Pop quiz: When was the last time the Covington Chargers were shut out in a football game?
Answer: In the eighth game of the 2009 season when Haywood beat Covington 21-0.
That 13-year streak ended Friday night and the opponent was the same. The Haywood Tomcats (9-0, ranked fourth in the state in Class 4A) completely stymied the Chargers 33-0 in a non-region game in Brownsville.
To their everlasting credit, Covington (6-2, ranked seventh in 3A) never quit, but its high-powered offense could not get anything started against a big and fast Haywood defense.
Covington’s Jaylen Fayne completed 6 of 11 passes for 21 yards with an interception. On the ground, Haywood’s dominance was even more evident. A Charger rushing attack averaging 392 yards per game ran for just 151 on 40 carries. Fayne shouldered the load with 23 carries for 115 yards, taking a pounding in the process.
The Tomcats’ numbers aren’t gaudy because they had a short field all night. The inability of the Charger offense to solve the Haywood defense, penalties and the powerful leg of kicker Reid Russell kept CHS pinned deep. Covington crossed the 50 just four times in the game and never got deeper than the Tomcat 14.
The Chargers were done in by a combination of quarterback Cordero Walker (15 of 19 for 182 yards, four touchdowns), receivers Jaylen Lewis (three TDs) and Jamari Pearson (TD) and running back Jakylon Taylor, who accounted for the majority of the 133 Haywood rushing yards.
It’s back to Region 7-3A play and the final regular season game at Bolton on Friday. The Chargers can clinch second place in the region and a first round home playoff game with a win.
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