Seniors Cody Robinson and Dustin Easley embrace junior T.K. Guess after the disappointing loss. Insest photo, Austin Berry looks for an open receiver in front the Cardinal rush.

Mayfield holds off Rockets
Crittenden comes up touchdown short
Mayfield, Ky. (Nov. 12, 2004) - In a season when little was expected, Crittenden County's football team gave its fans ­ and mighty Mayfield ­ all they never expected.

The Rockets took perennial powerhouse Mayfield to the wire before losing 35-28 Friday and ending an unforgettable, record-setting season despite few expectations when the scheduled opened 12 weeks earlier.

Armed with an unseasoned line, a handful of seniors and an over-achieving corps of junior classmen, Crittenden County's football team re-wrote history and almost achieved what some in western Kentucky figure is pinnacle of success ­ a playoff win over the area's most storied program.

Mayfield (7-5) may not have had one of its best teams, but so far no Class A club in Kentucky has been able to beat the Cardinals this season. With seven state titles and half dozen runnerup trophies, Mayfield is without question the premier team in all of these parts. However, the Rockets took its pass-and-thrash offense to Mayfield and came within a whisper of pulling off the upset.

Three Rocket fumbles, a muffed punt snap and an couple of untimely penalties meant all of the difference as Mayfield survived a full-throttle assault from Crittenden quarterback Austin Berry and his trusty receivers.

Berry, who has shattered school records with his throwing arm, was sensational. Poised under pressure, the junior time and again scrambled to avoid Mayfield's rush and found his targets to the tune of 251 passing yards. Crittenden's all-state candidate, T.K. Guess did more of his magic, catching three touchdown passes, 10 balls for 122 yards, threw one touchdown pass and rushed for 40 more. And that was just one offense.

It was an heroic effort that fell just short of historical acclaim. The entire season has been a magic carpet ride for a team that many believed couldn't win a half dozen games. Instead, the Rockets finished 9-3 and if not for a last-minute, controversial roughing the punter penalty, may have had one final stab at infamy.

Guess opened the game with a 58-yard halfback pass to speedster Shawnte Moss streaking down the far sideline for an inspiring 7-0 lead on the first play. However, Mayfield's seldom-intimidated muscle machine came pounding back. The Cardinals used a potent running game to pile up 354 yards on the turf, most of it from quarterback Adam Shelton. It was Shelton who took direct snaps and made the Rockets pay with big touchdown runs of 61 and 65 yards. When the Cardinals were stretched to limit in the fourth quarter with Crittenden breathing down their necks, Shelton took the Mayfield mystique a step forward, breaking open for one of his long touchdown runs facing second and long with 4:14 to play.

Shelton's last touchdown was supposed to be the final nail in Crittenden's coffin, but the Rockets had a bit of life left despite trailing by 14 points.

Receptions by Moss and Guess on the next series took the Rockets to Mayfield's 15. With under three minutes to play facing fourth-down, Berry threw into double coverage where Guess made an incredible catch and rolled into the end zone. The touchdown cut the Mayfield margin to just seven, but the Rockets needed a little more magic.

It was up to the Crittenden defense to force a turnover or quick punt in the final minute. It almost provided both. Mayfield fumbled the ball in its backfield on second down, but recovered. Then on fourth down and 17, the Cardinals lined up to punt away the ball, and perhaps give Crittenden what might be a final opportunity. The punt snap hit the ground and before the Rocket rush could converge on the kick, Mayfield's punter scooped it up and booted the ball free. Three Crittenden defenders rattled the punter and drew a yellow flag. Crittenden coach Al Starnes argued that the muffed snap made the punter a legal ball-carrier, but the officials didn't buy it and marked off first-down penalty yardage. The infraction gave Mayfield the last threat it needed to fend off the furious Rockets.

(Above photo: T,K. Guess runs for some of his 40 rushing yards)

Around the Region
Class A Playoffs click here for statewide bracket
Hancock County 33, Murray 23
Mayfield 35, Crittenden 28