Beechwood's season opener lasted about 12 seconds before the Tigers had their first touchdown.

Nathan Pabst fielded the opening kickoff Aug. 28 and returned it 99 yards for a score, setting the tone for a 42-0 rout of Indian Hill (Ohio) in Fort Mitchell. The win, Beechwood's first game after a Week 1 bye, came in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown and gave the Tigers their first shutout since 2022.

Quarterback Emmett Queen, a Wake Forest commit, finished 11-of-12 passing for 200 yards and two touchdowns, according to LINK nky's Week 2 standouts list. Tyler Fryman, a University of Kentucky commit for football and baseball, caught six passes for 111 yards and a touchdown. He also broke loose for a 47-yard rushing score in the first quarter.

Pabst added two rushing touchdowns after his kickoff return, the second of which pushed the lead to 35-0 and triggered a running clock before halftime. Bo Sowder hauled in a 24-yard touchdown pass from Queen in the second quarter. Queen then connected with Fryman for a 55-yard scoring strike in the third quarter to cap the scoring at 42-0. Kicker Jack Mercer went 6-for-6 on extra points.

Indian Hill, a 2025 state semifinalist with Mississippi State baseball commit Devlan Daniel at quarterback, managed fewer than 100 yards of total offense and crossed into Beechwood territory just three times all night, LINK nky reported.

"He's one of the best players in Greater Cincinnati … Not just because of this game," head coach Noel Rash said of Pabst after the Aug. 28 win, per LINK nky. "He's that kind of kid. But he's 5-foot-7 or whatever and not 6-foot-2 so immediately everything sloughs off of him."

Pabst earned the Skyline Chili Crosstown Game of the Week chain after the performance. Dozens of Beechwood fans attended wearing bright red "Giddy Up" t-shirts featuring a drawing of players huddled around Rash, according to the NKyTribune.

Rash returned to the Beechwood sideline this season after three years away. He previously compiled a 193-46 record in 17 seasons at the school and won eight state championships. The Tigers, who went 11-2 in 2025 before falling 41-40 to Owensboro Catholic in the Class 2A state semifinals, are chasing state title No. 19.

Week 3 lookahead: Dixie Heights visits Fort Mitchell

Beechwood hosts Dixie Heights at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 4 in Fort Mitchell. The Colonels enter at 0-2 after losses to Simon Kenton (41-13 on Aug. 21) and Badin of Ohio (42-13 on Aug. 28).

Dixie Heights head coach Patrick Burke told the NKyTribune in an Aug. 16 preseason preview that his team had "a very close-knit group of guys who hold each other accountable." The Colonels return six starters on each side of the ball, with senior Brad Roaden anchoring the defense after posting 80 tackles in 2025.

LINK nky's Evan Dennison identified Beechwood, Covington Catholic and Highlands as the clear top three teams in Northern Kentucky through two weeks. The average margin of victory across NKY games sat at 25.9 points in Week 2, with only seven of 28 games through two weeks decided by single digits.

After Dixie Heights, Beechwood travels to Simon Kenton on Sept. 11 and to Covington Catholic on Sept. 18.