This one appeared to be on the way to a running clock with the way the visitors dominated the first half.

The Nicholas County Blue Jackets did manage to hit it, but not until 4:13 remained on the clock in a 38-0 shutout of the host Pendleton County Wildcats. Nicholas County led 30-0 at halftime in the season opener for both teams.

“I thought we had a really good effort in the first half,” Nicholas County head coach Simon Clouse said. “I was really proud of our special teams. We stole two extra possessions. The one we scored on. The other one we turned it over. We’re a hard-nosed running team. I think in the first half, they took that and brought it in. In the second half, we kind of let up a little bit. Hat’s off to (the Wildcats). They threw some things at our offensive line that we had to work at halftime to fix.”

The Blue Jackets won the battle in the trenches outgaining the Wildcats, 301 to minus-9 on the ground and 392-49 overall. Nicholas County forced Pendleton County to go the air attack after going up double digits in the second quarter.

View Photos from Alisha Dunn.

“We were most worried about the deep pass, short pass, maybe the screen pass,” Nicholas County senior lineman Case Reid said. “That’s what we prepared for. It was a matter of containment, being physical and making plays.”

Nicholas County has some agile offensive linemen in seniors Preston Blake at 6-feet-5-inches and Reid. Junior quarterback Chandler Kenney and senior running back Wyatt Simons ran behind them and the other linemen for a combined 248 yards and two touchdowns each. Simons carried the ball 17 times averaging nearly eight yards per carry and Kenney carried it 20 times running a number of read plays averaging nearly six yards per carry.

“We played as a team and we all helped each other,” Blake said. “Once we helped each other, we helped the backs get the yards they got. I feel honored when we actually work and the running backs gain big yards. That shows how good our offensive line is. I’d take our line with anybody.”

The Blue Jackets completed some nice catches when needed. Kenney completed 6-of-13 passes for 91 yards and one touchdown. That touchdown pass came on a 4th-and-goal from the Pendleton County 5 to Jayden Watkins on a crossing route with 5:10 left in the first quarter as the Blue Jackets ran more than six minutes off the clock on a 13-play drive.

Four different Blue Jackets had catches. Junior Jayden Robinson had a team-high three for 44 yards.

“During practice, our offensive line works really hard,” Kenney said. “They’re doing what they’re supposed to on plays. They listen. They’ve been in the weight room since the winter. (Simons) is just a good runner. He had (1,348) yards rushing last year. He’ll probably get another 1500 this year.”

Nicholas County threw double teams at Pendleton County senior defensive lineman Logan Lucas. Lucas made some tackles for a loss for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats tried a number of short, medium and long passes often getting some separation, but could not consistently connect. Some balls hit the wide receivers’ hands, but the receivers could not haul them in. Pendleton County quarterback Elijah Barhorst completed 7-of-25 passes for 58 yards, but the first completion did not take place until the second half.

“The thing that we talked about at the end of the game is how we’re right there,” said Jaeggar Graham, Pendleton County head coach. “A few plays different and it’s a different game. I think that we are going in the right direction. Our energy was good the whole game. The effort was great the whole game. That’s not something Pendleton has always had. It’s huge for us to continue on that momentum and build on what we just did. I know it doesn’t look great on the scoreboard. We’re proud of how the guys continued to battle and gave the effort from start to finish. Offensively, we just have to start faster and we’ll be fine.”

The game had a combined 190 yards in penalties. Nicholas County had 14 for 135 yards and Pendleton County committed six for 45.

“We just have to clean that up,” Clouse said. “It’s probably going to be a long day for them Monday watching film, conditioning. We have to stop shooting ourselves in the foot. I think a lot of times, we were just doing stuff. We just made stupid penalties, stupid plays. Against a really, really good team in a tight battle, that’s really going to hurt us.”

Nicholas County built the halftime lead with 22 unanswered in the second quarter. After the first score, the Blue Jackets took over on the Wildcat 33 following a Pendleton County fumble on the kickoff. They drove to the 14 before losing a fumble that Pendleton County senior safety Jacob Frisch pounced on to end the threat.

But after three incompletions, Pendleton County punted and Nicholas County marched right down the field. The Blue Jackets ran 11 plays and Simons capped off with a four-yard run with 8:41 left in the half. Kenney ran in the two-point conversion to put Nicholas County up 16-0.

Following another short Wildcats possession, the Jackets put together another drive. On another 4th-and-goal from the Pendleton County 12, Kenney scrambled to the left for a touchdown and Watkins tacked on the conversion run to put the Blue Jackets up 24-0.

Kenney then placed a nice kickoff near the visiting sidelines that the Blue Jackets recovered to take the ball at the Wildcat 31. Six plays later, Kenney ran it in from five yards out to give the Blue Jackets that 30-0 halftime lead.

The Blue Jackets scored the game’s final touchdown when Simons scored from three yards out. Kenney added the two-point conversion run to make the final score.

Nicholas County starts the first of three straight home games against Bellevue on Aug. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Pendleton County ventures to Dayton at the same time.

Box Score:
Nicholas County 8-22-0-8 — 38
Pendleton County 0 0 0 0 — 0

Scoring Plays:

First Quarter
N (5:10) – Jayden Watkins, 5 pass from Chandler Kenney (Wyatt Simons run)

Second Quarter
N (8:40) – Simons, 4 run (Kenney run)
N (1:56) – Kenney, 12 run (Watkins run)
N (19.1) – Kenney, 5 run (run failed)

Fourth Quarter
N (4:13) – Simons, 3 run (Kenney run)