Heart Stopper: LCA Outlasts Bowling Green 56-52 in Rafferty's Bowl Instant Classic

This one lived up to all the pre-season hype and then some. In a game where LCA and Bowling Green combined for more than 1,300 yards and 108 points, the season opener set up to deliver on that classic adage–"last team with the ball wins." But on the final play of the game, LCA willed one final stop, and in the end, it was the man of the hour making his final curtain call–Brady Hensley.

LCA Tops Bowling Green 56-52

The senior running back turned in a performance for the ages. Hensley carried the load all night, rushing the ball 30 times for 402 yards. He scored seven total touchdowns, including an 11-yard run for the final go-ahead score with 27 seconds remaining to play.

The only question that remained–could Purples quarterback Deuce Bailey summon one last bit of heroics? After working the sideline on consecutive plays to get within striking distance, the ballgame came down to one final play with 8 seconds remaining. Bailey dropped back to pass, and LCA brought the house on a blitz. Linebackers Hunter Adams and Mac Darland pressured Bailey, who twisted and turned, desperately scrambling to buy himself some time. But after a wall of Eagle defenders forced Bailey back to his left one final time, Hensley–inserted on defense just for the final stand–came off the edge for the game-ending sack.

“We’ve had the best offseason that we’ve had since I’ve been at LCA…” LCA Head Coach Doug Charles told KSR. “Our guys didn’t blink, that’s what I kept on telling them, ‘Don’t blink,’ and just keep fighting, and they responded.”

The Eagles celebrated an incredible win after a game that delivered nearly three hours of continuous action, marked by seismic shifts in momentum. And it started with a massive bang. Bowling Green's Trevy Barber took the opening kickoff 90 yards to give the Purples a shockingly early 7-0 lead.

Brady Hensley powers his way into the end zone. (Becky Jones photo)

LCA Punches Back

But LCA showed tremendous poise and answered immediately on the ensuing drive. Cutter Boley found Hensley for the Eagles' opening score, a 7-yard pass down the right sideline to even things up a 7-7.

On the Purples' first offensive possession, Bowling Green quickly moved the ball deep into LCA territory. Then on a critical 2nd and 5 from the LCA 20-yard-line, Adams and Darland blitzed, meeting in the middle high-low on Bailey. Darland forced a fumble, pounced on by defensive tackle Chase Couch.

Boley immediately went to work, finding Parker Chaney for a 12-yard pickup on first down. Then on the next play, Hensley carried off the right side, broke a tackle, and raced 62 yards for the score.

LCA captured even more momentum on the next defensive possession. After the Purples converted a first down, the Eagles tightened. On a key 3rd and 7, Major Brown and Darland brought pressure up the middle, forcing Bailey out of the pocket. The quarterback scrambled toward the sideline, buying time and looking downfield, before Trefor Thomas delivered a big hit as Bailey attempted to throw.

Cutter Boley threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns. (Becky Jones photo)

After a punt pinned the Eagles on their own 1-yard line, LCA mounted a 99-yard drive to take early control. Boley connected with Hensley to pick up a key first down on 3rd and long. Then Hensley found the end zone for the third time of the game, taking a carry up the left side for a 71-yard score to start the 2nd quarter. A BJ Evans 2-point conversion stretched LCA's lead to 21-7.

Evans came up big again on LCA's next defensive series. With Bowling Green driving deep into LCA territory, the sophomore made two big stops on consecutive plays. Evans blew up a shallow screen for a loss before running down Bailey from the backside on third down, forcing the Purples to settle for a 37-yard field goal, cutting the lead to 21-10.

But Boley went right back to work. The UK commit found Chaney for a 39-yard play to flip the field. After a 21-yard reception by senior wideout Nate Barnhardt, Boley found tight end Will Rich for a 10-yard reception, giving LCA its biggest lead of the night, 28-10.

Then just when it seemed like the Eagles might put the Purples away for good, Bowling Green started clawing back. On the ensuring possession, Bailey orchestrated a six-play, 71-yard scoring drive that eclipsed a mere 1:45, cutting the lead to 28-17.

The LCA offensive line dominated in the run game. (Becky Jones photo)

On the next LCA possession, Boley threw what was arguably his only bad ball of the night. After consecutive penalties backed LCA up to its own 4-yard-line, Bowling Green's Max Buchanon broke on a Boley pass at the 19-yard-line, returning it for the pick-six to cut the lead to 28-24. You could feel the monster swing of momentum the Purples took into the half.

That momentum carried over into the second half, when the Purples forced a three-and-out and the first LCA punt of the night. On the ensuing possession, the Purples struck quickly. On the second play from scrimmage, Bowling Green caught LCA on a blitz with a screen play. The perfect call, Bailey hit J Huddleston, who scampered 64 yards untouched for the score and a 31-28 lead.

LCA answered once more on the following drive. Another Hensley run, this one a 40-yard touchdown, put the Eagles back on top 35-31. A series of turnovers by both teams elevated the tension in the stadium to close out the 3rd quarter, with neither team able to capitalize.

Then disaster struck for LCA when early in the 4th quarter, Evans took a carry off the right side. He ran into a wall of Purples defenders, stopping his forward progress before finally stripping the ball. A tough call, as most LCA fans thought the play dead. But the whistle never blew, and Grayson Newman smartly scooped and scored, another major momentum swing giving Bowling Green a 38-35 lead.

What followed next was about as dramatic an ending as you'll ever get in high school football. Each team traded defensive stops, forcing turnovers on downs. That would prove a prelude to the fireworks that were about to come.

LCA struck next when Associate Head Coach & Offensive Coordinator Oakley Watkins dialed up some serious trickeration. A double-reverse flea-flcker, with Boley finding Hensley once again down the sideline for a 48-yard touchdown strike and a 42-38 lead with 6:49 to play.

Sophomore BJ Evans made two big first half stops. (Becky Jones photo)

Then Bowling Green punched right back. The purples capped off a seven-play, 68-yard drive with a quick screen to Christopher Sweeney. The wideout broke several tackles on his way to a 13-yard score, giving Bowling Green a 45-42 lead with 4:01 remaining.

LCA answered quickly once again with a four-play, 75-yard drive of its own. A heavy dose of Hensley, capped off by his sixth touchdown of the game, a punishing 9-yard run to give the Eagles a 49-45 lead with 2:24 to play.

Bowling Green only needed one play to reclaim control again. Bailey found Matthew Klein for a 72-yard touchdown strike, seemingly delivering the final knockout blow in this heavyweight matchup.

The Eagles went into their 2-minute offense, mixing Hensley runs with Boley passes working the sideline. Tyler King and Saxton Howard each hauled in big first down receptions. Then with 27 seconds remaining, Hensley smashed his way for 10 yards through defenders into the end zone, giving the Eagles a 56-52 lead.

But Bowling Green kept coming, packing an eternity of drama into those final 27 ticks on the clock. After a squib kick returned to the 40-yard line, Bailey completed three straight passes, pushing the ball to the Eagles' 26-yard-line with 8 seconds to play.

The Purples came to the line, two receivers to each side, Bailey in the gun. He took the snap, immediately pressured by Adams up the middle. Bailey retreated, broke containment to the right as he scrambled, as Darland applied more pressure from the right side. Bailey rolled right, but LCA's secondary held in coverage. Couch and Brown converged before Bailey squirted loose and turned back to his left. That's where he cut back into a trailing Hensley and his curtain call sack to seal the victory.

Score by Quarters	1	2	3	4	Total
LCA	13	15	7	21	56
Bowling Green	7	17	7	21	52

LCA Stat Leaders

Passing	C-A-I	Yards	Touchdowns	Long
Cutter Boley	22-35-1	342	3	53

Rushing	Carries	Yards	TD	Long	Avg
Brady Hensley	30	402	5	71	13.4
BJ Evans	3	41	0	-	13.7
Cutter Boley	4	17	0	8	3
Saxton Howard	1	3	0	3	3
Totals	38	463	5	71	12.1

Receiving	No.	Yards	TD	Long
Brady Hensley	5	87	2	48
Parker Chaney	5	85	0	39
Saxton Howard	4	33	0	14
Will Rich	3	72	1	53
Nate Barnhardt	3	38	0	21
Tyler King	2	27	0	14
Totals	22	342	3	53

Tackles	Solo	Asst	Total
Hunter Adams	7	6	10
Parker Chaney	6	0	6
BJ Evans	4	2	5
Mac Darland	3	4	5
Major Brown	2	6	5
Jackson Dillow	4	0	4
Jayden Taylor	3	2	4
Braylon Moss	3	1	3.5
Will Bivens	2	3	3.5
Trefor Thomas	1	3	2.5
Nate Barnhardt	2	0	2
Chase Couch	1	1	1.5
Brady Hensley	1	0	1
Brady Hensley	1	0	1
Anderson Mitchell	1	0	1
Team	40	28	54

Helmet Stickers

• Bowling Green's Deuce Bailey was every bit as advertised. The quarterback slung it 42 times, completing 31 passes for 478 yards and four touchdowns.

• LCA's Boley shined as well. The senior went 22-35 for 342 yards and three touchdowns.

• Brady Hensley. The EKU commit scored seven total touchdowns. Pretty sure he re-wrote the LCA single-game records for yards, scores, total yards, and more.

• Parker Chaney: The senior WR/DB hauled in five catches for 85 yards; six solo tackles on defense, along with a crucial interception.

• The O-line–Garrison McKinney, Brooks Kerwin, Trefor Thomas, Jake Darby, and Hayes Preston, along with tight ends Will Rich and Will Bivens–dominated all night in the run game. LCA rushed for 458 yards.

• LCA's linebacking crew of Adams, Brown and Darland totaled 20 tackles. Adams led with 7 solos/10 total. Darland's bag included 5 tackles, a 1/2 sack and a forced fumble.

• LCA Defense: Only allowed 31 net rushing yards.

• LCA Offense: The high-powered offense put up 800 total yards and 56 points.

• Eagles 1/One: 1-0 start on the season. Audience of one.

The Eagles next face off against defending 4A State Champions Boyle County in the Rebel Bowl at Boyle County High School on Saturday, Aug. 26.