Grayson County’s ground game and opportunistic defense propelled the Cougars to a 48–13 win over Ohio County on Thursday night at Frank Barnes Stadium.
The victory snaps a two-game skid for Grayson County, which improves to 3–4 on the season. Ohio County, meanwhile, dropped to 0–7 and extended its losing streak to 24 games.
Grayson County struck quickly on its opening drive, marching 61 yards in just four plays before Ethan Mudd powered into the end zone from eight yards out. On Ohio County’s second play from scrimmage, Anthony Linton pounced on a fumble to give the Cougars the ball back deep in Eagle territory. Quarterback Trigg Payne capped the short drive with a 6-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 14–0 less than three minutes into the game.
Ohio County briefly answered with a 23-yard touchdown pass from Ayden Farris to Nate Blue, but Grayson County closed the first quarter strong with Mudd’s second rushing touchdown. Payne’s second score midway through the second quarter and an interception by Eli Johnston helped the Cougars carry a 28–6 lead into halftime.
The defense delivered after the break. Kayden Tyner returned an interception 47 yards for a touchdown early in the third quarter — the program’s first defensive score since 2021 — to put the game out of reach. Mudd added his third touchdown run, and Jamycen Buster found the end zone in the fourth to round out the Cougar scoring.
Grayson County finished with 261 rushing yards, led by Mudd’s 146 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. Payne contributed two rushing scores and also passed for 57 yards, while Buster chipped in 52 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Tyner’s pick-six highlighted the defense, and Shane Hall led the receivers with four catches for 57 yards.
For Ohio County, Farris went 12-of-22 passing for 192 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice.
Grayson County now heads into its bye week before hosting district opponent Warren Central on Oct. 17 at Cougar Stadium.
Box Score
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson County | 21 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 48 |
| Ohio County | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
Scoring Summary
1Q – 10:13 | Grayson – Ethan Mudd 8-yard run (Lane Beasley kick)
1Q – 9:13 | Grayson – Trigg Payne 6-yard run (Beasley kick)
1Q – 6:25 | Ohio – Ayden Farris 23-yard pass to Nate Blue (Johnston kick missed)
1Q – 0:22 | Grayson – Mudd 3-yard run (Beasley kick)
2Q – 3:42 | Grayson – Payne 5-yard run (Beasley kick)
3Q – 11:43 | Grayson – Kayden Tyner 47-yard interception return (Beasley kick)
3Q – 7:20 | Grayson – Mudd 1-yard run (Beasley kick)
4Q – 9:37 | Grayson – Jamycen Buster 7-yard run (Beasley kick missed)
4Q – 4:42 | Ohio – Farris 51-yard pass to Eli Warren (Johnston kick good)
