Joe Humphreys was firing on all cylinders on Friday night at Daviess County High School, as the Panthers blitzed the visiting Henderson County Colonels by a final score of 51-28 in their KHSAA round of 16 matchup. The victory for the home team means that for the third time in school history, all under head coach Matt Brannon, the Panthers will advance to the elite eight in the 6A state tournament.
Friday’s game started off on a similar note to most Daviess County games this year, with a Joe Humphreys touchdown pass. At the 7:08 mark in the first quarter, Luke Floyd shook free from his defender and found plenty of room in the middle of the end zone, giving Humphreys plenty to work with as he scrambled to his left. The touchdown pass was punctuated by a successful Sean Higgs PAT to make the score 7-0.
The Panthers defense also played a huge role in setting the tone early, as Henderson County’s passing game was completely stifled, forcing the visitors to rely heavily on the run. After one period of play, the Panthers’ 7-0 lead stood strong, while their field position spelled an ideal scoring threat at the 3-yard line heading into the second quarter.
Immediately following the restart, Joe Humphreys charged into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game, this time by way of a quarterback keeper. Another successful PAT by Higgs made the game 14-0.
For the visitors, running back Jordan Wright got the scoring started with a 63-yard touchdown run on the ensuing drive. And, at the 11:03 mark in the second quarter, the Colonels managed to make the contest a one-touchdown game again. However, the touchdown was quickly matched by a 17-yard Humphreys pass just three plays from scrimmage later. The quarterback’s toss landed in the careful hands of Isaiah Tomes, as he converted his first of two scores on the night.
Perhaps one of the more impressive plays Humphreys made in the game came next, though not by way of his right arm or his legs. After Daviess County successfully recovered an onside kick following their second touchdown, the home team’s next drive stalled out at the 47-yard line, with Humphreys scrambling out of bounds on a third-down run. The play brought up fourth and twelve, and the Panthers lined up as if they were looking to try to convert for a first down on their final attempt before a turnover transpired.
Instead of snapping the ball in shotgun formation, though, Joe Humphreys trotted back a few extra yards and quick-punted after calling for the snap. It was his second time doing so in the game, but this time the ball bounced inside the Henderson County 10-yard line and rolled out of bounds all the way down at the 1-yard line for a net of 46 yards on the punt. The play had everyone in the crowd in awe of the athletic skills on display from Daviess County’s senior star, who began the year as the team’s punter before a hamstring injury meant a mandatory break from kicking.
After the next Henderson County drive resulted in a missed field goal as time expired in the second quarter, the Panthers took a 21-7 lead into the halftime break. Following halftime, Daviess County received the kickoff and scored just two plays later.
The first play from scrimmage on the drive was a Gunnar Evans rush for 27 yards, a player who had a great game in his own right. The second play from scrimmage looked to be a simple sack-avoiding recycled throw from Humphreys, who had been flushed from the pocket as he scurried to his right.
However, to everyone’s amazement, Humphreys connected with Isaiah Tomes downfield on a sidearm bullet pass, which the receiver ran into the end zone untouched for a 28-yard score. The play was certainly the highlight of the night and helped Daviess County to a 28-7 lead. When asked about the play after the game, Isaiah Tomes responded quickly, grinning from ear to ear.
“I know Joe well after practicing and playing with him so much, and he is a playmaker,” Tomes said. “It surprised me a little bit to see him throw the ball in that situation, but he put it on the money and I know that’s what he likes to do. That’s not something we really practice a lot, but we’ve put in so much work this season and it’s good to be on this side of the roller coaster ride.”
Later in the game, following a pair of Colonels rushing touchdowns, Humphreys responded with another rushing touchdown, and two passing touchdowns to Decker Renfrow. The rushing touchdown was a 12-yard score, while Renfrow’s receptions went for 11 and 40 respectively. Finally, a 33-yard Higgs field goal put a cap to the scoring frenzy in the second half, leveling the game off at a final score of 51-28.
After the game, Panthers head coach Matt Brannon was complimentary of his team’s opponents in the game.
“I’m really proud of where we are after getting a victory tonight,” Brannon said. “Henderson came out and ran the ball down our throats. We knew they’d be a tough matchup with the big boys up front and their speedy backs. I know they were missing Tapp tonight, which was a huge blow, but they came out and played hard and forced us to have to steal possessions as much as we could just to get the win.”
Brannon continued on to comment on the path ahead, which will now consist of a trip to St. Xavier in Louisville next weekend.
“I’m really proud of the way our guys played tonight and the way they prepared this week,” Brannon said. “I really am hoping that we have three more of these kinds of games in us and I’m ready to get back to work to prepare for next week.”
The loss for the visiting Colonels spells an end to their football season, as they headed home to the tune of a 7-5 final record. For Daviess County, it’s on to the elite 8 and a matchup with the aforementioned St. Xavier team that pulled out an 18-16 victory on Friday night against Dupont Manual.
Manual will undoubtedly be ruing the missed chance to matchup with the Panthers after their final drive of the night resulted in an interception with just a minute to play as they were hoping to set themselves up for a field goal try to down the Tigers on the road.
For all the upcoming KHSAA State Tournament coverage, continue to follow along on the Panthers’ journey via our Twitter and Facebook @OwensboroSports.
