Daviess County kept things close but ultimately didn’t have enough in a 26-14 home loss to Meade County on Friday. The Panthers have one more chance to pick up their first win next week before beginning district play.
Daviess County (0-5) had an impressive first drive that covered 59 yards in six plays. Following a 40-yard run by Dartez Basham where he broke free from a herd of tacklers, Russ Crowe connected with Jackson Lee for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
The Green Wave (4-1) responded on the ensuing drive. Facing 3rd-and-9, Cade Scott found a wide-open Bennett Hobbs, who had nothing between him and the end zone on a 60-yard touchdown reception, tying the game a 7-7 with 7:15 to play in the first quarter.
After a promising opening sequence, the Panthers’s offense stalled and they punted on their next four drives. During one of those possessions, Crowe was ejected for an unsportsmanlike penalty.
The Green Wave tacked on another touchdown on the first play of the second quarter when Wyatt Raney scored on a 4-yard run.
Neither team did much the rest of the quarter, leaving Meade County up 14-7 at the half.
Early in the third quarter, the Panther defense forced a turnover when Jace Hunt intercepted a pass in the end zone. However, a DC fumble on the next play set up Meade County for their third touchdown of the night. A blocked extra point attempt left the score at 20-7.
The Panthers got within one score when Basham hit Luke Floyd from 34 yards out for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 20-14, a score that held through the end of the third quarter.
With 9:13 to play, the Green Wave put the game out of reach with another Scott-to-Hobbs touchdown pass that covered 34 yards. The extra point attempt was blocked to keep the score at 26-14.
The Panther offense ended the night with 74 yards passing, led by Basham’s 69 yards. Gatlin Maysey led the rushing attack with 71 yards on seven attempts. The Panthers’ leading receiver was Floyd with 34 yards.
The Green Wave finished with 130 yards passing and 174 rushing yards on 41 attempts.
DC Head Coach Matt Brannon said while they’ve come out on the wrong side of the games so far, he thinks a slate of tough teams will help the Panthers get ready for district play.
“We showed progress on both sides of the ball, and I believe the Panthers’ tough early schedule will pay dividends as we move into district play,” he said.
Daviess County returns to action Friday night when they travel to Warren Central. The following week the Panthers open district play on the road at Christian County.
