Saturday, August 18, 2001
CovCath 30, Boone Co. 11
Colonels' defense steps up in opener
By Ray Schaefer
Enquirer contributor
Covington Catholic's three G's led to one W against Boone County Friday. CovCath senior quarterback Tim Grogan hit senior Sean Gruber with an 87-yard touchdown pass on his team's first play, and senior defensive back Kyle Groneck intercepted two passes in the Colonels' 30-11 victory at Boone County.
CovCath's T.R. Rose is facemasked by Boone County's Chase Floyd.
(Mike Simons photos)
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The win meant three different things to Grogan, Gruber and Groneck.
For Grogan, who was 10-of-21 for 170 yards and the TD, it meant no repeat of last year's 0-3 start.
“It gives us a lot of confidence,” Grogan said.
For Gruber, it was proof that the play on which he scored worked.
“We worked on it all week,” Gruber said. “It worked on our defensive backs, I knew it would work on theirs.”
And for Groneck, who also plays on the baseball team, it was a great return to a sport he didn't play the past two seasons.
CovCath's Sean Ryan is tackled by Boone's Matt Barber.
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“Our defensive backs have worked hard,” Groneck said. “Everybody talked me into (coming back). I was lazy; I didn't feel like practicing.”
Friday was supposed to be a battle between CovCath's passing game and Boone County's running attack. The first play went to Boone County — senior Nick Myers took the opening kickoff 69 yards to the CovCath 25.
Six plays later, the drive stalled, but junior kicker Steve Swann's 27-yard field goal put the Rebels up 3-0 with 9:07 left in the first quarter.
On Grogan's touchdown to Gruber, he faked a handoff around the right end to senior Sean Ryan, while Gruber beat Boone County's Brian Lee by about five yards down the left side.
Boone County's James Brown is tackled by Greg Dixon.
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When Boone County junior quarterback Nick Humbert tried to pass in the next series, Groneck intercepted.
CovCath intercepted four passes in the game. Sophomore Adam Spaulding had the other two.
Grogan, who finished the first half with 116 passing yards, hit senior T.R. Rose twice for 25 yards, and senior David Paul's 1-yard plunge made it 14-3 with 4:32 to go.
CovCath recovered Myers' fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and four plays later, senior Sean Ryan scored from two yards out for a touchdown and 20-3 Colonel lead with 2:49 left.
“Twenty points in the first quarter, that's a great performance against Boone County,” CovCath coach Lynn Ray said.
Boone County's Greg Bowling runs the ball.
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CovCath's defense also played well. The Colonels intercepted one more Humbert pass (Spaulding with 2:39 left in the first half) and sacked Humbert twice in the first half alone.
Junior tailback James Brown sustained Boone County in the first half, gaining 66 yards.
It was more CovCath defense in the third quarter. Junior Justin Ingle recovered Brown's fumble early in the third quarter, and junior John Hennessey scored from four yards out.
Boone County senior Greg Bowling scored from 10 yards out with 47 seconds left in the third quarter. CovCath junior kicker Neal Kreke's 27-yard field goal with 5:50 left in the game closed the scoring.
Cov. Catholic ....... 20 0 7 3 — 30
Boone County ....... 3 0 8 0 — 11
BC-Swann 27 field goal
CC-Gruber 87 pass from Grogan (Kreke kick)
CC-Paul 1 run (Kreke kick)
CC-Ryan 2 run (pass failed)
CC-Hennessey 4 run (Kreke kick)
BC-Bowling 10 run (Brown run)
CC-Kreke 27 field goal
Records: CC 1-0, BC 0-1.
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CovCath 30, Boone Co. 11
