Unable to generate much offensively, Daviess County’s season came to an end on a frosty Friday night with a 36-16 loss at Henderson County in the first round of the high school football 6A playoffs.
The Colonels stymied the ground game of the Panthers, who managed less than 50 yards rushing. DC’s passing attack led to a couple of late scores, but it was too late and the deficit was too much.
“We couldn’t get anything going all night with our run attack,” said Panthers head coach Matt Brannon. “Our passing attack opened up late and I’m proud of the way our guys fought until the end.”
Henderson County didn’t score an offensive touchdown until a 5-yard toss to the end zone with 8:33 left in the fourth quarter, but they still managed to build a 13-0 lead by halftime.
After a field goal on the opening drive, the Colonels next two scores came from their defense. DC running back Shane Riley was taken down in the end zone for a safety, and an interception was returned 37 yards for a touchdown late in the second quarter.
DC’s defense made several big plays of their own, making three red zone stops and also recording three interceptions — one each by Weston Lane, Decker Renfrow and Max Dees.
“Hats off to our defense,” Brannon said. “They battled all night long and kept us in the game. They gave us a shot towards the end. We just couldn’t generate enough offense to cut the lead.”
The Panthers’ first signs of life on offense came early in the third quarter, but three costly penalties ended a drive on their half of the field after a pair of big gains.
“We really shot ourselves in the foot early in the second half,” Brannon said. “We finally got a little momentum, then killed it ourselves. You can’t do that against a good team.”
The Panthers finally got on the board with a pair of fourth-quarter scores, as quarterback Joe Humphreys hit Decker Renfrow for touchdown passes of 34 and 29 yards, respectively.
The Colonels responded with touchdown drives of their own each time to keep the game out of reach.
Brannon said it was disappointing for the season to end, but he’s proud of the progress his team made this year.
“Early on it was pretty rough, just the wave of emotion playing so many young guys,” he said. “I’m proud of the way our seniors continued to lead and show the example of what it takes. They’ve done what we’ve asked them to do all season, and they continued to do that tonight until the game was over.”
With several of their playmakers returning next year, Brannon is hoping they’ll continue to build off the 2019 campaign.
“I told them to remember the sting of this and what it feels like to end the season before you’re ready to end it,” he said. “I think these guys have a bright future and we’re looking forward to making some postseason runs.”
Stay up to date on all your local sports coverage by following @OwensboroSports on Twitter and by liking us on Facebook.
__________
2019 football coverage is presented in part by Drew Cunningham, agent at State Farm.
