All year long, Bardstown has leaned on a trio of veteran running backs to guide its hand.

On Friday, they got the chance to do it again as seniors Donshais Calbert and Dee Yocum and junior Deion Tonge each eclipsed the 100-yard mark in lifting the Tigers to a 42-19 first-round Class 2A Region 2 playoff win over visiting Metcalfe County.

That lands the 10-1 Tigers back in a repeat of last year’s situation, heading off to Glasgow for a second-round playoff matchup. The Scotties prevailed in a 15-9 thriller last year on the way to an appearance in the state finals.

“We’re excited about the chance to go back there,” Bardstown coach David Clark said of the 9-2 Scotties, who thrashed Washington County 49-0 Friday. “They’re a good football team. We’re going to have our hands full.”

Things were seemingly in hand for the Tigers in Friday’s matchup with Metcalfe County, with Bardstown sporting a 35-0 lead midway through the third quarter and the starters headed to the bench for a rest. Along the way, Calbert and Tonge each had a pair of touchdown runs.

All of a sudden, the Tigers coughed it up on three straight possessions, and the Hornets (3-8) were able to pull within two scores in the early stages of the fourth quarter.

“We had five turnovers, which allowed them to get their points,” Clark said.

So, in the interest of self-preservation, Clark went back to the starters, especially those veteran running backs to secure the ball, and the game.

“In the fourth quarter, we had a really good drive to maintain the game,” he said. “They all had big games tonight.”

The Tigers pieced together a long drive to cool off the Hornets’ newfound friskiness, capping things off with Calbert’s third touchdown, this time from 10 yards out, all but ending Metcalfe’s comeback hopes with 2:31 remaining.

Bardstown picked off three passes by Metcalfe County, with Jayquez Smith and Marcus Cosby getting into the act, and Chris Cecil grabbing one early in the second quarter and returning it to the 14, setting up Tonge’s second score and making it 21-0. Keanu Young’s 2-yard scoring run with 3:14 in the third made it 35-0.