Chuckey-Doak and Johnson County locked up in a classic smash-mouth football game in Lower Alton on Friday night, but the Black Knights came up short in a 16-14 loss.
Black Knight Coach Billy Kaylor said after the game, “They played their hearts out, we just couldn’t get it done in the end, it’s heartbreaking.”
With both teams sticking mainly to the running game the first quarter went by fast but neither team could sustain success on offense and the period ended in a 0-0 tie.
With the aid of two questionable horse collar penalties the Longhorns went on a 15-play drive that took almost 11 minutes off the clock. Johnathan Lisi scored from a yard out on the quarterback sneak. Johnson County, without a kicker went for the two-point conversion and was successful as Lisi tossed a swing pass to Jack Csillag for an 8-0 lead.
The Knights wasted little time getting on the scoreboard with junior running back Brayden Greene touching the ball on all four plays. Greene caught a 34-yard pass from Kiptyn Ball, he followed that with an 11-yard run to give the Knights a first and goal at the seven-yard line. Greene went untouched through the line from there and the Knights were on the board. Dominic Hahnlen added the point after try to bring the Knights to within a single point at 8-7 with just over four minutes remaining in the first half.
The two teams traded punts on the next two drives, and it looked as if the half would end with the Horns up 8-7 after a Hahnlen’s punt had Johnson County backed up at their own 15-yard line.
Instead Chris Wilson took the handoff on the jet sweep and sprinted past everyone 85 yards for the score with 18 seconds left in the second quarter. Lisi added the two-point conversion again for a 16-7 lead at the half.
The third quarter was more smash-mouth football with punts and turnovers on downs until the Knights put together a 62-yard drive. That was once again mainly Greene on the ground and Greene scoring from a yard out. The kick by Hahnlen was good and the Knights had pulled within two points at 16-14 with just under two minutes remaining in the third period.
The fourth quarter was no different than the previous three, with both teams’ swapping turnover on downs and both teams fumbling the ball away.
Then with under a minute to play and the Horns needing to run out the clock, Lisi gave the Knights hope when he tossed up a deep pass that was intercepted by Hahnlen at the goal line.
Hahnlen found his way to the sideline and it looked like he might take it all the way, but someone got just enough of him get a foot out of bounds at the 45-yard line with 31 seconds left in regulation. A nine-yard pass to Braxton Lowe and a defensive pass interference penalty gave the Knight another chance at the Longhorn 31-yard line. After three incomplete passes fell harmlessly to the turf the clock hit zero’s and the Knight had lost a heartbreaker 16-14.
Kaylor said, “Everything is still in front of us. It hurts, it always hurts. We played our hearts out we had a chance there at the end we just didn’t get it done. We have to come back to work on Monday if we want a chance to play in November, it’s not gone., but we have go back to work on Monday.”
Greene had a good night running the ball, gaining 100 yards on 20 carries to lead the Knights on offense. Hahnlen had an interception while Lowe scooped up a fumble and Alvarez had two tackles for loss on the defensive side of the ball.
Chuckey-Doak falls to 3-3 on the season and 0-2 in Region 1-3A. Next week they will host Claiborne in another conference clash.
Johnson County is now 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the region.
After losing a heartbreaker, 16-14, to Johnson County at home, we caught up with Chuckey-Doak Head Coach Billy Kaylor and got his thoughts. pic.twitter.com/6HUH1TpZtD
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) September 27, 2025
The Black Knight's late push comes up just short as they fall to Johnson County, 16-14. #FirstHorizon pic.twitter.com/ZoQ1bG4DRJ
— GreeneSportsZone (@GSportsZone) September 27, 2025
