Watch video of Brody Belt’s last-minute go-ahead touchdown run at the end of this article
With the game tied and just under 30 seconds remaining, Henderson County junior quarterback Brody Belt took the snap from McCracken County’s 17-yard line, rolled left, and saw the play collapsing. Pressure crept closer, so he tucked the ball and cut upfield.
Belt lowered his shoulder at the goal line and powered through a defender before falling across the plane for a 17-yard touchdown. It was the go-ahead score in a 41–34 road playoff win that moved Henderson County to 6–6 and ended McCracken County’s season at 6–6, sending the Colonels into the Class 6A state quarterfinals.
“All I was thinking about was how it ended last year, and how I wasn’t going to let it happen again,” Belt said. “I didn’t want it to end tonight.”
The run capped an 87-yard, 16-play march that lasted more than four minutes and became the defining drive of the Colonels’ 2025 campaign. It also delivered the closure Henderson County had chased since losing to McCracken in the second round of the 2023 playoffs, suffering a close loss last year, and dropping a 55–42 shootout to the Mustangs in October.
This time, Henderson County flipped the script.
The first half felt like a sequel to October’s shootout. McCracken opened the scoring with a 17-yard touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Jakari Matchem, but the Colonels answered with a strong opening drive capped by Jack Dalton’s 26-yard touchdown run around the right edge.
A Henderson fumble on its own 24-yard line set up a McCracken touchdown and a 14–7 Mustang lead.
Then, later in the quarter, Dalton delivered his own change of possession. Reading a short route perfectly, he intercepted a pass and returned it to the McCracken 1-yard line. The next play, he pushed into the end zone to tie the game at 14.
McCracken regained a 20-14 advantage after senior quarterback Maddox O’Neal faked a handoff and ran for a 23-yard touchdown.
Soon, the Mustangs advanced downfield again until they had a chance to go up two touchdowns. O’Neal threw a one-on-one shot into the end zone that was intercepted by sophomore Anzerion Marigny, resulting in a touchback and Colonel ball.
The Colonels carried that momentum into instant offense. Belt dropped back and found Avant Baxter deep for a 35-yard touchdown strike to tie the game at 20–20. McCracken scored once more before halftime on Matchem’s second TD catch of the night. They led 27–20 heading into the locker room.
That 7-point lead was short-lived.
Henderson opened the second half with urgency, as they drove 65 yards up the field. Dalton bounced off the right edge for a 22-yard touchdown that tied the game at 27–27.
On McCracken’s next possession, Baxter read a crossing route and intercepted a pass, returning it 28 yards to the McCracken 2-yard line. Dalton ran in his fourth touchdown of the night moments later. McCracken answered with a touchdown to receiver Reed Brookshire to tie the game at 34–34 midway through the third quarter.
Both teams then traded punts and defensive stops until Henderson took over with less than four minutes left. The Colonels started the drive at their own 13-yard line. With the season hanging in the balance, they had 87 yards to go.
Dalton, playing through illness and with a bloodied nose that stained his white jersey crimson, delivered several tough runs to move the chains and burn the clock.
Finally, Belt made his season-defining play, scrambling from the 17-yard line and powering through contact for the go-ahead touchdown.
Henderson County led 41–34 with 28 seconds left.
McCracken moved quickly after the kickoff, completing short passes and drawing two penalties that helped them reach near midfield. But with eight seconds left, the Mustangs lined up for one final shot.
The ball never left the quarterback’s hand.
Senior defensive end Myron Wright beat his blocker immediately. Junior defensive end Christian Haygan circled the opposite edge. The two crashed into O’Neal for the game-ending sack as the clock expired.
In the second half, Henderson County’s defense, which had been shredded for more than 500 yards in the first meeting, completely changed the game. McCracken managed only 104 total yards after halftime and did not score in the final quarter.
Haygan finished with nine tackles and two sacks, including an 11-yard loss early in the fourth quarter. Wright led the team with 10 tackles and added the final sack.
Seniors Zarian Rideout and Jack Ryan Reusch each had nine tackles, while Hayden Turner, Marigny, and Dalton contributed key plays in the secondary.
“This means everything,” Wright said afterward. “We’ve been to the playoffs the last two years but couldn’t make it this far. It means a lot to get to the third round.”
Turner said the win came from preparation.
“We talked about this moment all week,” Turner said. “On the bus ride, they told us to visualize it, and now here we are.”
Behind a determined offensive line, Dalton carried Henderson County with 26 rushes for 137 yards and four touchdowns. Belt added 79 rushing yards on 12 scrambles and threw for 98 yards, including the deep touchdown to Baxter.
“This could have been our last time strapping it up this season, so I just had to leave it all out there,” Dalton said. “Coach’s game plan was great, and our O-line came to play. McCracken is much bigger than us, but they hit them in the mouth.”
Head Coach John Elliott praised his players’ grit, especially his leaders in the backfield.
“Jack was ill this week, and he’s still struggling. But he gave us everything he had tonight,” Elliott said. “Without those two [Dalton and Belt], we wouldn’t be sitting where we are.”
He turned his attention quickly to next Friday.
“It’s a one-game tournament. We put everything we had into this game. Now we will re-focus and do the same thing next week when we prepare for South Warren.”
Two straight road playoff wins have brought the Colonels to this point, and their toughest challenge now sits directly ahead. Still, after dominating Meade County and outlasting McCracken in a thriller, Henderson County looks like a team trending at the right time.
“Last week was our best performance yet,” Dalton said. “This week, again, by far our best performance.”
The Colonels now travel to unbeaten South Warren (11–0), a team ranked third in the state by KSR. It will be Henderson County’s first trip to the state quarterfinals since 2022.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. next Friday in Bowling Green, where the Colonels will look to extend their season once again.
BOX SCORE
Henderson Co. 41, McCracken Co. 34
Henderson Co. McCracken Co.
23 First Downs 24
50-246 Rushes-Yards 36-152
6-13-1 Comp-Att-Int 15-34-3
98 Passing Yards 236
344 Total Yards 388
2-1 Fumbles-Lost 2-0
10-117 Penalties-Yards 11-125
3-33.7 Punts-Avg. 3-35.7
Henderson Co. 7 13 14 7 — 41
McCracken Co. 14 13 7 0 — 34
MC – Jakan Matchem 17 pass from Maddox O’Neal (Brock Wilson kick)
HC – Jack Dalton 26 run (Boone Thompson kick), 8 plays, 67 yards
MC – O’Neal 5 run (Wilson kick)
HC – Dalton 1 run (Thompson kick) 1 play, 1 yard
MC – O’Neal 23 run (kick failed)
HC – Avant Baxter 35 pass from Brody Belt (kick failed), 5 plays, 80 yards
MC – Matchem 19 pass from O’Neal (Wilson kick)
HC – Dalton 22 run (Thompson kick) 7 plays, 65 yards
HC – Dalton 2 run (Thompson kick) 2 plays, 2 yards
MC – Reed Brookshire 16 pass from O’Neal (Wilson kick)
HC – Belt 17 run (Thompson kick), 16 plays, 87 yards
Individual Statistics
Rushing
Henderson Co. – Jack Dalton 25-137, Brody Belt 12-79, Kingston Shidler 10-24, Jack Ryan Reusch 2-3, Team 1-3.
McCracken Co. — Landon Newman 21-96, Maddox O’Neal 11-37, Dawson Hayden 4-19.
Passing
Henderson Co. — Belt 6-12-1 98, Dalton 0-1-0.
McCracken Co. — O’Neal 14-31-3 209, Cole Presswood 1-3-0 27.
Receiving
Henderson Co. — Avant Baxter 4-69, Hezekiah Harris 2-29.
McCracken Co. — Jakari Matchem 5-83, Jude Lanier 5-56, Reed Brookshire 4-54, Newman 1-43.
