NICHOLASVILLE — North Laurel saw its season come to an end Friday night in heartbreaking fashion, falling 24–21 to West Jessamine in the Class 5A second round.
The Jaguars finish the year with a strong 9–3 record.
“I’m proud of the season we had and the seniors of this football team,” North Laurel coach Steven Nelson said. “We came up short of our goal, but we had an amazing season and fought all the way to the end. These guys could have easily laid down and gave up and fought the entire game. I’m proud to coach this team and everything we accomplished this season. These seniors left some big shoes to fill and the program a lot better than they found it. Go Jags.”
North Laurel struck first, taking a 7–0 lead when Jude McWhorter punched in a five-yard touchdown run at the 4:15 mark of the opening quarter.
West Jessamine answered early in the second quarter, tying the game with an 11-yard touchdown run at the 11:06 mark. The Colts added a 21-yard field goal with 15 seconds left in the half, taking a 10–7 advantage into the locker room.
The third quarter opened with a gut punch for the Jaguars — an 83-yard kickoff return that pushed West Jessamine’s lead to 17–7 with 11:45 remaining in the frame.
But North Laurel battled back.
Facing 3rd-and-17 late in the third, McWhorter delivered a 37-yard strike to Cam Anderson, trimming the deficit to 17–14 with 1:14 left.
West Jessamine regained momentum early in the fourth quarter with a 12-yard touchdown pass at the 9:17 mark, extending the lead to 24–14.
North Laurel refused to fold.
Cooper Robinson broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run just 13 seconds later, pulling the Jaguars within 24–21 with 9:04 left to play.
But the Colts closed the door with a clock-draining, nine-minute drive to end the game and preserve the win.
