In a Halloween night heartbreaker, Grayson County’s late rally came up just short as the Cougars fell 14-13 to Hart County on Friday night at Raider Field.
The loss drops the Cougars to 4-6 overall heading into next week’s Class 5A playoff opener at Owensboro, while Hart County improves to 8-2 to close its regular season.
Early Deficit and Missed Chances
Hart County struck first midway through the opening quarter when Kannan Allen broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run. The Raiders added to their lead just before halftime, as quarterback Jacob Shoulders found Allen on a 22-yard touchdown pass with 34 seconds left in the second quarter to make it 14-0 at the break.
Grayson County had its chances throughout the night, but finished 1-of-4 in red-zone opportunities — including an interception with just 1:30 left in the game that ended a potential go-ahead drive.
Cougars Rally in the Fourth
The Cougars clawed back in the fourth quarter behind a determined defensive effort and a pair of quick scores. Jake Bratcher found Shane Hall for an 8-yard touchdown pass to cut the deficit in half, and just minutes later, Ethan Mudd scooped up a loose ball and raced 30 yards for a touchdown.
However, the extra-point attempt sailed wide, leaving the Cougars down by one with just over eight minutes to play.
Final Drive Falls Short
After Grayson County’s defense stopped a fake punt, the Cougars took over at the Hart County 22-yard line with 5:25 remaining, but were unable to capitalize.
Bratcher finished 2-of-7 passing for 19 yards, with one touchdown and one interception, while rushing nine times for 49 yards. Mudd carried 14 times for 63 yards and added the defensive score. Jamycen Buster also recorded an interception late in the first half to halt a Raider drive.
What’s Next
With the regular season complete, Grayson County now shifts focus to the postseason, where they’ll travel to Owensboro next Friday night to face the Red Devils in the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs.
Scoring Summary
| Team | Scoring Play | Time | Quarter | Extra Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HC | Kannan Allen 34-yard run | 6:03 | 1Q | Good |
| HC | Allen 22-yard pass from Jacob Shoulders | 0:34 | 2Q | Good |
| GC | Shane Hall 8-yard pass from Jake Bratcher | 9:03 | 4Q | Good |
| GC | Ethan Mudd 30-yard fumble return | 8:10 | 4Q | Missed |
Box Score
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hart County | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Grayson County | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
