Caldwell County scored four times in a 5:14 span of the second quarter and went on to defeat Christian County 37-6 Friday night in a high school football game at the Stadium of Champions.
The game was played in driving rain and windy conditions as Tropical Storm Helene moved through the area. Both teams lost three fumbles and several other drives were stopped due to the wet football being dropped.
Christian County grabbed a 6-0 lead with 1:34 left in the first quarter when Jaiden Williams hit Josh Bridges on a 13-yard touchdown pass. The five-play drive was set up when Caldwell fumbled inside its own 5-yard line. Despite three illegal motion penalties, the Colonels were able to score.
On the night, the Colonels were flagged 13 times for 120 yards.
Caldwell (2-4) took the lead for good with 5:14 to play in the second quarter on a 4-yard pass from Daelyn Lander to Gus Fox. Sutton Ritchey’s point-after kick made it 7-6. The drive was set up by a 9-yard punt that set the Tigers up at the Christian County 22-yard line.
Christian County (0-5) went three-and-out on its next possession and after a 20-yard punt, Caldwell went 40 yards on four plays. The drive ended with a 10-yard touchdown run by Kameron Spikes. Ritchey’s kick made it 14-6 with 2:43 left in the half.
Another Christian County three-and-out and a 23-yard punt gave Caldwell the ball on the Colonels’ 45. This time it took only two plays for the Tigers to find the end zone. Luke Maddox got loose and went 24 yards for the score. Ritchey’s kick gave Caldwell a 21-6 advantage with 1:21 left in the half.
The Colonels fumbled on their next possession and gave the Tigers the ball on their 26-yard line with 15 seconds left in the half. Ritchey made Christian County pay with a 43-yard field goal as time expired to push the lead to 24-6.
Caldwell extended its lead to 31-6 with 9:40 to play in the third quarter on a 6-yard run by Spikes. The four-play drive was set up by a fumbled snap and sack on a Colonels punt attempt.
The Tigers scored their final touchdown with 9:16 to go in the game when Fox stepped in front of a Williams pass and returned it 30 yards for a score. Ritchey missed the extra point leaving the score 37-6.
The Colonels managed only four first downs and 53 total yards of offense on the night. They also committed six turnovers. Caldwell County ran for 216 yards, led by Spikes, who had 117 yards on 21 carries. They finished with 235 total yards on the night. The Tigers also were flagged 10 times for 90 yards.
Christian County lost for the 11th straight time and will play host to Bowling Green on Oct. 4. The Purples are ranked No. 1 in Class 5-A in the Bluegrasspreps.com poll.
Score By Quarters:
Caldwell County 0 24 7 6-37
Christian County 6 0 0 0-6
Individual Scoring:
Christian: Jaiden Williams, 13-yard pass to Josh Bridges; Conversion run failed.
Caldwell: Daelyn Lander, 4-yard pass to Gus Fox; Sutton Ritchey, kick.
Caldwell: Kameron Spikes, 10-yard run; Ritchey, kick.
Caldwell: Luke Maddox, 24-yard run; Ritchey, kick.
Caldwell: Ritchey, 43-yard field goal.
Caldwell: Spikes, 6-yard run; Ritchey, kick.
Caldwell: Fox, 30-yard interception return; Kick failed.
File Photo