The Blackcats Football team recorded a resounding  55-28 victory over District rival Central, Friday, in Park Hills.

The victory made the Cats post-season hopes a lot brighter, while muddying the overall playoff picture. The Cats are in a district with Central, Potosi, and Ste. Genevieve. The top two teams in district play continue on to the state playoffs. In the other game, Friday night, Potosi topped Ste. Genevieve 54-48 in three overtimes. The Cats host Ste. Genevieve, Thursday, October 29.

Potosi travels to Central on Thursday.

Friday night, the Cats (5-4) offense was successful on the ground and through the air. They had 526 total yards, and they scored seven rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown.

The Cats threw the ball on their first play from scrimmage, good for 15 yards.

Jacob Farmer, who totaled 194 yards on 18 carries, scored his first of two touchdowns on the same drive. It was a 36-yard burst that opened the scoring, as Fredericktown took a 7-0 lead just one minute and 17 seconds into the game.

The Rebels offense was strictly a ground attack, as Junior Matt Ketterer racked up 217 yards and two scores on 23 carries, and

Tyler Friend ran 23 times for 147 yards. His two-point conversion gave the Rebels their only lead, 8-7, after Jaron Bridges scored from three yards out with 2:13 to play in the first quarter.

Fredericktown answered with an 87-yard drive capped by a 39-yard run by Quarterback A. P. Lewandowski on a fourth-and-7 scramble. It was 15-8, 20 seconds into the second quarter, and the Cats never looked back.

Central failed to cover the ensuing kickoff, and the Blackcats needed just three plays to increase the lead. Lewandowski connected with Ryan Gifford on a 20-yard strike. The the Junior QB punched the ball in on the next play.

Central’s next possession stalled deep in Cats territory, and Lewandowski threw six yards to Jon O’Neal on fourth-and-goal to make it 28-8 with 42 seconds remaining in the half.

Central cut the lead to 14 points midway through the third quarter after a  39-yard run by Ketterer. Lewandowski then scored on a nine-yard run, after converting a big third down on another hook-up with O’Neal. Central scored to make it 35-20, before Farmer helped ice the victory with a 65-yard run.

Lewandowski went 43 yards on another scoring scramble with 10:01 left in the game to give the Cats a 49-28 lead, and Coley Gray got a touchdown on a 57-yard burst to end the scoring.

Lewandowski was an effective dual-threat with 112 yards on the ground while finishing 7-for-10 passing for 141 yards. On defense, Justin Menteer recorded a team-high 13 tackles, and Brylan Moore added 12 for Fredericktown.

Fredericktown      7  21  14  13 - 55

Central           8   0  12    8 - 28

First quarter

cats (7-0) - Farmer 35-yd run (Gifford kick), 10:43

CEN (8-7) - Bridges 2-yd run (Friend run), 2:13

Second quarter:

cats (15-8) - Lewandowski 39-yd run (Stamp reception), 11:49

cats (21-8) - Lewandowski 1-yd run (Kick missed), 9:05

cats (28-8) - O’Neal 6-yd pass from Lewandowski (Gifford kick), 0:42

Third quarter:

CEN (28-14) - Ketterer 39-yd run (Run failed), 8:12

cats (35-14) - Lewandowski 9-yd run (Gifford kick), 5:30

CEN (35-20) - Ketterer 4-yd run (Run failed), 1:02

cats (42-20) - Farmer 65-yd run (Gifford kick), 0:11

Fourth quarter:

CEN (42-28) - Calvird 1-yd run (Bridges run), 10:15

cats (49-28) - Lewandowski 43-yd run (Gifford kick), 10:01

cats (55-28) - Gray 57-yd run (Kick missed), 2:57

Class 3 District 2 as clear as mud

By DONN ADAMSON

A Commentary

Daily Journal Sports Editor

PARK HILLS — In an article in Sunday’s Daily Journal, I tried to explain how the districts would play out this week concerning the area teams, and what I wrote would have been correct if I had used the right data. I didn’t, and so that article was wrong in its assessment of the Class 3, District 2 possible outcomes.

What I did not realize is that even though Potosi beat Ste. Genevieve by six points, they only received one point for their win, because as stated in MSHSAA’s Football Manual in Section 2, Item C. ‘Breaking Ties for Qualifying Positions’, paragraph 2a:

“No team will add or subtract more than one (1) point in any contest which was determined in overtime.”

Upon correcting my error in points for Potosi and Ste. Genevieve, I recalculated the scenario for each possible combination of wins and losses by the four teams this Thursday.

CLASS 3, DISTRICT 2

• If Potosi and Fredericktown should both win:  Potosi would be the District champion at 3-0 and Fredericktown would take second at 2-1.

• If Central and Ste. Genevieve should win:

 Central would be the District champions and Potosi would place second. Both teams would be 2-1, but Central won the head-to-head contest.

• If Central and Fredericktown should win:

 There would be a three-way tie for first at 2-1. Potosi (+14) would be the District champion if they should only lose by one point, or if they should lose by no more than six points and Fredericktown (+0) wins by no more than eight points. Fredericktown would then be the second place team by virtue of their head-to head win over Central (-3).

Central would be the District champion only if they should win by nine or more points and Fredericktown wins by four or less points than Central wins by. Potosi would then take second place.

Fredericktown would win the District if they should win by enough points to put them above whatever Potosi ends up with as long as they won by three or less points than what Central won by if Central should win by nine or more. Central would then take second place.

• If Potosi and Ste. Genevieve should win:  Potosi would be the District champion at 3-0, and the other three teams (all 1-2) would be involved in a tiebreaker by points to decide who would be the second-place team.

Fredericktown would be the second-place team if they lose by only four or less. If they should lose by five points, then they would need Central to lose by two or more.

Central would be the second-place team if they lost by one point and Ste. Genevieve should win by five or Central should lose by two points and Ste. Genevieve should win by six.

The only way Ste. Genevieve could make it is if they should win by six or more points and Potosi wins by four or more.