It’s getting to be frustrating for the North Hardin Trojans, who just had their second dream season ended by a Power Three School in 6-A. Two years ago, it was powerful Male and last year it was Trinity who beat North Hardin in the Final Four. Both teams went on to win the Championship game, but that was little saloce for the North Hardin Football team which had just experienced their most succussful run in team history. This time around it was St. Xavier, who finally did them in playing at Ray Story Stadium by a score of 16-9.
The Tiger defense, one of the best in 6-A did a job on the high powered North Hardin offense allowing them just 25-total yards and had to take advantage of two turnovers by St. Xavier punt returners just to put themselves in position to score. The Trojans recovered the first muff with Elijah Banks forced the bobble with a brutal hit and Jordan Lovett recovered setting up a touchdown pass from quarterback Manie Wimberly to a leaping Jalen Sharps in the left corner of the end zone with 3:32 remaining in until halftime.
Up to that point, St. Xavier had controlled the ball and the clock running off 30-offensive plays compared to just half that total for North Hardin and scored on a Cameron Tegge 22-yard field goal in the first quarter and then a two-yard touchdown run by Mekhi Smith with 5:12 left in the second quarter to make it 10-0 Tigers. St. Xavier played much of the game with out their starting quarterback Gile Pooler, who left the game on their second quarter touchdown drive after suffering a hit to the helmet.
There was no stopping the Tigers one-two rushing attack of Smith and Grant Goodman, who combined for 295-yards rushing and two scores behind a big and mobile offensive line which manhandled the Trojans all night long. After their first drive of the third quarter ended in a missed field goal, the Tigers drove down field on their next offensive position in nine plays (eigth were runs) and finally scored on Smith’s 4-yards run early in the fourth quarter to up the score to 16-6 after a missed PAT.
North was forced to punt, but a second fumbled punt was recovered by Banks setting up a ten yard touchdown run by Kye Boyd, but it was cancelled by a holding call. After a Wimberly pass to Marcus Harris got them a little closer, Jabari Rasheed hit a 43-yard field goal to make it 16-9.
The Tigers took the ensuing kickoff and although there were still 6:17 remaining and the Trojans now only trailed by seven points, St. Xavier ran ten straight times picking up valuable first downs and effectively ran the clock out ending the game.
It was a fitting ending to what turned out to be the most successful three year run by North Hardin, which under Brent Thompson built a marvelous machine from the ruins of a one-win season in 2013 to a team which had piled up 31-wins during that time winning two District titles and a Region title while putting several athletes in position to play on Saturday’s in college uniforms.
Unlike the losses to Male and Trinity the past several seasons, the Trojan defense actually played well enough to keep the game close. A one score difference may not seem like much, but when you look at the difference in yardage (St. Xavier-340-yards NH-24) and plays ran (St. Xavier-53 NH-26), then you’d have thought the margin would have been greater.
While the Tigers prepare for Trinity this Friday, the Trojans said good bye to several athletes who played their last football game in a North Hardin uniform. Runningback Lavell Wright (who didn’t play), Cameron Smith, Marcus Harris, Jalen Sharps, Elijah Banks, Jordan Lovett, Michael Lunz and Devonte Jordan-Lemafa to name a few. Next season, Thompson will begin rebuilding the machine again and offense will be one priority with three receivers and power runningback gone. Defensive back and linebacker as well. Still, may wondered what the 2020 defense would look like after so many key players graduated and they still produced a great product.
With a smoother 2021 up ahead, a productive Trojan offense should still be expected if the parts fit for Thompson’s machine.
