FORT THOMAS — Duncan quarterback Dayton Penry accounted for 324 yards of offense and three touchdowns as the Wildkats used a powerful rushing attack and several explosive plays to beat Fort Thomas 28-14 Friday night.
Duncan finished with 478 yards of total offense, including 336 rushing yards, but the final margin could have been larger if not for a Fort Thomas defense that came up with five fourth-down stops during the game.
Penry led the Wildkats with 182 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries while completing 6 of 22 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He was intercepted three times, but Duncan repeatedly found ways to produce big plays.
The Wildkats struck quickly.
Penry broke loose for a 51-yard touchdown with 10:04 remaining in the first quarter, giving Duncan a 6-0 lead after the two-point conversion failed.
Duncan added two more points on a safety with 10:07 remaining in the second quarter before Penry connected with Mark Bejarano on a 27-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes later. The conversion again failed, giving Duncan a 14-0 advantage.
Fort Thomas’ defense helped keep the Apaches within reach throughout the first half and into the second, repeatedly getting off the field in critical situations. The Apaches stopped Duncan on fourth down five times on the night, preventing several Wildkat drives from turning into additional points.
Duncan still found its biggest plays when it needed them.
Penry and Bejarano connected again with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter, this time for a 53-yard touchdown that stretched the lead to 20-0.
Bejarano finished with four catches for 130 yards and both of Duncan’s receiving touchdowns. He also carried the ball 13 times for 57 yards, giving him 187 yards from scrimmage.
Fort Thomas finally broke through with 13 seconds remaining in the third quarter when Malachi Johnson scored on a 2-yard run, cutting the deficit to 20-6.
Any momentum the Apaches gained disappeared immediately.
Karsen Lacey returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the third quarter. Duncan converted the two-point attempt and carried a 28-6 lead into the fourth.
Fort Thomas continued to battle.
With 5:44 remaining, Kenny McCabe Jr. connected with Aiden Chatlin-Spex for a 71-yard touchdown. The Apaches added the two-point conversion to make it 28-14, but Duncan kept Fort Thomas off the board the rest of the way.
McCabe completed 5 of 19 passes for 106 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Johnson completed 3 of 5 passes for 29 yards while rushing 13 times for 32 yards and Fort Thomas’ other touchdown.
The Apaches finished with 135 passing yards and 49 rushing yards for 184 yards of total offense.
Duncan piled up 336 rushing yards in addition to Penry’s 142 yards through the air. Joe Nandino added 65 rushing yards for the Wildkats, while Bejarano contributed 57 on the ground.
Despite the lopsided yardage totals, Fort Thomas’ five fourth-down stops gave the Apaches opportunities to stay in the game. In the end, Duncan’s explosive plays proved to be the difference.
All four Wildkat touchdowns came from at least 27 yards out, including Penry’s 51-yard run, touchdown passes of 27 and 53 yards to Bejarano, and Lacey’s 82-yard kickoff return.
With the win, Duncan improves to 1-1 on the season, while Fort Thomas falls to 0-2.
