Woodford County High School football opened district play in dominant fashion, defeating South Oldham 43-6 Oct. 2 in Crestwood. For the Jackets, the mission was clear: Get out and compete and send a message to the rest of the district. The message? The Jackets are ready for Collins and Scott County in what should be two high-profile games over the next two weeks.Â
The Yellow Jackets controlled the game in all three phases, scoring touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams. Woodford’s defense was disruptive, finishing with 11 tackles for loss, two sacks and two fumble recoveries while holding the Dragons scoreless until the final play of the game.
Despite the lopsided final score, Woodford coach Dennis Johnson was not pleased with how his team started the game.
“We came out slow, which I didn’t like,” said Johnson. “First series, dropped two balls and gave up the edge on the first play. But then we turned around, defense played, got some turnovers, and that’s what we’re going to need going into next week.”
Greyson Hodge opened the game with a big kickoff return, setting Woodford up inside the South Oldham 40-yard line. The Jackets were unable to capitalize, however, turning the ball over on downs after Foxx Coons threw three incomplete passes and JT Jackson was stopped on his lone rushing attempt.
Woodford’s special teams made sure the next opportunity did not go to waste.
After the Jackets’ defense forced a punt, Wyatt Peters fielded the kick, made the first defender miss and raced down the South Oldham sideline for a 75-yard touchdown return. Cash Wolfe added the extra point to give Woodford a 7-0 lead.
South Oldham put together a promising drive on its next possession before Christopher Reed Jr. ripped the ball away from a Dragons receiver and returned the fumble 55 yards to the South Oldham 25.
Following a first-down carry by Ryan Brown, Coons connected with Kael Rihtar for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Woodford added the two-point conversion to extend Woodford’s lead to 15-0.
Woodford’s penalty problems from its previous game carried into the second quarter, with three penalties helping South Oldham move into Jackets territory. The Dragons eventually attempted a field goal, but Josiah McKee blocked the kick to preserve the shutout.
McKee made another huge play later in the quarter, scooping up a fumble near midfield and returning it 60 yards for a touchdown to push Woodford’s lead to 22-0.
The Jackets forced another punt, and Jackson broke loose for a 32-yard run deep into South Oldham territory. Coons then connected with Omari Jointer for a 17-yard completion to the 1-yard line before Hodge finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run, giving Woodford a 29-0 advantage.
Woodford’s defense continued to frustrate the Dragons and forced another punt. The Jackets struck quickly when Coons connected with Jointer for a 50-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 36-0 and triggering the running clock.
The defense picked up where it left off in the second half, forcing South Oldham to punt on its opening possession. Aidyn Powell then broke free for a 32-yard touchdown run to increase Woodford’s lead to 43-0.
South Oldham scored on the final play of the fourth quarter to avoid the shutout, but the Jackets walked away from Crestwood with a 43-6 victory to begin district play.
Coons finished 5-of-9 passing for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Jointer was his leading target, catching three passes for 81 yards and a touchdown. Powell led the rushing attack with 45 yards and a touchdown on four carries as Woodford averaged 8.5 yards per rushing attempt.
Defensively, Kane Springate led Woodford with seven solo tackles, while Darrian Tomlin recorded seven total tackles and forced a fumble. Josiah McKee finished with six tackles, two tackles for loss and the 60-yard fumble return for a touchdown. Elias Tackett had five tackles, a sack and a tackle for loss, while Jordan Holman added five solo tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack.
For Holman, the dominant performance carried some extra significance. He missed Woodford’s previous trip to South Oldham with a broken collarbone and remembered watching the Dragons celebrate afterward.
“It meant a lot to me because sophomore year, I didn’t even play. I had a broken collarbone,” Holman said. “I was upset that we lost because after the game they were talking like it was a championship. So I feel like we had to come in here and make a statement. Next week, I think we’ve got to do the same thing.”
Woodford will return home to face Collins in another district matchup Friday, Oct. 9. With Scott County waiting the following week, both Johnson and Holman stressed the importance of keeping the Jackets’ attention on the Titans.
“They’re both some good teams, but I feel like we’ve got to take it one step at a time,” Holman said. “If you’re going to be a championship team, you’ve got to play off what’s in front of you.”
Johnson also pointed to Collins’ ability to score as a reason Woodford cannot afford to look ahead.
“We know they can score the ball,” Johnson said. “We just can’t look ahead. We’ve got to take it a week at a time. They have three or four guys in the top three in every category, I presume, in the state. We’ve got to be ready to go. This will be a good game for us.”
Johnson said slowing Collins’ passing attack will begin with putting pressure on the quarterback.
“We’ve got to play good pass defense. We’ve got to rush the passer. We’ve got to be able to heat him up,” Johnson said. “They’ve got a great offense. We’ve got to get pattern recognition and formation recognition, and then we’ve got to get healthier.”