Football Flashback: Cooper wide receiver made spectacular catch that received national attention

By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter

Cooper senior wide receiver Dante Hendrix caught three touchdown passes during his team’s 41-13 win over Boone County on Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, but it was a play he made early in the game that gained national attention.

A video of Hendrix making a diving one-handed catch on a deep pass from quarterback Jerod Lonaker was posted online. A producer at ESPN came across the video and made it No. 1 on the Top 10 Plays segment of the SportsCenter national broadcast.

“I remember standing on the sideline and looking at one of my coaches and saying, ‘There is no way he just caught that,’” Cooper coach Randy Borchers told a reporter a few days later. “That’s the best catch I’ve seen in person or really on TV.”

Lonaker completed 11 of 16 passes for 257 yards and four touchdowns in that game. Hendrix had five catches for 146 yards and three TDs.

Hendrix ended his senior season with 1,405 receiving yards and set a Northern Kentucky record for most career receiving yards with 3,097.

He was recruited by Indiana State University and holds that team’s record in career receiving yards with 2,500 in four seasons.

Here’s a look back at other Northern Kentucky high school football games played between Oct. 13-19 over the last five decades.

Friday, Oct. 14, 1983 — Dixie Heights senior quarterback Todd Newton threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Scott Mahorney and Eric Heidel kicked the extra point to give their team a 15-14 win over Campbell County in a Class 4A district game. An 82-yard kickoff return by Kevin Carmack put Campbell County ahead, 14-8, in the third quarter, but the Colonels came back to win it.

Friday, Oct. 12, 1990 — Beechwood edged Bellevue, 28-26, to clinch the Class 1A district title for the ninth consecutive year. Beechwood took a 28-20 lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by quarterback Craig Wilmhoff in the fourth quarter. Bellevue scored with 19 seconds remaining, but the two-point conversion attempt failed when Beechwood defensive back Rodney Williams tackled the ball carrier short of the goal line.

Friday, Oct. 17, 2008 — Newport Central Catholic senior running back Mark Kelly scored three of his team’s four rushing touchdowns in a 28-27 win at Conner that lifted the Thoroughbreds’ perfect record to 7-0. Kelly picked up 307 yards on 25 carries. Senior quarterback scored NewCath’s other touchdown.

Friday, Oct. 14, 2022 — Highlands ended a nine-game losing streak against Covington Catholic with a 32-21 victory in a Class 5A district game. The Bluebirds had five turnovers, but they ended the game with a 15-0 scoring run. The big finish included a 64-yard kickoff return to the end zone by senior Charlie Noon, who also scored on a 34-yard pass from Brody Benke in the first quarter.

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