ve got two good quarterbacks that can throw the ball. What we’ve got to work on is our mistakes. We made a lot of mental mistakes [tonight], which cost us. And, to be honest with you, we make a lot of decisions on our own. Some things that weren’t called. That’s a problem, and that’s what I picked up when I took the job three weeks ago.
“But we’re just trying to get better with it.”
True to Myers’ word, the Colonels indeed showed some real flash on offense.
Down 13-0 with 9:07 left in the first quarter, senior quarterback Tom Johnson hit senior wideout James Farley down the right sideline on a perfect rainbow. Farley had beaten one-on-one coverage, and took it 78 yards — easily setting up a short rushing score from Deasian Harris.
Things, however, started to go a little south just before the second quarter. After converting a fourth-and-3 on a screen to Harris and a drawn pass interference, senior wideout Darius Finch was popped with a personal foul — after taking umbrage with some extracurricular contact.
The very next play, McCracken County’s Reed Brookshire picked off a missed deep shot from Johnson, and the Mustangs made it 28-7 seven plays later and with 11:47 left in the first half, as senior running back Landon Newman carted it 25 yards — part of his 110-yard evening.
The Colonels didn’t score on the next drive, and McCracken County’s quarterback — senior and Division I prospect Maddox O’Neal — took advantage. He went 3-for-3 for 43 yards, capping a five-play, 54-yard drive with a 15-yard touchdown strike to Jude Lanier, and a 34-7 lead with 7:20 left before halftime.
Johnson hit Finch three plays later for an 85-yard score down the right sideline, as Finch was able to easily break away from a couple of stumbling defenders.
But McCracken County again answered. O’Neal drew the Colonels offside on fourth-and-long, and after Newman converted on a shorter attempt, O’Neal found Brookshire three plays later — an 18-yard score and PAT making it 42-14 with 4:34 to go before the break, essentially out of reach.
GIVE FINCH AN INCH
Johnson wasn’t the only Christian County quarterback to find Finch for six.
Late in the fourth quarter, sophomore spinner Mason Cansler hit Finch over the middle, and Finch did the rest — coasting for 80 yards and paydirt for the game’s final touchdown.
He finished with more than 170 yards receiving, and has become quite a weapon under Myers’ offense.
“Finch has had several good games since I’ve taken over,” he added. “He’s playing in that second charismatic position. We have an ‘H’ and a ‘Y,’ and I’ve told our offense that it needs to centered around a charismatic ‘H’ and ‘Y,’ and scoring touchdowns. And he’s taken advantage of it. He really has. He gets open. He’s tall. He’s rangy. He’s got some speed. Somebody needs to be looking [at him].”
A RARE THING
What isn’t getting enough attention in a tough year for the Colonels is the fact their kicker, Jayleigh Campbell, isn’t just a junior student-athlete.
She’s a girl. And while young women are more frequently finding themselves on the football sidelines as players across the country, it’s still a new — and welcomed — change to the sport.
Campbell drilled two PATs and had a third one blocked, and once again handled kickoff duties for Christian County.
“She can do anything with a football that you want to do,” Myers said. “She’s a tough kid. And when [McCracken] slammed her to the turf, she stood up for herself. She was mad. Believe me. She wanted to go get a little revenge. I just wish I had her more. I’ve only got her one day a week.”
NEXT UP
Christian County’s season only gets more difficult. October 24, the Colonels face lifetime rival and soon-to-be teammates in Hopkinsville at the Stadium of Champions, and the Tigers just beat Henderson 31-29. October 31, they come back to the riverfront and McRight Stadium to face Class 4A nemesis Paducah Tilghman, which just topped Warren East 44-6 and has its sights set on an unprecedented second-straight state title.
“What I’ve got to do is get them fired up a little bit more,” Myers said. “We get our heads down a little bit. Looking at the record here the last 10 years, it hasn’t been pretty. We’re just trying to make it better. I’d like to go out and give them something they can remember.”
McCRACKEN COUNTY 63, CHRISTIAN COUNTY 20
Colonels (1-7) 7706 — 20
Mustangs (4-4) 20 29 7 7 — 63
SCORING
MC: Landon Newman 10 rush (PAT missed), 6-0, 10:40 1Q
MC: Reed Brookshire 13 pass from Maddox O’Neal (PAT good), 13-0, 9:07 1Q
CC: Deasian Harris 4 rush (PAT good), 13-7, 7:20 1Q
MC: Brently Gregory 9 pass from Maddox O’Neal (PAT good), 20-7, 4:14 1Q
MC: Landon Newman 25 rush (2-point rush), 28-7, 11:47 2Q
MC: Jude Lanier 15 pass from Maddox O’Neal (PAT good), 35-7, 7:20 2Q
CC: Darius Finch 85 pass from Tom Johnson (PAT good), 35-14, 6:12 2Q
MC: Reed Brookshire 18 pass from Maddox O’Neal (PAT good), 42-14, 4:34 2Q
MC: Jakari Matchem 32 pass from Maddox O’Neal (PAT good), 49-14, 2:27 2Q
MC: Dawson Hayden 44 rush (PAT good), 56-14, 7:43 3Q
MC: Corterrion Turner 24 pass from Cole Presswood (PAT good), 63-14, 4Q
CC: Darius Finch 80 pass from Mason Cansler (PAT missed), 63-20, 2:27 4Q
PASSING LEADERS
CC: Tom Johnson 8-23-196-2-1, Mason Cansler 5-7-108-0-1. MC: Maddox O’Neal 15-20-207-0-5, Cole Presswood 4-6-41-0-1.
RUSHING LEADERS
CC: Tom Johnson 3-38, Deasian Harris 7-11-1, Chynaysheon Harris 1-6, Michael Tandy 1-5, Tristin Dillard 4-3. MC: Landon Newman 9-110-2, Dawson Hayden 5-63-1, Jude Lanier 2-23, Maddox O’Neal 2-14, Wilson Watts 3-10.
RECEIVING LEADERS
CC: Darius Finch 4-177-2, James Farley 1-78, Deasian Harris 3-17, Michael Tandy 2-23, Zyon Wharton 1-13. MC: Jakari Matchem 5-101-1, Jude Lanier 5-43-1, Corterrion Turner 3-41-1, Brently Gregory 3-31-1, Reed Brookshire 2-32-2.
ADDITIONAL STATS
CC MC
First Downs 9 24
Net Yards Rushing 63 220
Net Yard Passing 304 248
Total Net Yards 367 468
Penalties 7-73 4-50
Third-Down Conv. 1-10 4-9
Fourth-Down Conv. 1-4 3-3
Time Of Possession 24:57 23:03
