The scoreboard didn’t tell the whole story Friday night at Cougar Stadium.
Against one of Kentucky’s premier programs, the Grayson County Cougars stood tall, trading early punches with two-time defending state champion Bowling Green before ultimately falling 49-12 on Senior Night.
Bowling Green scored twice before Grayson County ran an offensive play, jumping ahead 14-0, but the Cougars answered immediately with a 15-play, 76-yard drive that drained more than ten minutes off the clock and ended with Jake Bratcher’s one-yard touchdown run.
Moments later, Kayden Tyner ignited the home crowd with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown, pulling the Cougars within two at 14-12 early in the second quarter.
Bowling Green’s depth eventually took over as quarterback Anthony Davis threw for three touchdowns and running back Montravion Graham added two scores on the ground, but Grayson County continued to move the ball and find positives.
Ethan Mudd led the Cougars with 19 carries for 108 yards, while Bratcher finished 5-of-9 passing for 79 yards and added a rushing score. Tyner’s special-teams touchdown was the first punt-return touchdown for the Cougars since 2023.
A memorable moment came late in the third quarter when punter Lane Beasley, after corralling a bad snap inside his own end zone, sprinted 30 yards for an improbable first down to avoid a blocked punt.
With Barren County’s win over Warren Central, Grayson County (4-5) secured the No. 4 seed in the Class 5A playoffs and will travel to Owensboro on Nov. 7. Before that, the Cougars wrap up the regular season Friday at Hart County on Halloween night.
Scoring Summary
1st Quarter
BG – Anthony Davis to Jaxen Smith, 30-yard pass (Gonzalez kick), 10:51
BG – Davis to Ethan Kirkwood, 14-yard pass (Gonzalez kick), 10:27
GC – Jake Bratcher, 1-yard run (kick failed), 1:05
2nd Quarter
GC – Kayden Tyner, 95-yard punt return (conversion failed), 10:57
BG – Davis to Smith, 14-yard pass (Gonzalez kick), 8:50
BG – Smith, 4-yard run (Gonzalez kick), 2:17
3rd Quarter
BG – Montravion Graham, 61-yard run (Gonzalez kick), 4:07
4th Quarter
BG – Graham, 9-yard run (Gonzalez kick), 8:40
BG – Smith, 89-yard run (Gonzalez kick), 1:49
Box Score
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling Green (4-5) | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
| Grayson County (4-5) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
