Two Daviess County players were ejected in a game that was chippy from the start, and the Panthers couldn’t keep up late in a 33-7 road loss to Ballard in the first round of the 6A football playoffs.
Neither team could get anything going early in Friday night’s game, and tensions started rising in the first quarter. With Daviess County (6-5) trailing 9-0 to the Bruins (7-4) early in the second quarter, a late hit by a Ballard player started a skirmish involving several players from both sides.
Some pushing from both teams quickly escalated an nearly turned into a brawl, and after a long discussion officials ejected the Panthers’ Marquel Tinsley and Alex Nalley, along with one player from Ballard.
Head coach Matt Brannon said the Panthers were able to settle down and keep the game close for a while after losing two top players.
“I think our guys responded pretty well after all the melee,” he said. “It’s unfortunate it unfolded the way it did. We knew that they were going to have a great defense, and to lose two starters on offense, that really strained us.”
Daviess County went on to score on a 53-yard pass from Joey Cambron to Blake Baker, who broke two tackles on the way to the end zone.
Outside of a small handful of other big gains, the Panthers struggled to pick up first downs all night.
“When you can’t get in a rhythm on offense and can’t move the chains, you’re playing behind the sticks all night, and our punting game wasn’t great,” Brannon said. “It’s just one of those things where it’s hard — you’re up against it and on a short field, it makes it even more difficult.”
The Bruins held a big advantage in field position, often starting drives in Panther territory. Daviess County, meanwhile, often started inside their own 20 — including a couple drives beginning inside the 5-yard line.
Ballard took full advantage, starting the scoring off with a safety after blocking a punt from the Panther end zone. The first touchdown came after another punt from the endzone was returned to the 2-yard line for an easy Bruins’ score.
Ballard responded to the Daviess County touchdown with a 30-yard field goal for a 12-7 halftime lead, and the Panthers faded in the second half.
“I think they wore us down,” Brannon said. “Our defense played outstanding tonight, but we just couldn’t get into a rhythm. They have a very talented defense that put pressure on us. When you lose a player like Marquel, it really hurts. I’m just proud of how the guys continued to fight to the end.”
The Bruins added a 20-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and a 9-yard run early in the fourth, then got a 45-yard passing score a few minutes later to put the game out of reach.
With the season over, Brannon said he appreciates everything the seniors have done for the program. They didn’t make is as far as they wanted in the postseason, but he said there’s more to life than wins on the field.
“I know the work they have put in is going to continue for them to be successful once they leave here,” Brannon said. “We’ve got a lot of guys who are going to continue to play. The ones that aren’t are going to be good citizens and good men and good fathers, and that’s what we have to remember. This game is bigger than just between the lines — it extends well beyond, and I can’t say how much I appreciate everything they’ve done for us.”
