St. Henry beat Owen County 45-14 on Friday, Oct. 2, in Owenton to extend its winning streak to four games.
The Crusaders (4-2) built a 23-6 halftime lead and blew the game open with a 22-point third quarter to take a 45-6 advantage into the fourth. Owen County scored a late touchdown to set the final margin.
The Class 2A, District 5 victory doubled St. Henry's win total from its entire inaugural varsity season in 2025, when the Erlanger school went 2-9, according to LINK nky.
St. Henry Athletics posted quarter-by-quarter scores on X, showing the Crusaders led 6-0 after one quarter before pulling away.
The four-game run has lifted the Crusaders to 4-2 in just their second year of varsity football. Head coach Tim Odom entered the season with nine returning defensive starters and 15 players with offensive experience, according to a preseason preview by the NKY Tribune. Key contributors this season include junior running back Lucas Pate and sophomore quarterback Cy Parento, who connected on a 31-yard touchdown in a Week 3 comeback win over Bishop Brossart.
"We feel pretty confident that we can improve on that this year in district play," Odom told the NKY Tribune in August, referring to the two district wins that earned St. Henry a playoff berth in 2025.
St. Henry's streak includes wins over Bishop Brossart (43-40), Bellevue, Gallatin County (52-0) and Owen County. The Cincinnati Enquirer noted that the Week 6 shutout of Gallatin County set a new program record for wins.
Odom coaches alongside his father, Bobby, and his son, Jake, on the St. Henry staff. Three generations of Odoms share the sideline.
The schedule stiffens quickly. Undefeated Beechwood (6-0) visits St. Henry on Friday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. for a District 5 matchup. The Crusaders then host Bracken County on Thursday, Oct. 15, before road trips to Walton-Verona on Oct. 23 and Ludlow on Oct. 30.
