State Champs! LCA Beats Owensboro Catholic 33-28 for 2A Crown

Sophomore quarterback Nash Whelan ran for two touchdowns and threw for two more, while junior running back Daven Hood churned for 110 yards and a score of his own. Meanwhile, defensively the Eagles locked down one of the state's most dynamic offenses, forcing four punts and three turnovers on the night. And after a fast start, the Eagles held off a late charge to claim the 2025 2A State Championship at Kroger Field, defeating Owensboro Catholic 33-28.

“I’ve been at LCA for 12 years, and we have been knocking on the door for a long time,” LCA head coach Oakley Watkins told the Herald-Leader. “This program is bigger than one person. It’s bigger than me. It’s bigger than these players. And that’s something for us that really showed on the big stage. Our kids really battled, no matter what happened.”

A game full of ups and downs, with struggle and setback — this title game in many ways mirrored the 2025 season for the Eagles. And in the end, after being dismissed and discounted, the resiliency of this bunch — their heart and their brotherhood — made all the difference on the biggest of stages.

The Eagles jumped on OC early Friday, forcing two 3-and-outs defensively. Then the offensive line imposed its will on the Aces. On LCA's first possession, the Eagles marched down the field behind a punishing ground attack, mixing runs between Hood with heavy sets and Whelan on quarterback keepers.

On a key 3rd and 6 from the OC 21-yard line, Whelan found Tyler King on a slant, the senior wideout slicing his way down to the 2-yard line. On the very next play, out of the Monster set, Hood lowered his shoulder for the opening score. Eagles 7, OC 0.

On the Eagles' second possession, LCA faced a quick 3rd and 8 from their own 45-yard line. That's when Whelan found King again, this time down the right sideline. The senior hauled in a beautiful 37-yard strike over the shoulder, giving the Eagles a first down at the Aces' 18-yard line.

After an OC penalty, Hood punished defenders off the right side for a gain of 4. Then Whelan off the right side, down to the 8-yard line and another first down. Another Hood run, bouncing off defenders down to the 2. Then the Eagles shifted en masse, the heavy package moving to the left side, only for Whelan for sneak it up the middle for the score. The PAT bounced off the left upright, an ominous sign for Eagles fans with any memory of past Beechwood games, to be sure. With 1:53 remaining in the 1st quarter: LCA 13, OC 0.

On the Aces' ensuing possession, quarterback Dre'Mail Caruthers, the leading quarterback with the top passing offense in all of 2A, finally completed a ball for the first OC first down of the game. But three plays later, after a short run and an incompletion, Eagles linebacker Aiden Lyons deflected away a third down pass, forcing the Aces' third punt in as many possessions.

Aces Find Footing

The Eagles looked as though they might blow this thing wide open. But a negative play and a penalty put the Eagles behind the chains, and Owensboro Catholic finally got a stop, forcing an LCA punt.

A tough pass interference call on the Eagles helped the Aces get a first down on the following drive. Then Caruthers finally found some rhythm. Three completions mixed with a pair of runs pushed the ball down to the Eagles' 11-yard line. That's when Defensive Coordinator Mattie Lebryk dialed up some pressure, bringing six defenders. Bode Darland and Lyons came free, pushing the talented QB out of the pocket and into an errant throw before Sam Pearson broke on the ball for an interception.

But the Aces defense held with the Eagles pinned deep, forcing a punt after three short runs. Taking over on the LCA 27-yard line, Caruthers went back to work. After a Conrad Hart sack brought up a 3rd and 5, another INT call on the Eagles setup OC 1st and goal from the 5. A play later, Caruthers found the talented Xavier Maddux for the score, cutting LCA's lead to 13-7.

Eagles Answer

Following a pooch kickoff from the Aces, the Eagles went back to work. Starting from their own 43-yard line, a pair of Hood runs pushed the ball into Aces' territory with a first down. That's when Whelan took another downfield shot, this time finding Pearson down the right sideline for a gain of 29 yards, down to the OC 17-yard line. Then on the very next play, Whelan faked to Hood going left, keeping on a quarterback counter to the right, gutting the Aces and breaking tackles before diving across the goal line. With 3:39 left in the first half: LCA 20, OC 7.

On the Aces' ensuing possession, and after a facemask penalty pushed the ball to midfield, Caruthers found his rhythm. The Aces' quarterback marched his team down the field, completing five balls, including a 5-yard touchdown strike to Cameron Woodward. Just like that, with 1:50 remaining in the half: LCA 20, OC 14.

Missed Opportunities

Now the Eagles needed a big play to swing back the momentum clearly finding life on the OC sideline. And for a moment, it looked as though King had delivered it. Taking the kickoff over his shoulder from the LCA 5-yard line, King weaved his way through traffic, across midfield and down to the OC 38-yard line — an electrifying run.

Holding, on LCA. The tough call would cost the Eagles 42 yards of field position. But on first down, Whelan hit Pearson on a screen for a 17-yard pickup. A pair of King receptions pushed the ball to the OC 37-yard line with 31 seconds remaining. After a short completion to Hart, Whelan found Pearson on a crosser-turned-vertical route. The junior got a step on his defender. Whelan laid out the ball. Pearson dove. But the ball fell to the Kroger Field turf — the Eagles were mere inches from an incredible play.

After a defensive holding penalty on the following play, the Eagles sent out the kicking unit with 5 seconds remaining in the half. Dean Hester's 37-yard field goal would find the left upright once more. Shades of the 2020 state title game all over again for the LCA fanbase.

Imposing Their Will

Coming out of the half with the ball, the Eagles looked to regain control. After a King return to the 30-yard line, the LCA offense went back to Pearson. On a key 3rd and 4 from the 36-yard line, Whelan found Pearson over the middle to move the chains. A few plays later, on another 3rd down, Whelan found Pearson deep down the middle, this time for a 35-yard score. LCA 27, OC 14.

As the Aces began their first drive of the second half, the Eagles defense came out angry. On 2nd and 11 from the Aces' 21-yard line, Lyons broke on a pass intended for Luke Thomas, arriving with bad intentions. The monster hit broke up the pass and woke up the Eagles crowd. A play later, Hart and Jaxon Ramsey collapsed the pocket, forcing an errant throw and a punt.

After a King fair catch, the Eagles took over on the OC 41-yard line. A Whelan quarterback counter picked up a gain of 12. A pair of punishing Hood runs picked up a first down to the Aces 19. Then on 2nd down, Whelan kept again, planting upfield into a monster hole. But an Aces' defender reached out of the pile to punch the ball away, a fumble recovered by Owensboro Catholic. A missed opportunity by the Eagles to firmly close the door on this game.

A Furious Finish

The Aces then put together an impressive drive. Methodical and up tempo, OC dinked and dunked their way down the field, aided by a facemask penalty on the Eagles. But on 2nd and 5 from the 5-yard line, Hood broke on a Caruthers pass, intercepting it in the end zone — another massive stop by the Eagles defense.

But after a three-and-out for the Eagles, disaster struck. LCA dropped back to punt, and the Aces brought eight defenders, blocking the kick and giving Owensboro Catholic life at the Eagles' 16-yard line. A few plays later, Jude Evans, who moments before blocked the punt, punched it in from 2 yards out, cutting the lead to 27-21 with 9:20 left to play.

A Championship Drive

Now, LCA desperately needed a counter punch. Starting from their own 36-yard line, the Eagles again imposed their will. Shifting to a heavy-left formation, Hood ran off tackle, spinning and lowering his shoulder for an electric gain of 23 yards. Then on a key 3rd and long, Dawson Farmer, the prodigal son returned home, made his presence felt. The sophomore skied for a ball over the middle, a spectacular grab between two defenders before rumbling down to the Aces' 11-yard line.

After a pair of Whelan and Hood runs down to the 4, the Eagles faced yet another massive 3rd down. With quads to the left, Whelan found Hart leaked out into the flat. A pair of Aces defenders seemingly wanted no part of the big 6-5 tight end, who scored without opposition. A failed 2-point conversion — a sensational double-reverse pass wiped away due to penalty — gave LCA a commanding lead, 33 to 21, with 5:40 left to play.

The Final Act

The Aces would not go quietly, leaning again on their dynamic playmakers. Caruthers immediately found Maddox, a ball seemingly tipped by Pearson, for an unlikely 21-yard gain to flip the field. On a big 3rd down, Caruthers found Thomas down to the 13-yard line, bringing up 4th down. Coming out of a timeout, the defense bracketed Maddox, one of the state's top receivers, in double coverage. The shifty wideout managed to still break free before Caruthers rifled a ball to him on a slant for the score, cutting the lead to 33-28 with 3:18 to play.

"Ain't No Curses"

In the iconic football movie "Friday Night Lights," quarterback Mike Winchell tells Coach Gary Gaines he feels like he is cursed. Winning or losing, the feeling is "like something's hanging over you ... you can't win."

When an extra point and a field goal bounced off the left upright Friday, plenty of fans no doubt remembered past Eagles misfortunes in title games. A blocked punt surely predicted the Eagles' impending doom. Sports writers made their notes. State championship demons still remained unexercised for LCA.

The Eagles had dominated much of this ballgame. But the key plays that could have shut the door on the Aces for good had seemed to allude us. And for other teams, maybe even other years, this is where the game would turn. A block missed, a play short, a moment squandered.

With LCA's hands team on the field, the Aces executed a masterful onside kick. For a moment, time slowed, the ball perilously bouncing toward a diving Catholic defender. But then Conrad Hart dove in and just manned up and took it away. By sheer force and will, Hart stole the possession back for the Eagles.

On first down, Hood hammered off the right side for a gain of 9. Watkins sent the heavy set back in, Hood again for a couple of hard-earned yards and a first down. The clock ticked under two minutes.

Hood again for a gain of 2 yards. Timeout Owensboro Catholic; 1:51 remaining to play. The Aces' defense stood its ground over the next two plays, bringing up 4th down from the LCA 43-yard line. The Eagles were forced to punt.

Owensboro Catholic rushed eight defenders once more. Will Hester's snap — perfect. Protection — executed. Dean Hester's punt — surgical. Standing on his own 45, Dean, in the face of intense pressure, booted the ball quickly, a high, booming kick down the OC 6-yard line. There, Maddox fielded the punt, but was immediately met by a streaking Alan Cox and Daven Hood — a monster play by the entire special teams unit, when the Eagles needed it most.

A mere 53 seconds remaining, 94 yards to go. The Eagles defensive line pinned their ears back. The secondary played deep. First down — under thrown. Second down, 47 ticks on the clock, Caruthers flushed right by Bode Darland — ball thrown out of bounds. Third down, 40 seconds on the clock — incomplete down the left sideline, Pearson and Hood in coverage.

With 34 seconds to go, facing 4th and 10 from the Aces' 6-yard line, Caruthers dropped back once more. Logan Mays, Bode Darland, Mac Darland and Conrad Hart pressured. Aiden Lyons peeled off to the running back. Daven Hood broke off on the short route. Just as the pressure got home, the quarterback let it go.

Incomplete.

This title game, this saga, bears an incredibly poetic likeness to this season and this team. The injuries, the setbacks, the failures. The highs and lows. The near misses. The doubters and the naysayers. The first-year head coach; the young defensive coordinator.

The team that no one talked about. The team that everyone picked against.

But the critics just didn't know the incredible heart beating inside the 2025 Lexington Christian Eagles football team. This senior-led bunch, selfless beyond compare, playing for their brothers. To know them is to love them. To line up against them is a bareknuckle brawl. Their toughness goes beyond measure.

"This team has no quit in us," King said. "Adversity is going to hit. It's just how you respond."

There 'ain't no curses' on Reynolds Road. There is, however, a team of champions.

Helmet Stickers

MVP — It starts with Nash Whelan. He ran for 93 yards and two scores, threw for 217 and two more TDs. A pair of tackles on defense rounded out the super-soph's MVP performance. What the stats don't show is just how clutch he was, especially on key 3rd downs, delivering absolute dimes to King, Pearson and Farmer.

Daven Hood — An absolute machine running the football, his playoff run was remarkable. Seldom brought down by a single defender, Hood punished his way through Mayfield, Belfry and OC, lowering his shoulder and helping to carry LCA to a title.

Tyler King — Over the last three weeks, King caught 23 balls for 304 yards and a touchdown. In the return game, he showed incredible headiness, making fair catches and fielding with perfection. He dominated the "Big 3" of Mayfield, Belfry and Owensboro Catholic down the stretch, much like he did all season. Pound-for-pound, the smartest, toughest kid to ever to lace 'em up at LCA.

Offensive Line — In the stretch against the "Big 3," the o-line absolutely dominated the trenches. Nick Greer, Matthew Montgomery, Brody Adams, Christian Shackleford and Holden Klaiber — there is no playoff run without their physical play. They were sensational when it mattered most. The use of unbalanced and heavy sets became the LCA calling card down the stretch. In the title game, the Eagles rushed the ball 48 times for 206 yards and three touchdowns.

D-Line — Three weeks, three incredibly different challenges. From stopping the vaunted run game of Belfry in the semi-finals to pressuring 2A's top hurler. Bode Darland, Logan Mays, Jaxon Ramsey, Jamey Lee Patterson, and Conrad Hart applied relentless pressure during the title game. They kept the state's top QB from ever getting comfortable, forcing two INTs in the game.

Sam Pearson — Banged up much of the season, Pearson showed just how talented he is during the title game. The junior hauled in 4 catches for 90 yards a score, to go along with 6 total tackles and an interception.

Secondary — Owensboro Catholic cooked opponents all season with the most prolific, dynamic offense in the state. But Jeremiah Burbage, Tyler King, Sam Pearson, Daven Hood, and Colin Hensley were sensation in coverage, limiting Caruthers to well under 300 yards on 51 passing attempts, to go with 2 INTs.

Big Mac — The injury to Mac Darland in the opener no doubt changed his season. But the senior played his best football down the stretch run. He logged 19 total tackles against the Big 3. More importantly, he led his defense, getting players aligned in radically different schemes the final two weeks. Big Mac brought us home.

The LBs – Arguably the brightest spot on the defense came with the emergence of Aiden Lyons. As LCA figured out its personnel early in the season, switching to a 40-based defense put "Scrap" on the field. The junior responded by leading the team with 89 total tackles. Meanwhile, Thomas Sizemore brought the thump all season as well, logging 74 tackles in 12 games. The sensational sophomore got banged up a couple of times this season, a reflection of his wide-open play. But the Eagles don't have a championship season without Sizemore.

Oakley Watkins — This win is the culmination of many years leading the LCA program alongside Doug Charles. But Oak put his stamp on it this year and was masterful in his use of sets and scheme to lean on LCA strengths and capitalize on defenses' weaknesses. Some seriously big-time 3rd and 4th down calls in these final three games only add to the legacy.

Doug Charles — This championship win, or even the three appearances, don't fully convey the impact of Coach Doug on the LCA program. From the youth league to junior high, to the servant leaders to the community at large, Coach Doug's fingerprints are all over this championship run.

The Staff — A mix of veteran and young coaches, this is one incredible coaching staff. From the ol' ball coach Paul Raines, with Todd Darland, a bit of '09 magic was in the air. Defensive Coordinator Mattie Lebryk turned in a gem of a game plan for OC. Joe Lebryk, Jacob Hyde, Cornell Burbage, Ryan Timmons, Morgan Newton, Drayden Burton, John Johnson, Trey Hood, Will Vernon, Kire Tribble, and Trent Hamlin all poured into these guys all season long in their specific roles. And our boys were the better for it, becoming men ... and champions.

Special thanks to Becky Jones and David Samford for photos.