Top Tiger football games #11-#8

The Manchester Enterprise is celebrating 50 years of Tiger football by looking back at the all-time Top 15 games.  We look back at games #11-#8.

#11 ‘LAST MINUTE REDHOUND MAGIC’

MANCHESTER (1984)—Clay County had one of their best teams ever, as did the mighty Corbin Redhounds.

The stands were packed as the two top teams in southeastern Kentucky met in this epic clash.  Clay County beat Corbin in every statistical category except for the final score of 12-6.

Clay’s Rodney Hyde slipped through the defense to tie the score at six each with 8:34 remaining in the game.  Paul Herd’s extra point kick sailed through the upright as the Tiger fans roared in a standing room only crown.

Leading 7-6, the Tigers saw the host Redhounds use the same last-minute magic  that Clay would later use to win so many games, bite them.

“I’ll never forget it,” said Clay star quarterback Sean Pennington in 1997.  “It was the last minute of the game and they threw a deep pass.  Rodney Hyde was standing inside the 10-yard line and it looked like he would make the interception, but instead the ball hit off his shoulder pad and bounced right into the hands of a Corbin receiver in the endzone for a touchdown.”

Tiger coach Eugene Hensley said it was one of the most heart-breaking losses of his career.  It was the for the Tiger fans and players, too coach.

 

CAWOOD (1991)—The 1991 season had started promising enough for the Tigers.  A dramatic come-from-behind win in the season opener, followed by wins over Whitesburg, Henry Clay and later with wins over Knott and Breathitt counties.

Clay had opened the season 5-1, their only loss a 24-22 blemish at Leslie County, but the season had suddenly made a turn for the worse.

Three road losses in a row (Bell, Belfry, Montgomery) dropped the Tigers to 5-4 and put them on the road for the first round of the state playoffs.

Despite the losses, coach Eugene Hensley saw the potential for a playoff upset over favored Cawood.
“Our team had really improved throughout the season and we were playing our best when we went to Cawood,” Hensley said in 1997.  Clay found they would not only have to battle Cawood that night, but the elements as well.

“The temperature was 16 degrees and the high wind blowing snow everywhere,” he said.  “It was miserable.”

One person didn’t let the elements stand in his way, DeShae Henson.  The Tiger running back had a career night with 359 yards rushing and led the Clay to their first-ever playoff victory.

 

HYDEN (1985)—It had worked to perfection to give the Tigers a win over Pineville earlier in the season, so why not use the ‘Backside Fly’ to beat Leslie County in the regular season finale?

The Eagles had played a great game in the heated rivalry between the two schools.  They led the Tigers 15-12 with only two minutes remaining in the game.

The Eagles had the ball on the Clay 30-yard line and was staring at 4th down and four yards to go.  If they picked up the first down on the next play then they would be able to run the clock out for the win.

“On the play, Leslie ran a draw and Wesley Turner stepped up and stuffed it short of the first down to give us the ball back,” Coach Eugene Hensley said.  “That chance was all we needed.”

The Tigers marched 40 yards within one minute of play to the Leslie County 30-yard line.  All-state quarterback Sean Pennington knew the game was on his shoulders.

Pennington hit receiver Tim Jones on the backside fly, the same play they used to beat Pineville in the closing seconds.  Jones scored on the pass with only a few seconds on the clock to give his team the win.

“We made some huge plays on that final drive,” Pennington said.  “Michael Todd Walker made a big catch over the middle that kept the drive alive.  It was a great win and one we will never forget.”

 

HYDEN (1995)—Highway robbery is the best way to describe this Tiger loss.  Leslie County had Mr. Football Tim Couch, a future first pick in the NFL draft and University of Kentucky commit.  There was no way the Tigers could compete, the Eagle fanbase thought.

Boy, were they wrong.  

WYMT-TV decided to showcase the nation’s top player with a live broadcast of the game in their coverage area.  The stands were packed!

Viewers thought they would see the quarterback make the Tigers look foolish, but in reality, they got to see the Tiger defense put a pounding on Couch and knock him out of the game twice.

Coach Wayne Napier knew if his team were to have a chance they’d have to blitz the star quarterback.  And blitz they did!  On one play Couch laid lifeless on the ground as Tiger end James Ray Jones did the wrestling move ‘The Grave Digger’ over him.  That nearly caused the sidelines to clear as the Leslie faithful were in a frenzy.

But it wasn’t meant to be.  The Eagles won the game on a literal bounce pass in the endzone from Couch.  His pass hit the ground and bounced into the receivers hands the refs declared a touchdown.  Even the announcers on televison could not believe the call.  

The Eagles were up 14-0 but Clay battled back to within one at 14-13.  On the last score Tiger running back Travis Smith was stopped just short of the goal-line on a two-point conversion.  

Leslie won the game, but the Tigers clearly won the war!