BLACK'd OUT: LCA Black Shirt Defense Smothers CAL 14-12

Chad Adams
Sep 11, 2023
6 min read

It was a "Black Out" in Louisville, the kids in the stands dressed in all black, the home crowd in a frenzy. Christian Academy-Louisville, the defending 3A state champions clad in their anthracite uniforms, came in riding an 18-game win streak–the state's longest active mark. The electric atmosphere equaled the hype.

And the hype machine was in full force as two of the state's most high-octane offenses and ballyhooed quarterbacks–Cutter Boley and Cole Hodge–squared off in the second annual Asbury Bowl. Expectations pointed toward yet another high-scoring shootout for the Eagles. But on a night where defense stole the show, it was LCA's Black Shirts that upstaged the leading men, including an electrifying game-saving interception by junior defensive back Jackson Dillow to ice the Centurions.

After cutting the lead to 14-12, missing on a two-point conversion and executing an unlikely onside kick, CAL–remarkably–had the ball at the LCA 46-yard-line with 2:04 on the clock. And Hodge immediately took his shot. The East Carolina commit launched a deep ball to wideout Justin Ruffin, and for just a moment all that hype and electricity froze as the ball floated toward the end zone. Dillow, from his safety position, looking over his left shoulder, saw the streaking Ruffin. He broke on the ball, turned to his right, then reached above the outstretched hands of Ruffin just in time–an incredible defensive play on a night dominated by defense.

Jackson Dillow picked off CAL QB Cole Hodge to ice the game. (Becky Jones photo)

"I saw him running and I just took off, turned my head and the ball ended up in my hands," Dillow told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

This highly anticipated matchup of top 10 teams started much like most folks would expect. After Anderson Mitchell's opening kickoff return of 26 yards set up the Eagles in great field position, LCA marched right down the field. Boley orchestrated a masterful 13-play drive with heavy doses of Brady Hensley. Boley finished it off himself with a 1-yard keeper to take an early 7-0 lead.

That's when the LCA defense took over. Sophomore linebacker Mac Darland blew up a throwback screen to force a punt on CAL's opening drive. Parker Chaney brought pressure on an attempted double-pass on CAL's next possession, the defense forcing another punt. On CAL's third possession, finally moving the ball deep into LCA territory, Major Brown brought pressure and bothered the handoff exchange, before Will Bivens pounced on the ball for a key fumble recovery.

A Will Bivens fumble recovery halted a first half CAL drive. (Becky Jones photo)

But the Centurion defense answered LCA blow for blow. CAL forced punts on the Eagles' next two possession, before making a huge stop on a Boley run on 4th and 2 with 1:40 left in the first half. The turnover gave CAL the ball deep in LCA territory.

But the Eagle defense came up big again. On a first down run off the right edge, Hunter Adams and Bivens set the edge, as Brown knifed through for a 2-yard loss. Mitchell locked down his receiver for an incompletion on 2nd down. After a Hodge completion to wideout Ruffin, the Eagles made another big stop on 4th down as Kenyatta Hardge and Brown pressured Hodge into an incompletion. The Eagles took a shockingly low-scoring 7-0 lead into the half.

Then CAL finally found something to open the third quarter. Hodge hit Ruffin for a short pass, and the speedster broke several tackles, racing 66 yards for the touchdown. And on a night full of the unlikely, Hardge made a monster play on the ensuing extra point attempt. The senior penetrated with a good push, got his hand up and blocked the point after, preserving a 7-6 lead.

LCA's offense would have an answer. After going three-and-out to start the third quarter, the Eagles got back to business on their next offensive possession. A five-minute, 12-play drive featured multiple runs by Hensley. The Eagles converted two fourth conversions, including a 17-yard Boley run on 4th and long, keeping the drive alive. With 3:02 remaining in the third quarter, Hensley punched it in from 7 yards out, giving the Eagles a 14-6 lead.

Will Bivens (21) and Hunter Adams fight off blocks to set the edge. (Becky Jones photo)

The Eagles forced a pair of punts before mounting a final sustained drive deep into the fourth quarter. Again, the Eagles leaned on Hensley, who pounded his way down the field carry after carry. On 3rd and 3 from the 8-yard-line, Hensley broke a tackle off the left side, scampering in for the score. But the clinching touchdown came back after a holding call–the break the Centurions needed. Two plays later, the Eagles turned the ball over on downs.

Then Ruffin struck again. On 4th and 5, Hodge scrambled away from pressure and found Ruffin along the right sideline. The wideout avoided one defender, picked up a block, and raced down the boundary for a 60-yard score with 2:05 remaining.

But the LCA defense would come up big once more on the 2-point conversion. Dialing up pressure. Adams came free on a blitz, forcing Hodge to throw early. Running back Jeffrey Vazzana, after breaking free, couldn't quite adjust enough back to the ball, dropping the potential game-typing score.

Everyone in the stadium knew what would come next. The Eagles ran out their hands team, and the Centurions lined up for the onside kick. Perfectly executed, with an incredible bounce, Connor Hodge out-jumped the Eagles, coming up with a remarkable play to keep CAL alive.

LCA beats CAL 14-12 — CAL came up with an unlikely onside kick recovery. (Becky Jones photo)

Then Dillow, only days out of a walking boot, made the play of the game.

"We had a kid that's been hurt," Head Coach Doug Charles told KSR. "He didn't play last week. He was out with an ankle [injury] We put him in there and what an interception that cat made. Forget about the interception, what a catch, but he's that guy, he can do it."

The final stand capped a brilliant defensive performance from the Eagles, proving this LCA team can beat you in multiple ways. LCA put up over 800 yards to knock off Bowling Green in week one. Then against CAL, the defense held the Centurions to a mere 37 yards rushing on 13 carries–a net of just 27 yards on the ground. The Eagles put CAL's run game in a stranglehold all night.

The Eagles even kept Hodge in check for all but two plays. Ruffin's heroics tallied 126 yards and two touchdowns on a pair of receptions, bringing a big chunk of Hodge's 289 yards passing on the night.

Helmet Stickers

Jackson Dillow - Clearly, that dude made the play of the game. The degree of difficulty here–opened up over his left shoulder on another receiver. Then Dillow broke on the ball, pivoted to looking over his right shoulder and still managed to track and snag the pick. Incredible.

Nate Barnhardt - On the play of the game, Nate did his part as well. Barnhardt got a jam and forced Ruffin to release inside. That made all the difference for Dillow to have enough time to cover ground and make the play. The senior had 2 solos and one assist on the night.

Isaac Collins - Collins was huge during this defensive slugfest. The junior punted four times, averaging 44 yards per boot, including a long of 61. He also pinned the Centurions inside the 20 twice, including a pivotal punt down to the 1-yard-line after a head's up play by Tyler King.

Punter Isaac Collins came up big, pinning CAL inside the 20 twice. (Becky Jones photo)

Brady Hensley - LCA leaned on Hensley for much of the night. The EKU commit carried the ball 28 times for 132 yards and a score.

Cutter Boley - The pundits here will certainly look to criticize Boley, who threw for just 64 yards. But he ran the ball eight times for 21 yards, including a pivotal fourth down scramble to move the chains. He also punched it in from a yard out to open the scoring. Better still - 0 turnovers for the win.

Black Shirt Defense - This unit gets all the stickers this week. The linebackers–Brown, Adams and Darland–led the way in tackles, totaling 12 solos, 8 assists and 6 tackles for loss. Brown played exceptionally well, with 5 solos, 4 TLS and a forced fumble. Corners Braylon Moss and Mitchell played their best football of the season, covering and making tackles in space. Up front, Hardge, Chase Couch, Cooper Gudalis and Bivens gave CAL's offensive line fits all night.