Colonels set to battle #1 Fort Thomas Highlands

The Whitley County defense has faced some of the best quarterbacks not only in Class 5A football but the state of Kentucky as well. They faced the record setting Zack Lewis of Clay County, Steven Duckworth of Woodford County, Chris Muse of Pulaski County and Charlie Banks of Letcher Central. You get the picture.

Another top-notch quarterback and his team will invade Whitley County this week in the form of Tony Guidugli of Fort Thomas Highlands. At the end of the regular season, Guidugli was ranked fourth among the state leaders with 1,841 yards and 12 touchdowns.

In three playoff games he has added 614 yards and seven touchdowns to that list.

The Bluebirds will bring in the top scoring team in Class 5A. Highlands is averaging 44.3 points per game and they also have the best defensive average among the four teams left, giving up just 12 points per game.

How does Whitley County Coach Jim Black plan to stop the Highlands attack?

“It’s the same thing as before. I don’t think you can completely stop it. You want to try and limit their big plays. Make them use some of the clock and that’s our game plan,” he said. “We don’t want to give up the big plays and make them work for everything they get.”

“Offensively, we want to try to do what we do…run the ball, control the clock and put points on the boards,” said Black. “Hopefully, if you execute those two and do a good job in the kicking game and don’t give up anything big in the kicking game then hopefully you will be in a situation to win the football game at the end.”

“It’s the same plan we have been using all year along,” said Black. “It’s nothing that we haven’t done all year long. Only, we are facing one of the best teams in the state of Kentucky.”

Black doesn’t expect Highlands to do anything different. “I think they will do what they think they can do. They don’t necessarily pass the ball a lot. They run the ball a lot. They are a good football team, they do what they want to do.”

The Bluebirds have rushed the ball for 2,650 yards, scoring 44 touchdowns on the ground and 20 by way of the passing attack. Oliver Head (#42) has 14 touchdowns on the season while Clint Crawford has another 13 TD’s. Guidugli is second on the team in rushing with 322 yards and is third with ten touchdowns.

Through the air, Guidugli has thrown for 21 touchdowns with Nick Buten leading the way with six touchdowns, Austin Collinsworth has five and Oliver Head has four to pace the Bluebirds.

Collinsworth, son of former pro Chris Collinsworth is the man on defense as well for Highlands. He has three of the 17 interceptions.

“We are going to stick to our game plan as well and that is run the football,” Black said. “We want to run the football and we are going to run it.”

The Colonels will continue to push their way up and down the field led by seniors Jason Powers and Cody Jones. Powers set a record for touchdowns in a season with 27 last week against Letcher Central. He now has 27 touchdowns on the year and has rushed the football 231 times for 1,664 yards. Jones is second with 25 touchdowns and 1,141 yards.

The Colonels have scored a whopping 60 touchdowns on the ground this season. Jones and Powers are tied with 176 points on the year.

If the Bluebirds key on the dynamic duo, that could leave Josh Wynn open. He has silently rushed for 613 yards and scored three touchdowns. Then there is junior quarterback Jamie Lebanion with three touchdowns and 426 yards.

There is a lot of excitement at Whitley County, the first team in school history to reach the class Final Four. “There is a ton of excitement,” said Black. “There is a lot of support, not only amongst the team, but amongst our whole school community and and county has been great. You couldn’t ask for anything more especially for the kids, they deserve that type support.”

Whitley Co. 38, Letcher Central 8: The Colonels broke open the regional championship game early, scoring 17 points in the first half while the defense took care of the Cougars and didn’t allow a point.

Alex Patrick got the Colonels off to a quick start when he took the opening kickoff 55 yards to the Cougars 35 yard line. Three plays later it was Powers going eight yards for the first touchdown of the game and a lead the Colonels would never give up.

Banks got his team going on the ground right off the bat but his first pass was intercepted and the Colonels were back on offense.

Whitley County turned the Letcher Central mistake into eight points when Cody Jones scored on a 21 yard run with 5:14 left in the quarter. Jones scored the conversion and the Colonels were ahead, 14-0.

A second consecutive turnover cost the Cougars yet another score in the second period when Jordan Chute recovered the football for the Colonels. The Letcher Central defense stiffened but Jamie Lebanion tagged on a 26-yard field goal to put the Colonels ahead at the half, 17-0.

Whitley County added a third quarter touchdown to push out to a 23-0 lead. Powers broke loose for a 43-yard TD run. Another turnover in the fourth quarter put the game away when the Colonels recovered a Letcher fumble at the Whitley County five-yard line.

The Colonels drove the ball down the field, scoring on a Powers four-yard run with 8:46 left in the game. Jones added the conversion for a 31-0 margin.

Whitley County added one more TD when Jones scored with 5:57 left. Lebanion tacked on the PAT and the Colonels were up by 38 points in what was suppose to be a tight ballgame.

Banks got his team on the scoreboard to prevent the shutout with 4:05 left in the game.

Jones and Powers had nearly identical numbers in the lopsided win. Powers had 19 carries for 109 yards and three touchdowns while Jones has 13 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

Whitley Co. 38, Letcher Central 8

Letcher Central 0 0 0 8- 8

Whitley Co. 14 3 6 15- 38

WC- Jason Powers 8 run (kick failed)

WC- Cody Jones 21 run (Jones run)

WC- Jamie Lebanion 26 FG

WC- Powers 43 run (run failed)

WC- Powers 4 run (Jones run)

WC- Jones 10 run (Lebanion kikc)

LC- Banks 1 run (Banks run)