ASHLAND — Dixie Heights saved perhaps its best game for the opening round of the Class 5A playoffs.

The Colonels stonewalled Ashland’s usually potent running game and the fifth-ranked Tomcats matched their regular-season total with six turnovers in a 41-14 defeat Friday night at Putnam Stadium.

“I think we’ve been looking for that all year,’’ said Dixie Heights coach Tom Spritzky, whose team came in with a 4-6 record. “We’ve been so up and down. We’ve had injuries, turned the ball over and made silly penalties. Tonight, things came together.’’

Senior quarterback Ryan Wilson threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, while the Colonels’ defense stymied Ashland for minus eight yards on the ground.

“I tried to tell people all week that Dixie Heights is a far better team than their record,’’ said Tomcats coach Leon Hart. “They played Simon Kenton that has one loss, (unbeaten) Highlands, lost to CovCath on a blown call by an official, and beat Beechwood and Newport Catholic.

“They are a good team with 22 seniors. They were bigger than us, stronger than us, and faster than us tonight.’’

Defensively, the Colonels went to a five-man front in clamping down on the Tomcats.

“We loaded the box,’’ Spritzky said. “When you are playing with the lead, you can gamble a little bit. We were able to put a lot of pressure on their quarterback.’’

Ashland, 9-2, led only once and couldn’t overcome three lost fumbles and three interceptions.

“He (Spritzky) told me this was certainly their best defensive performance of the season,’’ Hart said. “We couldn’t run on them and didn’t do a very good job in pass protection.’’

Dixie Heights turned the Tomcats’ last two turnovers into touchdowns in the fourth quarter to break the game open.

Leading 28-14, the Colonels’ Josh Raleigh picked off a Sam Hunter pass that bounced off an Ashland receiver at the Tomcats’ 39-yard line. Two plays later, Wilson connected with Bobby Leonard for a 36-yard TD.

Dixie Heights then forced a fumble while sacking Hunter and defensive lineman Wes Smith recovered the ball at Ashland’s 14.

On the next play, running back Corey Klei bounced outside and went into the end zone untouched.

The Colonels’ point total was the highest allowed by Ashland this season.

Dixie Heights took the opening kickoff and went 58 yards in six plays for a 7-0 lead. Klei’s 46-yard carry set up Seth Bruns’ 1-yard scoring run.

Ashland answered with a long scoring drive later in the first quarter. After the Colonels’ stopped three running plays from the 3, Hunter raised up and hit an open Andrew Nunley with a 1-yard TD pass. Josh Alber ran in the two-point conversion to put the Tomcats in front.

On the next series, Dixie Heights faced fourth-and-16 at Ashland’s 27, but Wilson connected with Josh Stegner in the end zone.

A couple of minutes later, Ashland appeared to come up with a big pass play of its own but Cody Withrow’s 45-yard reception down the sideline was disallowed.

“There was no question he caught the ball on his chest and took two steps before his momentum carried him out of bounds,’’ Hart said. “If he juggled the ball, it came after he crossed the sideline.’’

The call proved costly for the Tomcats because two plays later, Ashland lost a fumble at its own 32. Wilson then lofted a high pass that Leonard grabbed with a terrific over-the-head catch at the goal line.

Wilson finished with 169 yards passing, giving him 2,399 for the season. His 20-yard scoring run in the third quarter put Dixie Heights up 28-14 after Ashland had narrowed the gap on Hunter’s 21-yarder to Ryan Whetsel, who dragged a defender the last 5 yards to the end zone.

ROCKY STANLEY can be reached at rstanley@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2671.