Simon Kenton shut out Conner 47-0 in a Homecoming rout Friday, Sept. 18, that stretched past four hours after lightning forced a nearly two-hour delay at Chlorine Menefee Stadium.

Junior quarterback Grant Webb finished 13-for-21 for 196 yards and three touchdowns. Receiver Forest Hughes hauled in five catches for 43 yards and two scores. Running back Peyton Testerman punched in two second-quarter touchdowns to open the scoring.

The Pioneers piled up 381 total yards, averaging 8.6 yards per snap, according to LINK nky. Conner managed just 126 yards on 56 plays.

Simon Kenton's defense forced two turnovers. Michael Newborn intercepted Conner quarterback Ethan Estvanko, and Shawn Kata recovered a fumble.

Wynn told his players to control their attitude and energy. "Run to the ball, and good things happen," he said.

The delay

The first lightning bolt appeared shortly after Homecoming festivities ended around 8:17 p.m., triggering a mandatory 30-minute pause. Two more sightings followed. By 9:45 p.m., Simon Kenton principal Craig Reinhart faced three options: declare the Pioneers winners based on a completed first half, finish the game that night or resume at 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

Simon Kenton coach Joe Wynn wanted to keep playing. Conner coach Chase Floyd preferred Saturday. Play resumed around 10:06 p.m.

During the wait, Webb and Testerman ate bananas and oranges and watched first-half film. "Ate bananas, oranges and just set on my phone, watching film for game plan," Testerman said.

Second half

The delay did not slow Simon Kenton. The Pioneers needed just nine plays to cover 87 yards. Webb carried twice for 43 yards on that possession.

Mo Smith capped off a Simon Kenton drive with a 2-yard touchdown with 8:19 left in the third quarter.

Forest Hughes caught an 11-yard scoring pass from Webb in the third quarter. Brandon Lofties added a 24-yard touchdown reception in the fourth. Backup quarterback Ethan Hopkins capped the night with a 28-yard scoring run that triggered the running clock.

Season picture

The win moved Simon Kenton to 3-2 on the season in KHSAA Class 6A. The Pioneers' two losses came against Covington Catholic, 42-7, and Beechwood, 41-0. Conner dropped to 1-4.

Webb, a 6-foot-5 junior who passed for 1,810 yards as a sophomore in 2025, has been the engine of the Pioneers' offense all season. In an NKyTribune preseason preview published Aug. 1, Wynn predicted the growth: "Our offense will take a step this year as we played numerous sophomores last year …"

Simon Kenton hosts Lexington Bryan Station on Friday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m.