Titans Unravel In Second Round Of Playoffs
The Harrodsburg Herald/Sam Warren
Seniors Caden Semrau (54) and Kingston Mays (57) wrapped up Yellowjacket runner Cortez Stone in the backfield during Friday’s 37-0 loss to Louisville Central.
Sam Warren
Herald Staff
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Some fans were surprised when the Titans took down the Taylor County Cardinals in week one. Again Mercer County proved its wo1th in week two, defeating a Class-6A team for the first time since 2016 when they outscored the Dunbar Bulldogs 42-17. The Titans stepped up a class again when they edged Shelby County in week three. In week four Mercer County accomplished one of the most dominant defeats of the Danville Admirals in program history, winning 48-10, when each of the last two meetings were decided by just 11 points combined.
After a humbling loss to Southwestern at home, the Titans went on the road and controlled every aspect of the game against SA Madison Southern. Mercer beat the Eagles 42-6 in the two programs’ first ever meeting. Mercer played a league above their three new district opponents this season, defeating Marion, Casey and Garrard Counties by a combined score of 118-41. In doing so. the Titans won their first football district championship since 2015, their most recent before that coming in 2006. A week after securing their district championship, the Titans gained 560 yards of offense in a 48-28 victory over Lincoln County, the first Titan victory over the Patriots in their last four meetings, with Mercer’s last win of the series coining in 2009.
The Titans (10-2) eclipsed 10 wins for only the second time since 2006 and many fans were hopeful ahead of the clash with the Louisville Central Yellowjackets (7-5) in the second round of the KHSAA Class-3A state tournament on Friday. Nov. 10.
The Yellowjackets began the game with the ball. Junior Keivon Smith fielded the ball outside of the left hash mark, crossed the field all the way to the right sideline, slipped through multiple tackles and eventually found open field, running down the left sideline. Smith’s return lasted an astonishing 17 seconds and gave the Yellowjacket offense the ball on the Titan 39-yard line. The Titan defense was able to force a fourth and six but Justin Brents did just enough to get the first down on a reverse. One play later junior, tailback Cortez Stone took the hand-off out of shotgun and ran straight forward for his 19th touchdown of the season.
