HOWARD – Shane Knepp’s last two plays capped off a comeback for the ages.
Following a 49-yard catch, the East Knox senior took a handoff and saw the end zone calling to him from behind a row of defensive linemen.
On first down from the 1-yard line, with 14 seconds remaining, Knepp stepped to the left, ran past the would-be tacklers and jogged to pay dirt. His touchdown capped a shocking 27-20 comeback victory over the Highland Scots.
“I was looking for a hole inside, but there wasn’t one,” Knepp said. “Then I looked outside, and there was no one there, so I bounced it. It was wide open.”
Knepp’s score finished off a 20-point East Knox fourth quarter. Trailing 20-7, Knepp scored on a 7-yard run with 11:26 to play. Later, after Highland fumbled the ball away at their own 7, Cole Delaughder pounded through the line for a score from 1 yard out to tie the game at 20.
The fumble was Highland’s third turnover of the second half. The team’s first lost fumble led to Knepp’s first score, and its second came near midfield just four plays later.
“We can’t turn the ball over,” Highland coach Ty Stover said. “The players played their butts off. We gave them the ball too much. Our defense was on the field too much in the second half.”
On defense, East Knox (7-2, 4-1 Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference) focused on Highland’s all-everything running back Dane Nauman. The sophomore had a 65-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to break a scoreless tie, then added a 20-yard score in the third. Although Nauman finished with 172 rushing yards on 27 carries, every yard – other than the scoring runs – was hard-earned.
The Scots (6-3, 5-1 KMAC) intercepted a pass two plays after their first touchdown. With a short field, Highland needed five plays to score on a 15-yard pass from Cooper Merckling to Jay Melchiori.
“When we went in at halftime, we all got on the same page and came out fired up,” East Knox coach Cody Reese said. “We’re where we need to be. Now, we have to get over the top.
“We’re pleased, but not satisfied.”
Facing a 13-0 deficit to begin the second half, Peyton Lester drove the Bulldogs down the field and scored on a 17-yard pass to Carson Steinmetz.
Lester completed 11 of 16 for 123 yards for the Bulldogs. Steinmetz had three catches for 22 yards. Delaughder gained 123 yards on the ground and caught four passes for 36 yards. Knepp caught two passes for 63 yards and rushed 10 times for 34 yards.
Merckling went 7 of 13 for 99 yards in the air for Highland, finding Melchioi for all seven completions.
East Knox wraps up the regular season this Friday against Danville. The Bulldogs have claimed the Devil Dog trophy the past three meetings after losing the previous 12 straight.
“I’d love to (win the trophy) again,” Knepp said. “We’ll be ready.”
Highland faces off at Northmor in a battle that will determine the KMAC championship.
