Lloyd runs past Newport Central Catholic in Kentucky high school football lid-lifter
In the postgame huddle, Lloyd head coach Kyle Niederman used the phrase, "I'm proud of you" five times before mentioning how much hard work went into his team's victory.
The Juggernauts defeated Newport Central Catholic 24-7 in Kentucky's first high school football game of the season. The Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown kickoff game was the first meeting between the two since 2018 and only the second time Lloyd has defeated NewCath in the 21st century.
The game started off with a bang as Thoroughbred running back Demetrick Welch returned the opening kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown.
"We had practiced that all week. Wherever No. 7 is, don't kick it to him. Sure enough, what do we do?" Niederman said.
But that was before Lloyd's vaunted defense had taken the field. The unit that carried the Juggernauts to the Class 2A state semifinal a year ago held NewCath scoreless for the final 47 minutes and 48 seconds of the game. In turn, the offense scored 24 unanswered points to put the game away by the start of the fourth quarter.
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Three keys to Lloyd's victory
In four years under Niederman, the Juggernauts have averaged 190.6 rushing yards per game in 42 total games. Led by Yurii Collins Comer and backup quarterback Isaiah Sebastian, the Juggernauts gained 238 yards on the ground, including nine runs of 10 yards or more.
"A lot of times, our O-line just moves them. I just run. They do the work for me. Sometimes, I just have to make one (defender) miss but our O-line is just so good, I never have to make five dudes miss," Collins Comer said.
2. For as well as the offense moved the ball, the defense did just as good of a job making sure NewCath couldn't advance the ball. The Thoroughbreds collected a total of eight first downs and only advanced the ball into Lloyd's half of the field once, and that possession ended in an interception.
"We have six, seven, eight guys in the locker room talking to coach, telling us what happened in the game and what we need to do to fix it," defensive lineman Avander Abrams said. "We already know what we did wrong because we're so well disciplined."
3. The final reason the Juggernauts emerged victorious is that they didn't let the game's first play get to them. The mental resolve Lloyd showed to not allow a point the rest of the night is a big factor in how far they can go. Even after reclassifying to Class 3A, the Juggernauts were left out of a number of statewide polls. Niederman isn't worried about the pundits, just what his team does on the field.
"I say this a lot to our kids: If you're going to judge me on one event, that's completely unfair, right?" Niederman said. "Don't judge me in 12 seconds."
Standout players
Demetrick Welch, NewCath: He of course had the most electric play of the game, but he also led his team in rushing and caught a 13-yard pass to give the Thoroughbreds one of their three fourth-down conversions in the game.
Yurii Collins Comer, Lloyd: He scored two of the Juggernauts' three touchdowns, a 22-yard run and a one-yard prance for the pylon. Just five plays before his second score, he pulled off a 26-yard run on 4th and 2 to extend Lloyd's drive.
Avander Abrams, Lloyd: He led a Lloyd defense that recorded seven quarterback sacks and pressured Kolton Smith on almost every play.
Improvements
Newport Central Catholic has the most to take away from this game. Aside from the first play of the game, their offense didn't do much to impress. They had less than 50 yards of total offense in the game, including minus-18 yards in the second half.
"We've got a lot of guys that had a wake-up call tonight, and we're going to find the guys that are going to compete on Friday night," head coach Stephen Lickert said.
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Two factors that went into the lackluster offensive showing were the lack of playmakers and a new offensive line. Welch and Smith handled the ball on the majority of snaps, and the Thoroughbreds completed a total of seven passes. The offensive line was completely overwhelmed by a Lloyd defense that returned all but one starter from 2022. Mason Neff is the only full-time offensive line starter to return; the other four linemen couldn't keep up with the "dark side pride" that is the Juggernaut defense.
Lloyd's only noticeable gap during the game was their special teams. The glaring offense was the opening kickoff that was returned 85 yards, but they almost muffed a punt near the end of the first half that would have given NewCath prime field position. The Juggernauts only punted twice, but the two efforts averaged only 15 yards.
What's next for the Thoroughbreds and Juggernauts?
New Cath hosts Walton-Verona, a team they have beaten five times since 2012, on Friday, Aug. 25.
Lloyd continues its season-opening three-game homestand against Boone County. Despite being separated by just three miles, the schools have played just twice, a Lloyd victory in 2019 followed by a Boone County win in 2021.
Lloyd Memorial 24, Newport Central Catholic 7
Lloyd - 7 0 10 0 - 24
NCC - 7 0 0 0 - 7
NCC: Welch 85 kick return (Roeder kick)
LM: Abrams 1 run (Westwood kick)
LM: Collins Comer 22 run (Westwood kick)
LM: Collins Comer 1 run (Westwood kick)
LM: Westwood 28 FG
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: KHSAA football: Lloyd shuts down Newport Central Catholic
