Nathan Pabst scored five touchdowns and ran for 161 yards to lead Beechwood past rival Covington Catholic 42-35 on Sept. 19 in Park Hills.

Pabst's 3-yard touchdown run with 21 seconds left gave the Tigers the lead for good and snapped a four-game losing streak against CovCath. It was Beechwood's first win over the Colonels since 2021, LINK nky reported.

The senior running back finished with 201 yards from scrimmage on 27 carries and four receptions. Three of his touchdowns came on the ground. Two came through the air from quarterback Emmett Queen.

"I feel on top of the world. It's best feeling in the world," Pabst said after the game. "Now it's time to win the big one now, though."

Beechwood jumped to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. CovCath answered with touchdowns on five consecutive possessions, including a 71-yard run by Kiyan Miller to open the second half. The Colonels tied the game at 35 on Dylan Courtney's 32-yard touchdown pass to Jamir Kirtley in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers responded.

With 4:05 left and the score knotted, Beechwood drove 69 yards on 10 plays in 3 minutes and 44 seconds. Tyler Fryman, a University of Kentucky commit who finished with 13 catches for 127 yards, made a diving catch inside the CovCath 20 on third-and-long to keep the drive alive. Pabst punched it in from 3 yards out to cap the march.

CovCath needed 80 yards in 19 seconds and could not get past midfield.

Queen, a Wake Forest commit, completed 18 of 22 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns. Head coach Noel Rash credited the offensive line for controlling the line of scrimmage, saying after the game that the linemen "were in there grinding, grinding, grinding" against a CovCath defensive front that had talked plenty of pregame trash, according to LINK nky.

The win was Rash's 201st career coaching victory, WCPO reported. He returned to Beechwood in May after spending the 2025 season at Conner, according to an NKY Tribune season preview. Rash previously led the Fort Mitchell program for 17 seasons, winning eight state championships in nine title-game appearances.

For CovCath, Courtney threw for 254 yards and three touchdowns on 14-of-23 passing. Miller ran for 112 yards and two scores and added four catches for 61 yards. Kirtley had four receptions for 86 yards and two touchdowns.

Beechwood (4-0), ranked No. 1 in the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) Class 2A state media poll, had outscored its first three opponents 124-3 before the CovCath game. CovCath (3-2) entered ranked No. 3 in Class 4A.

CovCath head coach Eddie Eviston said his team's slow start proved costly, noting the Colonels seemed to be "waiting on something" before their offense found its rhythm.

Both teams play again Friday, Sept. 25. Beechwood travels to Owen County for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff. CovCath hosts Louisville Central at 7 p.m.