Matt Brannon’s confidence in his young Daviess County football team never wavered.
Even though they lost nearly every skill player from a high-flying offense in 2018 and even though they started 1-4 with a handful of lopsided scores, Brannon was always sure his guys would turn a corner.
They did just that Friday night, picking up a win over Henderson County that puts the Panthers one victory away from hosting a playoff game for the first time since 2012. It’s also the first time DC beat the Colonels since 2008.
“These guys have been battling every week, getting better every week,” Brannon said. “They’ve believed in us as coaches and believed in themselves. It just feels really good to get over the hump.”
Brannon said from an outside perspective it could look like the Panthers were a long way from where they needed to be, but that was never the case.
“You can look at the scoreboard and look at our record and you’d think we’re having a bad year,” he said. “It’s never felt that way because of the way they prepare and they way they come back ready to get better.”
Brannon said a major factor in DC’s development has been their resiliency in recent weeks.That was especially evident in the win over Henderson County.
They needed only a fourth-down stop and first down of their own to seal a win — instead the Panthers gave up a pair of touchdowns in less than a minute. Rather than giving up, though, they marched downfield to tie the game before winning in overtime.
“Turning the ball over and making mistakes, earlier in the year we folded on those things,” Brannon said. “We made mistakes late (against Henderson) and basically gave that one to them. For us to grow and mature and fight through that is pretty awesome to see.”
With a roster full of youth and inexperience, the Panthers have turned to a couple of players to lead the way — running back Shane Riley and linebacker Weston Lane.
“Shane Riley and Weston Lane are essentially two seniors on either side of the ball that have been silent but come out to work every day,” Brannon said. “They’ve accepted the fact that they’ve got young guys around them. This is it for them. For them to stay the course and to lead us has been outstanding.”
Behind Riley, the Panthers’ run-first offense is a stark contrast to last year. With two regular season games to go, he’s already outgained the 2018 team’s total run production on his own.
Riley has 1,097 yards and 14 touchdowns on 135 carriers. Last season, the Panthers totaled 984 yards and 15 scores on 192 carries.
While DC has been able to rely on Riley all season, first-year sophomore quarterback Joe Humphreys has shown growth and developed into more of a dual threat. He’s still more dangerous when he can get outside the pocket — he’s got six touchdowns and 242 yards on 37 carries — but he’s also gotten more consistent as a passer.
Defensively, Lane is second with 78 tackles, including three for loss to go along with a sack. He’s also got one fumble recovery. Gunnar Evans leads the team with 89 tackles.
As a whole, the Panthers have been able to force turnovers consistently all season. They’ve got 14 fumble recoveries as well as four interceptions. Max Dees, Tyler Garner and Evans each have two recoveries, while Seth Foster has two picks.
Daviess County travels across town this week to take on Apollo for the first game ever in the new Eagle Stadium. On top of the storied rivalry, the two teams are also in the same district this year.
“The win gives us huge momentum going into a rivalry game, and now a district game,” Brannon said. “Just to have that implication, it’s exciting and we’re ready to go.”
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