Daviess County put on an offensive clinic Friday night, sealing their first home win in the newly-renovated Reid Stadium. In their most dominant game of the season, the Panthers rolled to a 51-6 thumping of Marshall County in their district opener.
Apart from a touchdown on Marshall County’s second drive of the game, it was a completely one-sided affair. For the Panthers (2-4, 1-0 Class 6A District 1) sophomore quarterback Joe Humphreys led the charge, finishing with four touchdowns.
The offense put forth a balanced attack, scoring four times on the ground and three times through the air to go along with a field goal.
The Marshals (2-4, 0-1) were held in check all night by the Panthers’ defense, but run-heavy attack and huddle offense allowed the Marshals to keep the contest close through the first quarter of play.
The scoring opened on Daviess County’s first drive of the night when Shane Riley punched in an 18-yard touchdown run with 7:32 on the clock, though the 2-point attempt failed. Marshall County answered with a scoring drive of their own, and a missed extra point attempt deadlocked the game at 6-6.
Momentum changed rapidly in the second quarter, as Daviess County exploded for 24 points.
Freshman Decker Renfrow was vital during that stretch, scoring on 14- and 26-yard receptions, respectively. Sandwiched between Renfrow’s touchdown grabs was a 48-yard Lance Newman rushing touchdown.
To cap off the offensive assault, Carter Hoagland drilled a 44-yard field goal after DC recovered their second fumble of the quarter. With a 30-6 lead at the half, the Panthers were in full control.
“Our defensive staff put together a great plan this week,” DC head coach Matt Brannon said. “They stuffed nine in the box and matched up skill players on the receivers all night. It took a little time to figure them out early, but it was over after that first quarter.”
The second half was more of the same for the Panthers, as Humphreys rushed for a 13-yard score on their first drive. Humphreys later connected with Carter Hamilton on a screen pass, and the receiver broke multiple tackles en route to the end zone. A 44-6 lead started a running clock with 5:20 left in the third quarter.
As the clock continued to run in the fourth quarter, and with most of the Daviess County starters on the sidelines, it was another underclassman who came up big for the Panthers. Freshman running back Bryson Parm rushed for a 77-yard touchdown with just 51 seconds to play, and he tallied over 100 yards rushing on the night.
Brannon was thrilled with the way his young players performed.
“We’re moving in the right direction and the sky is the limit for these young guys,” he said. “The future is bright. To have freshmen and sophomores who continue to get better and believe in each other, it just tells me their mind is in the right place.”
Daviess County will hit the road next week for a matchup with McCracken County.
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2019 football coverage is presented in part by Drew Cunningham, agent at State Farm.
