The mountain was too high to climb in the end.
Johnson Central fell behind 20-0 with less than nine minutes to play before storming back to within eight with one last drive and a chance to tie the game.
It just was not meant to be as the Flyers held on to eliminate the defending Class 4A champs, 20-12, at Eagle Field on Friday night.
The loss snapped a state-leading 25-game winning streak and ended Johnson Central’s run of five straight trips to the finals.
Senior running back Dylan Preston had 67 yards and one rushing touchdown in his final game. He hauled in four passes for 47 to finish with 111.Quarterback Grant Rice added a rushing score.
At Paintsville
(Class 4A state semifinals)
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
FC (9-1)….7 6 7 0 – 20
JC (10-1)…0 0 0 12 – 12
Scoring:
First Quarter
FC – Peyton Ledford, 2-yard run (Owen Powell kick), 2:25
Second Quarter
FC – Fred Farrier, 43-yard pass from Nic Broyles (kick failed), 7:00
Third Quarter
FC – Zach Claudio, 73-yard pass from Nick Broyles (Owen Powell kick), 5:09
Fourth Quarter
JC – Grant Rice, 8-yard run (kick failed), 8:31
JC – Dylan Preston, 15-yard run (kick failed), 2:42
Next up: Johnson Central’s season ends.