Daviess County keeps finding ways to win. For the third week in a row, the Panthers used late heroics at each end of the field to earn a come-from-behind victory.
An early two-touchdown lead slipped away, but Shane Riley’s score with a few minutes to play helped lift DC to a 28-27 win over Warren East at home Friday.
“These kids just keep on believing in themselves,” said Panthers head coach Matt Brannon. “I thought our coaching staff did an excellent job on in-game adjustments, especially on the defensive side.”
Neither team could find an edge during a scoreless first quarter, but DC (5-5) broke through on the first play of the second period when quarterback Joe Humphreys hit Decker Renfrow for a 22-yard touchdown.
Humphreys then tossed a 57-yard touchdown pass to Renfrow for a 14-0 lead, but the Raiders cut their deficit in half with a 5-yard run before halftime.
A pair of touchdowns gave Warren East a 21-14 advantage with 3:23 left in the third quarter, but a 13-yard touchdown run by Humphreys tied the game heading into the final period.
“They picked up momentum,” Brannon said. “We had it all after 14-0. They figured something out and started going up tempo. We just held on and made a late adjustment in the third quarter.”
The Raiders punched in a 4-yard run with 5:05 to play but DC blocked the extra point attempt.
Riley then scored a touchdown on a 48-yard carry with 3:28 to go, and Carter Hoagland’s extra point put the Panthers on top 28-27.
“Our adjustment didn’t stop them, but it slowed them down enough we could hold them off,” Brannon said. “Then offensively we came up late there in fourth on the big run.”
After a tough stretch to open the season, the Panthers have trended upward and they’ve won their last three games.
“Being able to challenge ourselves early in the season was huge,” Brannon said. “Going against quality opponents allowed us to highlight areas of growth we needed to focus on.”
Humphreys finished 11-for-16 with 190 yards passing, adding three rushes for 30 yards. Renfrow caught five passes for 114 yards.
“Joe continues to grow. He’s still making mistakes in reads but he came up huge with some big runs that kept drives alive tonight,” Brannon said. “We knew Decker was going to be a talented player. His football knowledge is out of the roof and his confidence continues to climb.”
Daviess County will now prepare to travel to Henderson County for the first playoff game next week. The Panthers topped the Colonels 30-27 two weeks ago, and Brannon said they’ll have a chance to win again if they can keep the game close.
“It’s not over until the last whistle,” he said. “Our guys have to continue to fight and get in position to win late.”
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2019 football coverage is presented in part by Drew Cunningham, agent at State Farm.
