[blue1424]

Tavaughn Morton scored three touchdowns – two receiving and a punt return – to lead host Butler to a 29-14 victory over Simon Kenton in the Class 6-A, Region Two final last night.

It’s the second regional title for the Bears (11-2), who will travel to Meade County next Friday for a berth in the State Final next month in Bowling Green. And it was the result Morton, who finished with three catches for 101 yards, envisioned.

“Man, I had this in my dreams,” said Morton, whose nickname is Sonic after the video game character. “I wanted to do everything I could to win this game for my team.”

He displayed speed that would rival the famous hedgehog on his first two touchdowns.

With Butler trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter, Morton scooped up a rolling punt near midfield. He veered to his right and found a seam along the sideline to go 53 yards for the tying score.

His second score came after the Butler defense stopped the Pioneers (12-1) at the Butler 3 with 3:40 left in the half. Two minutes later, quarterback William Johnson hit a streaking Morton down the sideline for a 78-yard pass.

The defensive back “was playing 15 yards off me,” Morton said. “I was thinking about ‘How do I catch this ball? How do I turn the burners on?’”

Pioneers coach Jeff Marksberry said the potential 14-point swing was the difference in the game.

“We felt like we had to get a touchdown,” said.

Butler coach Gary Wheeler, Jr. agreed.

“That stopped their momentum,” he said. “It changed momentum from their side to our side. The kids fed off that.”

The Pioneers tied the score on their opening drive of the second half, on a 21-yard pass from Brenan Kuntz to Grant Wassom.

But it was all Bears from there on. Morton would add his third score early in the fourth, on a 14-yard post route from Johnson with 8:55 left in the game.

Joe Hines ran 10 times for 103 yards for Butler. He tallied all 55 yards on the Bears’ final scoring drive, which culminated with a 4-yard run with 6:10 remaining. Those yards also came after fellow running back Joe Brown left the game in the fourth quarter.

Hines said the Bears’ rushing attack, which accounted for 235 yards on 44 carries, would get its chance against the Pioneers.

“I knew eventually they were going to break down,” he said. “I took advantage of that opportunity.”

Wheeler said Brown, who ran 21 times for 92 yards had a bruised lower leg and was held out for precautionary reasons.

Simon Kenton 7 0 7 0 - 14
Butler 7 7 0 15 - 29

Simon Kenton – Dillon Powell 12 run (Tyler Smith kick); Butler – Tavaughn Morton 53 punt return (Aaron Miles kick); Butler – Morton 78 pass from William Johnson (Miles kick); Simon
Kenton – Grant Wassom 21 pass from Brenan Kuntz (Smith kick); Butler – Morton 14 pass from Johnson (Miles kick); Butler – Joe Hines 4 run (Roby Newton pass from Austin Turk).

SK B
Total yards 288 361
First downs 16 17
Rushes-yds. 33-171 41-235
Comp-Att-Int 7-20-0 7-9-0
Passing yards 117 136
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1
Penalties-yds. 5-25 8-53
Punts-avg. 3-38.3 3-27

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2...nton-29-14