Showing the senior spirit: Davis, Manning, Lions roll past Vikings in home finale
· Yahoo Sports
CANNONSBURG Conner Davis and his senior teammates had a big week.
Boyd County celebrated its seniors on the gridiron before Friday's district clash against Rowan County. The event also included homecoming festivities. But the game carried more meaningful implications.
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A Lions win would extend their season an extra week. Davis knows the gravity of a pressure-packed atmosphere and a postseason pursuit.
He experienced it 48 hours earlier on the same field, when Boyd County secured a 2-0 region-tournament win over Menifee County on the soccer pitch. Davis was also integral to the baseball team’s run to the state championship game in June.
With their football playoff path in doubt, the final result still seemed inevitable. After an early tie, the Lions' defense shut down the Vikings, and the offense surged ahead for a 49-7 win.
“First, all glory to God,” Davis said. “He enables me to do the stuff that I do and gives me the energy to do it. Coming into this week, I knew I had a couple of big games and big events, with homecoming. We came out against Menifee County, and it was 0-0 at the half. We knew we had to change things, and we ended up winning 2-0. We continued to practice hard all week. I enjoyed it, and that’s what it’s about.
“One more game is always really nice,” he added. “It’s also like that in baseball and soccer. As long as you keep fighting, the more history you will be able to write.”
For Boyd County coach Evan Ferguson, the home finale played out just like he hoped. Four quarters of football to celebrate four seasons of dedication and perseverance from his senior group.
“I couldn’t be happier,” Ferguson said. “I feel like I have been waiting for that start for eight weeks now. I thought we played a four-quarter football game tonight. For our kids to overcome the three-week slide and come back to play on senior night and homecoming is huge for us.”
A Jace Manning touchdown run closed out Boyd County’s first possession. Rowan County (4-4, 0-3 in district seeding play) had an answer, and it was a quick reply.
Cameron Cross took a handoff but found no running room to the left of the line. He reversed his field, and his speed got him to the edge on the other side, letting him sprint 69 yards down the sideline to the house.
It would be the final time the Vikings put points on the board.
“Cross made a great play, reversing the field,” Ferguson said. “He’s a special player. I thought our guys did a better job with pursuit angles and keeping them contained. I don’t think we overpursued after that. Our defensive line picked up their play in the second half. They closed up holes, and I thought Simon Davis and Miles Bennett did a great job as the game went on. Our corners were tackling well. Our secondary and outside linebackers playing well are a big part of our football team.”
Blake Sexton went to work. The junior showcased his athleticism, while gaining extra yards with his physical running style. He scored on a 4-yard TD run in the second frame and broke free for a 56-yard rush to set up a Lions touchdown on the next drive. He closed out his night with a 76-yard dash to paydirt on the first play of the second half. Sexton rushed for 251 yards on 21 carries.
“It’s just a world of difference for us,” Ferguson said. "Blake’s been fully healthy for only two games this season and in both, we put up over 40 points. He's dynamic and adds so much to our offense. He’s a threat out of the backfield in the passing game, and he allows us to get our option game going. Our line blocked well up front. He’s a great athlete and made plays for us.”
Manning shone brighter than Boyd County’s chrome helmets bearing the Lions logo on the side. The senior accounted for five touchdowns: four through the air, including a pitch-and-catch to Cam May, a scoring toss to Peyton Moatz just before halftime, a 60-yard connection with Miles Bennett, and a leaping catch by Davis that turned into a 66-yard TD reception.
“It’s been building since the football season last year,” Davis said, regarding the chemistry with his QB. “I got some targets last year and went deep in the postseason with him playing baseball. I worked all summer with him on baseball and football workouts. We know that we can trust each other, running the right routes or catching the ball wherever it may be.”
Boyd County (5-3, 1-3) still has work ahead, with road dates at McCreary Central and Lawrence County. The seniors will continue to show the way.
“These guys have come a long way from where they started,” Ferguson said. “For a high school kid to come to practice and work hard every day after you’ve had a loss for three weeks in a row and still know there’s potential for us to have a great season, it’s huge. It’s a testament to their work ethic and their values and where we are going as a program.”
ROWAN CO. 7 0 0 0 – 7
BOYD CO. 7 21 21 0 – 49
FIRST QUARTER
BC—Jace Manning 7 run (Conner Davis kick), 3:05
RC—Cameron Cross 69 run (Luke Schroeder kick), 2:03
SECOND QUARTER
BC—Blake Sexton 4 run (Davis kick), 7:16
BC—Cam May 18 pass from Manning (Davis kick), 4:28
BC—Peyton Moatz 9 pass from Manning (Davis kick), :12
THIRD QUARTER
BC—Sexton 76 run (Davis kick), 11:36
BC—Miles Bennett 60 pass from Manning (Davis kick), 9:15
BC—Davis 66 pass from Manning (Davis kick), 3:52
RC BC
First Downs 5 19
Rushes-Yards 18-182 41-283
Comp-Att-Int 8-18-2 6-13-1
Passing Yards 29 201
Fumbles-Lost 1-0 0-0
Punts-Avg. 3-29.7 1-36.0
Penalties-Yards 9-59 8-70
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rowan County rushing: Cross 5-120, Hinton 6-40, Richardson 1-3, Judd 4-15, Hamilton 2-4.
Boyd County rushing: Sexton 21-251, May 1-0, Turner 5-(minus-2), Price 2-(minus-4), Parsley 1-(minus-3), Walters 2-0, Manning 9-41.
Rowan County passing: Hamilton 6 of 13 for 23 yards and 2 interceptions; Schroeder 2 of 5 for 6 yards.
Boyd County passing: Manning 6 of 13 for 201 yards.
Rowan County receiving: Hall 3-6, Hinton 2-3, Cross 1-4, Barnett 2-16.
Boyd County receiving: May 2-37, Sexton 1-29, Moatz 1-9, Bennett 1-60, Davis 1-66.