Christian Academy too much for Bell County, wins Kentucky 3A title

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The underdog Bell County High School football team did everything it could to keep the explosive Christian Academy offense off the field during Saturday’s Class 3A championship game.

It didn’t matter.

CAL scored touchdowns on five of its six offensive possessions and got three rushing scores from quarterback Cole Hodge to beat the Bobcats 41-16 at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field.

The No. 1-ranked Centurions (14-1) won their second straight state title and fourth since 2016, the first two coming in Class 2A.  

Hodge, an East Carolina University commit, completed 18 of 20 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for 37 yards on six carries.

No. 6 Bell County (13-2) won the opening toss and used its patented rushing attack to control possession for the entire first quarter. On the second play of the second quarter, Blake Evans carried 2 yards for a touchdown. Evans then converted the 2-point conversion to give the Bobcats an 8-0 lead before CAL ran a play.

Bell County finished with a whopping 35:48-12:12 advantage in time of possession, but the Centurions made the most of their chances.

Averaging 41.8 points per game, CAL needed just four plays to pull within 8-7 on Hodge’s first touchdown run, a 1-yarder.

After the Bobcats turned the ball over on downs, Hodge rushed for a 7-yard score to make it 14-8 at the 1:47 mark of the first half.

Down 28-16, Bell County marched into CAL territory late in the third quarter. But on the first play of the fourth quarter, CAL’s John Cobaugh stripped the ball from Evans and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown and a 34-16 lead.

Bell County’s Daniel Thomas, who set a single-season state record for rushing yards this year, finished with 132 yards and a touchdown on 39 carries. He finished his season with 3,814 rushing yards and 54 rushing touchdowns.

BELL COUNTY                 0         8         8         0 – 16

CHRISTIAN ACADEMY    0         14       14       13 – 41

Second quarter

BC – Blake Evans 1 run (Evans run)

CAL – Cole Hodge 1 run (Madden Miller kick)

CAL – Hodge 7 run (Miller kick)

Third quarter

CAL – Justin Ruffin 31 pass from Hodge (Miller kick)

BC – Justin Thomas 37 run (Evans run)

CAL – Hodge 5 run (Miller kick)

Fourth quarter

CAL – John Cobaugh 79 fumble return (kick failed)

CAL – Connor Hodge 5 pass from Cole Hodge (Miller kick)

More high school football: Boyle County, Pikeville repeat as KHSAA champions; Mayfield wins Class 2A shootout