Dixie Heights senior Levi Gilliland rushed for 270 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries Saturday, Sept. 19, leading the Colonels past Henry Clay 28-19. The win completed a game suspended by lightning in the second quarter and gave Dixie Heights its first victory of 2026.
Dixie Heights had led 7-0 when weather halted play, according to WLWT. When the teams returned to the field Saturday in Lexington, Gilliland took over. He also caught three passes for 15 yards and, on defense, recorded six tackles and an interception.
LINK nky's Evan Dennison awarded Gilliland the Week 5 game ball, writing that the performance gave the Colonels "momentum for Dixie as they open up district play."
Ben London added five tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble on defense. Brad Roaden contributed five tackles and an interception. Charlie Swendiman had three tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Dixie Heights opens Class 5A, 5th District play Friday, Sept. 25, at home against Scott in a district Dennison described as "wide open."
Beechwood stays perfect
The Tigers rolled to 4-0 with a 42-35 win over Covington Catholic on Friday, Sept. 18, in Park Hills, snapping a four-game losing streak in the rivalry. It was Beechwood's first win over CovCath since 2021 and their first victory at CovCath since 2014. No. 1-ranked Beechwood (Class 2A) and No. 3 CovCath (Class 4A) combined for zero turnovers, just two punts and four combined penalties.
As we reported Sept. 21, Nathan Pabst scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with 21 seconds left. He finished with 201 yards from scrimmage and five touchdowns, according to the NKyTribune.
Senior quarterback Emmett Queen, a Wake Forest commit, completed 20 of 24 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Tyler Fryman hauled in 13 catches for 129 yards and also rushed 11 times for 27 yards on direct snaps. Fryman and Pabst accounted for 355 of Beechwood's 381 total yards.
Around NKY
Dayton head coach Jesse Herbst earned the Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach of the Week award after the Greendevils beat Western Hills to start 5-0. Bengals Ring of Honor member James Brooks visited Dayton High School and spoke to the team.
Lloyd Memorial hosts Pendleton County on Thursday, Sept. 24, the first NKY team to play on a Thursday this season. The Juggernauts carry a 12-game regular-season winning streak.
Dixie Heights hosts Scott on Friday.
