HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Christian County had an opportunity to build momentum heading into the postseason when it faced region foe Henderson County on Friday night. The Tigers fell to the Colonels in a 37-33 heartbreaker, dropping to 2-5.
There was plenty of uncertainty surrounding Christian County entering its first season as a combined school. The Tigers showed plenty of fight in a back-and-forth battle with Henderson County, but they could not make the plays necessary to finish the game down the stretch.
Christian County head coach Dustin Lopez was visibly frustrated following the loss, leaving the field without speaking to Christian County Now or other media outlets.
Still, Henderson County head coach John Elliott believes there is plenty to like about the Tigers moving forward.
“They’ve got some athletes, and they were playing without their starting quarterback. They’re a load, and they’re going to be a load for McCracken next week,” Elliott told Christian County Now. “It’s only a three-team district, so we’ll see how it all shakes out here in a couple of weeks.”
Without starting quarterback Jasiah McCarley, the Tigers needed to find other ways to generate offense. Fortunately, their running game didn’t miss a beat. Paul Abren rushed for four touchdowns, while Deasian Harris added a score of his own.
The bigger issue for Christian County was its inability to slow down the Colonels. Despite the Tigers’ offensive production, Henderson County continued to answer every challenge.
Leading by three points with less than four minutes remaining, Henderson County quarterback Brody Belt orchestrated a go-ahead touchdown drive to put the Colonels back in front. Belt’s touchdown pass to Christian Haygan was his third of the night and ultimately proved to be the game-winner.
Elliott was pleased with how his team responded to adversity in the closing minutes.
“It got to the point with some of the calls that I thought our kids might go in the tank, but they didn’t. They kept their resolve and battled. It was nice to get a win on the road, because they’re hard to come by,” he said.
Christian County had one final opportunity to mount a comeback and converted a fourth-and-15 to keep its hopes alive. The Tigers eventually faced a last-gasp opportunity to score from the 12-yard line, where senior Jaylen Ray appeared to make a spectacular catch in the end zone. After the officials conferred, however, the pass was ruled incomplete, ending the game.
It was a frustrating finish for the Tigers, but their season is far from over. Lopez has athletes capable of competing with the region’s best, and Friday’s performance showed that Christian County can move the ball against quality competition.
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