PARIS, Mo. - Knox County needed one more scoring drive and one final defensive stand Friday night, and the Eagles delivered both to escape Paris with a dramatic 30-28 victory.
Carrsen Hayes connected with Creighton Karhoff for the tying touchdown with 15 seconds remaining, then found Isaac Shahan for the two-point conversion that put Knox County ahead. Haze Trimble intercepted Paris’ final pass near the goal line as time expired, sealing a win that improved the Eagles to 5-1 and dropped the Coyotes to 3-2.
Karhoff caught three of Hayes’ four touchdown passes, including the final score, as Knox County overcame an early special teams setback and a fourth-quarter Paris comeback.
“The effort was great,” Knox County coach Bruce Vannoy said. “It was just a back-and-forth game.”
Paris wasted little time putting the Eagles behind. Logan Mitchell returned the opening kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown, giving the Coyotes a 6-0 lead just eight seconds into the game. Paris then recovered an onside kick, forcing Knox County to weather a difficult opening stretch before its offense had an opportunity to settle in.
The Eagles answered late in the first quarter when Hayes found Shahan for a 25-yard touchdown with 22 seconds remaining. A successful two-point run gave Knox County an 8-6 advantage.
Paris moved back in front in the second quarter as Spencer Minks connected with Mitchell for a seven-yard touchdown. The conversion failed, leaving the Coyotes ahead 12-8, but Knox County responded before halftime. Hayes found Karhoff for a 10-yard touchdown with just over two seconds remaining, and another successful two-point run sent the Eagles into the break leading 16-12.
Vannoy pointed to that late touchdown as an important response after Paris had reclaimed the lead. Knox County carried that momentum into the third quarter, when Hayes and Karhoff connected again, this time for a nine-yard score with 4:13 remaining. The conversion attempt failed, but the Eagles had extended their advantage to 22-12.
Paris’ defense kept Knox County from pulling away, and the Coyotes’ offense turned the game around in the fourth quarter. Sawyer Clements scored on a four-yard run with 7:09 remaining, and a successful conversion pass to Mitchell trimmed the Eagles’ lead to 22-20.
Clements struck again with 2:28 left, breaking loose for a 24-yard touchdown run. Minks added the two-point conversion, putting Paris ahead 28-22 and leaving Knox County needing a touchdown to keep its hopes alive.
“Their defense played amazing tonight,” Vannoy said. “They were just flying around. They really, really put a stop to our run game, and we had to throw the ball.”
Hayes guided the Eagles downfield on their final possession, but the drive came down to a fourth-and-nine play deep in Paris territory. A completion to Shahan resulted in a measurement, and the officials awarded Knox County a first down to keep the possession alive.
With another opportunity near the goal line, Hayes found Karhoff for his third touchdown reception, tying the game at 28-28 with 15 seconds left. The Eagles then converted through the air again, with Shahan hauling in the pass that provided the winning margin.
“You could just kind of see our guys pick up the belief a little bit and really start rolling,” Vannoy said of the final drive. “Once we scored to tie it up, I really felt like we had all the momentum.”
Paris still had time for a final attempt, but Trimble’s interception ended the threat and secured the Eagles’ two-point victory.
Creighton Karhoff received a player of the week nomination for his three touchdowns and additional catches that helped sustain drives. His performance capped a night in which Knox County repeatedly answered Paris, including when the Eagles faced their last chance in the closing seconds.
Knox County returns home next week to host North Shelby.
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics given should be deemed as unofficial.)
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