One of these days Christian County is going to walk into the house, at least that’s what they’re hoping.
For now, however, they’ll have to wait a couple weeks on the porch.
The Colonel Football team knocked on the door in a big way Friday at Stadium of Champions, ultimately falling short in a 20-14 defeat to Greenwood High School in the Class 5A, District 2 opener.
After Cam Coleman’s 32-yard touchdown catch pulled the Cols within six points of the Gators with 2:42 remaining, County had a chance at a defensive stop that would have given them a shot at its first victory of the season.
With just over a minute to go, though, a backbreaking 10-yard run by Reed Slone gave Greenwood a key third-down conversion. And then on another GHS third-down attempt in the waning seconds, County jumped offsides to essentially end the game.
The loss is the seventh straight by the Colonels to start the 2019 season.
This matchup was the first between Christian County and Greenwood since Sept. 28, 2006. The Colonels won that game 69-35 behind a monster effort from Keith Tandy, and had held a blemish-less 6-0 lead over the Gators in the all-time series before Friday’s loss.
Slone, who does it all for the Gators (5-2) offensively, was relatively held in check by the stout CCHS defense, but did break a pair of huge plays to lead GHS to the win. His 45-yard punt return of a TD provided the game’s first points late in the first quarter.
The crafty senior running back then broke a 55-yard touchdown run, breaking a 7-7 tie with 6:32 left in the first half. Greenwood would not trail the rest of the way. Slone had 100 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Overall, Christian County managed to outgain the Gators 194-171 in the district opener for both teams, but Greenwood was able to take advantage of a couple big plays. One of the largest of the contest was a 32-yard catch by Yuji Ogawa on a fourth-and-six conversion, setting up a one-yard TD run by David Odom on the next play.
That scoring drive, capped with 34 seconds left in the third quarter, held up as the game-winner.
Coleman was the story for County on Friday, at least offensively, as the senior playmaker accounted for his squad’s two biggest plays. The best of those came with nine minutes left in the first half, when Coleman sprinted on a fly route, leaped to tip a pass from Donta Abren alive in the air, and then concentrated to make a 24-yard catch on the goal line while lying flat on his back.
The circus catch set up Abren’s one-yard quarterback sneak of a touchdown that finished off an 80-yard drive, and temporarily pulled the Colonels even with Greenwood, but the Gators would answer right back with Slone’s aforementioned 55-yard scamper.
Christian County (0-7) will have the week off next Friday, then returns to the gridiron for another district matchup on Oct. 18 at Bowling Green. The Purples (4-2) defeated South Warren (6-1) by a count of 14-3 on Friday, snapping the Spartans’ 21-game winning streak.
Those same Spartans will travel to take on Christian County on Oct. 25. The Colonels then wrap up their regular season Nov. 1 at McCracken County. The Marc Clark-led Mustangs (5-2) have outscored their opponents 340-243 this year.
SCORE BY QUARTER
GHS (5-2) 7 6 7 0 – 20
CCHS (0-7) 0 7 0 7 – 14
SCORING PLAYS
GHS: 1Q (1:09), Reed Slone 45-yard punt return (Ben Patterson kick)
CCHS: 2Q (8:58), Donta Abren 1-yard run (Austin Grant-Hall kick)
GHS: 2Q (6:32), Slone 55-yard run (two-point conversion no good)
GHS: 3Q (0:34), David Odom 1-yard run (Patterson kick)
CCHS: 4Q (2:42), Cam Coleman 32-yard catch from Donta Abren (Grant-Hall kick)