BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Martin County blew Betsy Layne away 35-6 in round 2 of the KHSAA Class 2A playoffs Friday night at The Rock in Inez.
The win moves Coach Josh Muncy’s Cardinals to Class 2A round 3, where they will vie for the East Region championship Friday against the Beechwood Tigers in Fort Mitchell.
The Martin County faithful braved the chilly Friday night air to help cheer the Cardinals to the win over Betsy Layne. The Bobcats won the toss and opted to receive the ball, setting the stage.
Despite an initial strong drive by the Bobcats, a fumble on first-and-10 at the Martin County 5-yard line turned the tide with 7:30 remaining in the first quarter.
The rest of the quarter was a seesaw battle until the final 19 seconds were showing on the clock. Senior running back Brock Messer took the handoff and maneuvered 57 yards to score the first touchdown of the game. Caleb Horn’s extra point put Martin County in front 7-0.
The Bobcats responded with a solid drive that consumed most of the second quarter. The effort paid off when Dylan Williams took the pass from quarterback Carter Parsons and scored a 4-yard touchdown to narrow the gap to 7-6 as the half ended.
The Cardinals received the ball to start the third quarter. With 6:57 on the clock, QB Jackson Miller put the ball in the hands of his brother, senior Madden Miller, for a 2-yard touchdown run. Caleb Horn’s extra point stretched the Martin County lead to 14-6.
The climax of the third quarter unfolded with 1:48 showing on the clock when Jackson Miller threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Damien Cheek. Caleb Horn’s extra point pushed the score to 21-6.
Tragedy struck for Martin County at 11:22 in the fourth quarter, as Madden Miller succumbed to a knee injury and had to exit the field.
Meanwhile Cardinals continued their offensive onslaught. Aiden Horn took the handoff at the 16-yard line and carried it to the house with 7:05 remaining in the game. Caleb Horn was spot on for the extra point to put the score at 28-6.
Messer and Caleb Horn set the final score with a minute left. Facing a third-and-7 on the Betsy Lane 45-yard line, Messer took the handoff and ran untouched to triumph while Caleb Horn added the extra point.
“We prepared our guys for a war all week long in practice,” Coach Muncy said following the win. “We told them that Betsy Layne had a good team, and it was going to come down to who wanted it more and who could put together four quarters of good football.”
Muncy spoke about the upcoming game with Beechwood.
“We have our work cut out for us,” he said. “They are one of the best programs in the state in any class. I’m excited to take our team there and showcase our talents. We want to show the teams up north that these mountain boys have some fight in them.”
The coach added, “Playing for a regional championship and an opportunity at the state semifinals is such an awesome experience for our boys. We are really blessed with the season we have had so far and hopefully more to come.”
The Cardinals amassed 393 total yards—41 passing and 352 rushing—and completed 4 of 7 third-down conversions.
Messer led Martin County on the ground with 204 rushing yards on 13 attempts, scoring two touchdowns. Aiden Horn carried 15 times for 91 yards and one touchdown, Madden Miller picked up 32 rushing yards on three carries and scored a touchdown.
Cheek gained 19 yards receiving on one reception and scored a touchdown.
Jackson Miller completed one pass for 19 yards.
Caleb Horn tallied a perfect 5 of 5 PATs.
Martin County chalked up 25 solo tackles and 56 assisted tackles for 81 total, including three for loss and one sack.
Cheek had two solo tackles, 13 assisted tackles, 15 total; Madden Miller had four solo tackles, 10 assisted tackles, 14 total; Rafe Price had four solo tackles, eight assisted tackles, 12 total, including one for loss and one sack; Noah Mollette had 10 assisted tackles and one fumble recovery; Bryston Wells had three solo tackles, three assisted tackles, six total, including one for loss; Aiden Horn had two solo tackles, four assisted tackles, six total.
Martin County is 7-5 on the season.
