Tilghman, Mayfield, Crittenden advance in football playoffs

Here are scores from Friday night's football playoff games for western Kentucky teams:

CLASS 3A
Paducah Tilghman  56,  Casey County  22

Tilghman  travels to Christian Academy of Louisville in state quarterfinals Nov. 18

CLASS 2A
Mayfield  49,  Murray  14
It was in this round of the playoffs back in 2020 that the Murray Tigers pulled one of the biggest upsets in school history as they beat Mayfield in triple-overtime at War Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers followed that up with another surprise win at War Memorial in the follow-up regular season game the next season. However, since then Mayfield as now won three-straight over the Tigers.

The Cardinals dominated the game from kick-off as they went up 21-0 after the first quarter, all three fist quarter touchdowns were on rushes from Jutarious Starks, and led 28-0 by halftime. In fact, the Cardinals went up 43-0 before Murray was able to disrupt the shut-out. 


Mayfield (12-0) will host Metcalfe County 12-0) in the state quarterfinals Nov. 18


CLASS 1A
Crittenden County  33,  Bethlehem  20
The Rockets (8-4) lost to the Eagles (8-3) big, 63-35 on September 30, at Bethehem. Fast forward six weeks and Crittenden's second trip to Bardstown is one to remember as being one of the big upsets of the playoffs and gave the Rockets their sixth straight win.

The Eagles struck first, going up 6-0 after scoring on a punt-return at the 4:21 mark in the first quarter. The Rockets answered to take the lead 7-6 as Micah Newcom found Preston Morgeson on a 14-yard pass at the 9:33 mark in the second quarter. 

Crittenden County extended their lead to 13-6 with just 1:27 left in the first half as Newcom found  Briley Berry in the endzone. However, the led was short lived as the Eagles scored with just eight seconds remaining in the quarter to tie the game at 13.

The Rockets regained the lead early in the third quarter to go up 19-13 at the 8:08 mark only to relinquish the lead four minutes later as Bethlehem went up 20-19. 

Crittenden County took the lead for good with just 1:48 remaining in the game to go up 27-20 en route to the win.

It was an odd game for the Rockets, a team that had made it's living in the air this season and had very little success on the ground, flipped the script for the upset win on Friday. The Rockets out rushed the Eagles with 265-yards on the ground to Bethlehem's 120. That was a season high for a Rocket's team that averaged just 95-yards on the ground. 

Crittenden County (8-4) travels to Louisville Holy Cross (9-2) in state quarterfinals on Nov. 18