LOG MOUNTAIN — Dudley Hilton’s Bell County Bobcats will attempt to win the football program’s third state championship on Saturday when they face-off against Christian Academy of Louisville (CAL) at noon Saturday in the Class 3A State Title game at Kroger Field.
The Bobcats’ last appearance in a state championship was in 2019 when they dropped a 30-20 decision to Belfry.
Bell County has won two state championships, both coached by Hilton, which came in 1991, and 2008. Hilton also won a state title in 1997, leading Bourbon County to its only class 2A state crown.
Now the Bobcats will face their toughest challenge of the season against a Centurion squad that is 13-1 with their only loss coming to Lexington Christian, a slim 14-12 setback.
CAL has reeled off 10 consecutive wins since its only loss, including a 43-8 victory over Lexington Catholic last week in the Class 3A state semifinals.
The big question, can Bell County keep rolling?
CAL possesses the best RPI in Class 3A at .77631 while the Bobcats’ .70960 rating ranks third in Class 3A.
Hilton’s squad also possesses a 13-1 record with its only loss coming against Rockcastle County (40-38) on Sept. 19. Bell County has won seven straight since the loss including a 30-28 decision over Hart County in last week’s Class 3A State Semifinal.
The Bobcats’ road to success is no secret — feed senior tailback, and Mr. Football candidate Daniel Thomas the ball.
Thomas has put numbers up that any tail back would be jealous of.
His 3,682 rushing yards not only leads the state, but is also a state record. Thomas’ 53 rushing touchdowns are another state record he set this season.
But that’s not all.
He has accounted for 367 points scored, which is another state record, and his 54 total touchdowns this season are currently tied for second most all-time in the state.
Let’s not forget, he plays defense, too.
Thomas has 89 tackles, and took a fumble recovery back for a touchdown.
Even with the success, Thomas will be the first to admit he couldn’t accomplish all the feats without one of the best offensive lines in the state.
The line is a big reason the Bobcats are averaging 41.3 points per game along with a passing game that keeps opposing teams’ defense playing honest.
Blake Burnett has completed 42-of-71 pass attempts for 874 yards, and 12 touchdowns while only throwing one interception.
His main receivers are Elijah Hampton, Kaleb Miller, and Hayden Dameron.
Hampton leads Bell County with 13 catches for 346 receiving yards, and five touchdowns while Miller has seven receptions for 187 yards, and two touchdowns. Dameron has eight catches for 180 yards and four scores.
Defensively, Blake Evans leads the Bobcats with 135 tackles while Dameron has seven sacks. Thomas leads the team with two fumble recoveries while Burnett has nine interceptions while returning one of those for a score.
The Centurions enter the game averaging 41.7 points on offense while surrendering only 11.5 points per game on defense.
Quarterback Cole Hodge has almost been unstoppable throwing the ball. He’s completed 265-of-360 pass attempts for 3,870 yards and 55 touchdowns while throwing only seven interceptions.
His main receiving targets are Connor Hodge, Justin Ruffin, Bryce Wilson, and Jeffrey Vazzana.
Connor Hodge has 106 receptions for 1,410 yards and 22 touchdowns. Ruffin has 83 receptions for 1,320 yards and 17 scores. Wilson has 21 catches for 465 yards, and four touchdowns while Vazzana has 22 receptions for 275 yards and six scores.
Vazzana leads CAL with 603 rushing yards, and 11 rushing touchdowns while Cole Hodge has shown he can do damage running with the ball. He has rushed for 587 yards, and seven touchdowns.
Defensively, the Centurions know how to out pressure on the quarterback. They have 43 sacks on the season with Nathan Carlisle leading the way with eight. Garyon Hobbs leads CAL with 74 tackles, and he also has seven sacks. Alex Ullom has five sacks and John Cobaugh has four sacks.
Ullom leads his team with three fumble recoveries while Connor Hodge has a team best 11 interceptions with two of those resulting in touchdowns. As a team, the Centurions have 21 interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries.
