Boyd-Buchanan Stops Top-Ranked Marion, 21-14

The Marion County Warriors entered Friday night's game at Boyd-Buchanan averaging 47.8 points per game as they had won five straight games without a defeat.

On the other hand, the Buccaneers had given up an average of 11.8 points per game in four straight wins.

With the two top-ranked teams in the state in Class AA meeting for first place in Region 3-AA, it was the host Buccaneers who came closest to maintaining those pre-game averages.

The Warriors didn't come close to their average as the Bucs used a tougher-than-nails defense for a 21-14 victory at David L. Boyd Field.

It was really a good game for the most part, despite the fact that Friday's rain had turned the field into a huge sponge.  But in a game where the final score counts more than anything, the Bucs won the battle and the war as they outgained the Warriors by an overwhelming margin of 423-201.

As you might tell by those offensive numbers, the Bucs did most of their scoring on long, sustained drives while the two Marion TDs came on a long pass play and a kickoff return.

Ultimately, it was a 62-yard TD scamper by senior E.J. Matthews with 18 seconds left in the third quarter that was the game winner as Will Greer's fourth straight extra point kick gave the hosts a 21-14 lead.

Quarterback Cooper Hodge had given the Bucs a 14-7 lead late in the third quarter when he scored on a keeper from the 2, but Marion answered in a hurry when Josh Henderson returned the kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown as the score was again tied 13 seconds later.

The Bucs then used just five plays to cover 80 yards with Matthews' 62-yarder the difference maker near the end of the quarter.

Marion had one more legitimate shot at tying the game, but a key lost fumble following a long run by Henderson was recovered by Boyd's Jeremy Borders at the 13.

Warrior quarterback Logan Walters suffered an apparent neck injury on the first play of that drive as he gained 13 yards, but was taken off on a stretcher after a long delay with eight seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Marion moved the ball on the ground, but Borders' recovery may have been the straw that broke the camel's back for the Warriors.

They had two final shots after blocking a Buccaneer field goal attempt, but Bryce Massengale was intercepted in the end zone by Kohn Henke to stop that threat in the waning minutes of the game.

Then following a Boyd-Buchanan punt, Massengale's fourth-down pass from the 14 was incomplete out of the end zone to seal the win for the Bucs.

 "That was a really good win for our program," said a much-relieved Boyd-Buchanan coach Grant Reynolds once the final horn sounded.

"I thought we were able to run it a little bit better than them, but the resilience of our defense was a key as well.  We're finally growing up a little bit, but we have to learn how to put games away.  We played with the heart of a champion.

"I love coaching in games like this, but this puts us in the driver's seat in the region as we like to fly under the radar," he added after admitting that his parents had driven up from Shreveport to watch his team play this weekend.

Marion County coach Ricky Ross took sole responsibility for his team's loss.

"We still have a chance to fix this, but we need to remember just what this feels like," he told his team following the emotional game.

"We just didn't play very well tonight as we weren't prepared to play, but I'll take the blame for that.  The kids played hard, but we just made too many mistakes.  We have a lot to do to be where we want to be and I'm hoping we'll get another chance to play these guys on down the line," he added.

After a scoreless first quarter, Boyd-Buchanan struck first as Hodge hit a streaking Jack Keebler across the middle for a 23-yard scoring pass on a fourth-and-6.  Keebler later rambled 62 yards on another toss across the middle in the fourth quarter and was the leading receiver with those two grabs totaling 85 yards, despite playing with a cast on his left hand after breaking his thumb in practice on Tuesday.

Marion scored its first TD with 2:45 left before halftime when Hunter Zeman rifled a 37-yard option pass to Massengale on a big third-and-12 conversion.

It was 7-7 at the break.

Boyd-Buchanan made it 14-7 at the 3:15 mark of the third stanza when Hodge scored from the 2 as he capped a nine-play drive that covered 61 yards and trimmed more than four minutes off the clock.

It didn't stay that way long as the Warriors quickly tied the score, but Matthew zipped through a huge hole on the left side of the Buccaneer line a couple of minutes later and that 62-yard sprint concluded the scoring with 18.8 seconds to go in the third.

Matthews finished with 181 yards on 25 carries, including 136 yards on 14 trips in the second half.  Hodge was next with 73 yards on 18 carries as the Bucs finished with 280 rushing yards as they averaged almost six yards per carry.

 Keebler was the receiving leader with his two grabs for 85 yards although Matthews had three grabs for another 33 yards.

The Warriors had 123 yards on the ground and 78 through the air.

Massengale's 37-yarder was the long play through the air while Henderson had 34 yards on six carries to lead the Warrior runners.  Walters had 25 yards on seven carries before getting hurt while Jacob Saylors had 23 yards on five trips.

The Bucs also had a 17-11 advantage in first downs.

Boyd-Buchanan will travel to Pikeville next week for another key region contest with Bledsoe County while Marion will be at home to face the Tyner Rams.

MARION COUNTY  0  7  7  0 --  14

BOYD-BUCHANAN   0  7  14  0  --  21

BB -- Jack Keebler 23 pass from Cooper Hodge (Will Greer kick), 9:00 left in second;

MC -- Bryce Massengale 37 pass from Hunter Zeman (Christian Stephens kick), 2:45 left in second;

BB -- Hodge 2 run (Greer kick), 3:15 left in third;

MC -- Josh Henderson 83 kickoff return (Massengale kick), 3:02 left in third;

BB -- E.J. Matthews 62 run (Greer kick), 0:18.8 left in third.

(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@gmail.com)