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[Rocketcorner News]

Wildcats Escape with 32-22 Win

by Kevin Oberhaus

Bowling Green: Most yards thrown for 17,869 yards. Most total yards from scrimmage (21,046). Most passing attempts (1,974). Most completions (1,272). Most touchdown passes (208).

Sure, those are all State records. Big deal. Those are all National records. BIG DEAL.

Senior Maty Mauk and the Kenton Wildcats (12-0) came in to Saturday nights Regional Semifinal game against Genoa with one of the nations most prolific passing games. 5 wide, huge line splits, and a QB who will play at Missouri next year. What was expected was an aerial show. What we got was more like a track meet.

Genoa (10-2) hadn't faced a passing attack all seaon that could prepare them for the Wildcats, but the Comets came in with a gameplan that they nearly executed perfectly. Pressure Mauk and keep the ball out of his hands.

The Comets got the ball to start the game. They would march down the field on a 14 play 72 yard drive led by a heavy dose of Junior RB Kyle Nutter who would score from 1 yard out. A missed PAT gave Genoa a 6-0 lead with just 5:54 left in the 1st quarter.

Genoa surprised the Wildcats with an onsides kick that would bounce out of the hands of a Wildcat and into a Comet's arms. Keeping the ball out of Mauk's hands longer then expected. Kenton only ran 15 offensive plays in the 1st half compared to Genoa's 39.

Pickard would kick a 20 yard FG with 3:09 left in the 2nd to Give the Comets a 9-0 lead.

On the next drive, Mauk seemed to say that he needed to make things happen. That's where he traded his cleats for sprinters shoes and just took off. On the 3rd play of the drive, Maty burst thru the line for a 58 yard TD run and after a 2pt conversion, the Wildcats were down just 9-8 with 2:10 left in the half.

Genoa's Pickard would line up from 57 yards out and 5 seconds on the clock for a FG attempt. The kick fell just short as the ball cast its shadow on the crossbar when it passed just underneath it. But the Comets were pleased with their efforts and enjoyed a 9-8 halftime lead.

Nutter had 109 yards on 26 carries at half. Mauk was just 5-10 for 58 yards but had 5 rushes for 108 yards.

Kenton opened the 3rd with the ball but were stopped by the Genoa defense.

The Comets would again run the ball and the clock. Pickard would finish off the drive with a 22yd TD run, but his second missed PAT of the game would leave Genoa up just 15-8 with 6:32 remaining in the 3rd.

That's when Kenton would make its move. It took less then 2 minutes for Mauk to lead the Wildcats to another TD and give them their first lead of 16-15 after his 12yd TD run and 2pt conversion. The drive was aided by a remarkable 4th and 12 conversion from their own 45. Mauk rolled out and threw a pass that was tipped by Kenton’s Justin Sawmiller, before it landed it Kenton’s Brice Fackler’s hands for a first down at the Genoa 17.

Mauk would strike again with his feet just 3 minutes into the 4th quarter. This time he scampered 17 yards untouched with hand held high as to say, this game is over. Another 2pt conversion gave Kenton a 24-15 lead.

With all the momentum on the Kenton side and the game seemingly slipping away from the Comets, Casey Gose would field the kickoff at the 15 and sprint 85 yards for a TD. A good PAT gave Genoa life down just 24-22 with 8:45 to play.

Kenton would answer right back on a simply sensational effort by Mauk and his receiver Kieran Fetter. Mauk would be forced out of the pocket and avoid Comet defenders near midfield. He sprinted toward the sideline and fired a bomb into the end zone off of his left leg. Fetter came down with the ball in between three defenders in the end zone. The 34-yard TD gave Kenton a 32-22 lead with 7:31 to go.

Neither team would score again and the Wildcats would celebrate a 32-22 victory.

The Genoa pass defense truely had an outstanding game. Mauk was just 15 of 27 for 239 yards with 1 TD. Maty was picked off for the first time in 246 passes and actually threw 2 picks in the game. The difference was Mauk rushing for 209 yards.

"He is a good player, but we were in position, and we just didn't take advantage of opportunities," said Genoa coach Mike Vicars of Mauk, who accounted for 448 total yards including three touchdown runs.
“What happened is we lost the edge and part of it was that he just outathleted us.”

“It’s been a great season and our guys have worked really hard and I’m very proud of the effort of our coaches. Coach Fackler did a very good job with the defensive game plan and coach Best and our offensive coaches did a great job with our game plan and our guys executed and played really hard," said Kenton's Coach Mauk. "I thought it was a challenge for the will of both teams and they (Genoa) responded and fortuantely our guys did too.”

Nutter ended up with 160 yards on 38 attempts for the Comets.

"It was the most physical game we've been in all year," Mauk added. "They're athletic and physical. We hadn't been in a game all year where it went back and forth like that."

Kenton advances to the Regional Semifinal next Saturday to face Bishop Hartley (11-0). Genoa finishes up another great season at 10-2.

Genoa 6 3 6 7 – 22
Kenton 0 8 8 16 – 32

G K
First downs 14 21
Rushing yds 428-214 28-216
Passing yds 75 239
Interceptions by 2 1
Fumbles 1-0 1-1
Penalties 10-89 8-90
Punts 4-43 1-27

[O_2]

Nice article. Sounded like a good game.

[Spongebob FootballPants]

Yes you said it for what it was,except you left out a very important part and that would be that there was 7:31 left on the clock in the 4th quarter Kenton stop Genoa after a interception and that's where the time of possession comes in place.Maty was able to run for 1st downs,stay in bounds to run the clock.Being that Kenton showed good sportsmanship they took a knee 2 downs inside the red zone to kill the clock.Now if Kenton wanted to they could a put another score on Genoa which would of put them in the 40's which a lot of people said that there was no way Kenton was gonna put 40 points on Genoa,but Kenton with class took the knees and ended the game.Hats off to Genoa they played a very hard fought game.But I will say one thing,for the people who stayed after the DSJ game and watched the Kenton and Genoa game got their moneys worth in a real football game!Anyways track shoes or not Maty will be tough to defend!!!That's called very athletic my friends!

[oberhaus]

Spongebob FootballPants, on 13 November 2011 - 04:19 PM, said:

Yes you said it for what it was,except you left out a very important part and that would be that there was 7:31 left on the clock in the 4th quarter Kenton stop Genoa after a interception and that's where the time of possession comes in place.Maty was able to run for 1st downs,stay in bounds to run the clock.Being that Kenton showed good sportsmanship they took a knee 2 downs inside the red zone to kill the clock.Now if Kenton wanted to they could a put another score on Genoa which would of put them in the 40's which a lot of people said that there was no way Kenton was gonna put 40 points on Genoa,but Kenton with class took the knees and ended the game.Hats off to Genoa they played a very hard fought game.But I will say one thing,for the people who stayed after the DSJ game and watched the Kenton and Genoa game got their moneys worth in a real football game!Anyways track shoes or not Maty will be tough to defend!!!That's called very athletic my friends!

You are absolutely right. The reason that wasn't in there is because I couldn't remember exactly how the last half of the 4th went down. lol. My guy in the press box didn't get the final stats sheet and I need to show him how I like the notes (with times etc.)

Mauk was every bit the player you all said. Cocky? Yeah a little. But what great athletes aren't? I wasn't bothered by anything that he did on the field. He will be fun to watch at Mizzu.

I won't be at Kenton's next game but we will have a "reporter" there.

[winit4me]

I am loving it!!!