St. Henry scored 61 points against Bracken County on Thursday, Oct. 15, and now faces a winner-take-all trip to Walton-Verona for the Class 2A district 2-seed.

The Crusaders (5-3) won 61-23, according to Link NKY's Week 9 roundup. The victory sets up a Week 10 showdown at Walton-Verona on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. The winner earns the district's No. 2 seed and a home playoff game.

Walton-Verona (6-2) took care of its own business the same week, beating Owen County 49-6. The Bearcats led 35-0 with 6:10 left in the second quarter, and the game ran a continuous clock through the entire second half.

Both teams compete in Class 2A, District 5 alongside unbeaten Beechwood, Bracken County, Gallatin County and Owen County.

Big picture for the Crusaders

The stakes are straightforward. St. Henry went 2-9 in its inaugural varsity season in 2025, losing to Breathitt County 54-0 in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs. Coach Tim Odom's squad has already more than doubled last year's win total. A victory Friday would guarantee the Crusaders host at least one postseason game.

The Crusaders entered 2026 with nine returning defensive starters and 15 players with offensive experience, according to the NKY Tribune's preseason preview. Senior free safety Andrew Stewart led the returning group after recording 37 tackles, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 2025. Junior Lucas Pate, a running back and linebacker, ran for 338 yards and four touchdowns last season.

"We had to win two games to get in," Odom told the NKY Tribune in August, previewing the season. "We feel pretty confident that we can improve on that this year in district play."

At 5-3, that confidence looks earned.

Around the district

Beechwood (8-0) demolished Gallatin County 69-0. The Tigers led 35-0 after the first quarter and have outscored district opponents 257-7 across four games. Beechwood visits Bracken County in Brooksville next.

Dixie Heights (4-5) rolled past Boone County 49-3, leading 34-3 at halftime. The win secured a home playoff game for the Colonels. Dixie Heights has a bye week before hosting Ryle to close the regular season.

What's next

St. Henry travels to Walton-Verona for the matchup for the district’s No. 2 seed. Beechwood heads to Brooksville to face Bracken County.