NICHOLASVILLE — North Laurel came within 35 seconds of forcing overtime against unbeaten West Jessamine on Friday, but a late touchdown by Caleb Jones ended the Jaguars’ season in heartbreaking fashion.
With the game tied at 17, Jones scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with just 35 seconds remaining, lifting the Colts to a 24-17 victory in the second round of the KHSAA Class 5A State Football Playoffs.
The win improved West Jessamine to 12-0 while North Laurel finished its season at 6-6.
The Jaguars gave the unbeaten Colts everything they could handle, building an 11-point lead during the second quarter before West Jessamine rallied.
North Laurel quarterback Jude McWhorter scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, while Brian Nantz added a 12-yard scoring run to help the Jaguars build a 14-3 advantage.
But what appeared to be a commanding halftime lead quickly disappeared.
With just 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter, West Jessamine intercepted a pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown, cutting North Laurel’s lead to 14-10 heading into halftime.
The Jaguars responded in the third quarter when Cam Anderson connected on a 43-yard field goal, extending North Laurel’s advantage to 17-10.
West Jessamine eventually pulled even at 17 with Jones also contributing an 11-yard touchdown run during the contest.
That set the stage for a dramatic finish.
With the game still tied in the final minute, Jones found the end zone from 4 yards out, giving the Colts their first lead of the second half and ultimately extending their unbeaten season.
For North Laurel coach Steven Nelson, the defeat was difficult to accept after watching his team battle one of Class 5A’s remaining undefeated programs until the closing seconds.
“Tough game, proud of our guys and the way they fought,” he said. “This was a big up and down season and they showed up every day to get better. We just had too many little mistakes to overcome at the end of the game. We had a great senior group and they left a big impact on the guys behind them.”
