“Honestly, I didn’t even notice it at first, but my dad told me about it and ever since I noticed it’s pretty funny,” Savage said.
After Savage’s third touchdown, Ryle junior Eli Caldwell ran off the field and giving an assistant coach the shoulder bump and jump celebration, yelling out “We just running clocked St. Xavier!”
The Raiders sure did and now they’re on to the third round of the playoffs.
“We are playing so well right now and our kids are believing,” Raiders coach Mike Engler said. “Our kids came off that field last time playing them thinking we were the better team and knowing that we could play them again. I don’t think anyone has ever done this to St. X.”
As far as a running clock on the Tigers, it’s the first time it’s happened to them in the postseason since Trinity did so in 2011. It’s the first time St. Xavier has lost in the playoffs to a school outside of Louisville in 2001, when Meade County did so.
While the victory may be a surpise by many around the state, Engler feels this is something that’s been in the making for over a year now.
“People forget we had 17 starters back from last year’s team that was almost all sophomores,” Engler said. “We made a good run last year, just ran into a really solid Bryan Station team.”
Now Ryle will turn their attention to the region championship round where they’ll host Central Hardin.
“We talk about every week being our championship,” Engler said. “The motivation now is getting to practice on Thanksgiving Day. With that chance, I don’t think it will be a problem getting these guys back up and ready. I think these guys have a lot of confidence right now in what they’re doing.”
With what transpired in Class 6A around the state on Friday night, the door has certainly opened for Ryle to make a deep run. The No. 1, No. 3 and No. 4 teams all lost while No. 2 Trinity and No. 5 Ryle are the last two top five teams standing out of the final eight. One thing is certain, the Raiders won’t have to leave Union the next two weeks as they try to get their way to Kroger Field in Lexington the first weekend in December.
RAIDERS 38, TIGERS 17
ST. XAVIER — 0-3-7-7 — 17
RYLE — 17-21-0-0 — 38
Scoring Plays
1st Quarter
(R) Savage 80-yard run (11:47) Moses kick
(R) Verax 25-yard run (8:38) Moses kick
(R) Moses 43-yard FG (2:14)
2nd Quarter
(SX) Zoeller 25-yard FG (10:08)
(R) Savage 12-yard run (7:09) Moses kick
(R) Verax 12-yard pass to Lorms (2:51) Moses kick
(R) Savage 2-yard run (1:17) Moses kick
3rd Quarter
(SX) Trimble 58-yard pass to Harbin (0:00) Zoeller kick
4th Quarter
(SX) Trimble 30-yard pass to Krupp
Records: St. Xavier 7-5, Ryle 10-2