By JAMES BROWN
DANVILLE — A fake punt seemed like the best thing to do, Glasgow head football coach Rick Wood said. The reason was obvious.
“It’s hard to punt to somebody you haven’t stopped all night,” the first-year Scotties coach said after the game. He wasn’t second-guessing the decision. “We were one guy from breaking it. We didn’t come here to play them close. We came here to win.”
“Here” was Danville and “they” were the host Admirals in a Kentucky High School Athletics Association Class 2A first round playoff football game.
Wood and the Glasgow Scotties unfolded every corner of their playbook in trying to upset Danville, but they fell short by two touchdowns and their season ended with a 49-35 loss.
Glasgow attempted the fake punt on the first play of the fourth quarter while facing fourth and three at their own 37-yard line. The ball was snapped directly to upback Michael Bradley, who handed it to Tavion Parrish sweeping from right to left. Parrish, though, couldn’t avoid being tackled by Danville’s Devin Lynn for a three-yard loss. The Scotties also lost possession of the football.
The Admirals responded by scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive, which would prove to be the decisive score of the game, but it wasn’t the failure of the fake punt that proved costly. It was the lack of tackling on a third and 10 run by Danville quarterback Devonta Alcorn on that scoring drive that summed up the night for the Scotties.
Alcorn broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and another about five yards further down field. He was eventually brought down at the nine-yard line, but not before gaining a first down to keep the scoring drive alive. Three plays later, Will Dunn finished it with a two-yard scoring run.
Wood said Danville’s players were simply stronger Friday night.
“You saw us in position (to make plays) and they just ran through tackles,” the coach said. “We’re really a patched up defense right now.”
He explained the patchwork was the product of injuries to regular defensive starters Jalen Sublett and Hunter Bowles.
So while the Scotties’ offense was tearing up and down the field most of the night, the defense was having a rough time slowing the Admirals’ offense. Danville posted 560 yards of offense, with 533 coming on the ground. Patrick Brand was a terror, amassing 307 yards on 25 carries, while Dunn gained 161 on 20 runs. Each scored three touchdowns.
Parrish wasn’t a slouch himself, gaining 167 yards on the ground with 19 runs. Glasgow quarterback Parker Cash ran 15 times for 83 yards.
Throughout the first half, it appeared the team that had the ball last would be the winner. Each team scored four times before intermission and Glasgow led 28-27 by virtue of Dustin Thomerson hitting on all four of his point after attempts.
The Admirals scored first in the game on a 48-yard run by Brand with 8:23 left in the quarter. The PAT attempt failed.
The Scotties answered with a 10-yard touchdown run by Cash with 4:19 left and Thomerson added the kick to give his team a 7-6 edge.
Danville came right back with a four-yard scoring run by Dunn. Brand rushed for 50 yards on the drive. The Admirals converted the two points for a 14-7 lead with 2:55 left in the first.
Glasgow’s next drive ended with a punt and it appeared Danville would have a chance to take control of the game early in the second period. But the Scotties’ defense responded by forcing Brand to fumble. The ball was recovered by Josh Poynter at the Glasgow 40-yard line.
Three plays later, Parrish scored on a four-yard run and Thomerson added the PAT. The score was set up by a 51-yard run by Parrish to the Danville 9.
The Admirals’ next drive also ended with a fumble forced by Devin Sorrels and recovered by Josh Wooten at the end of a long run by Dunn. Glasgow was unable to capitalize on that turnover and the drive ended with a punt.
Danville scored three plays later on a four-yard run by Dunn and Max Meckes added the extra point kick with 6:18 to play in the first half.
Less than a minute later, Glasgow answered with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Lajuan Smith to Sorrels. Thomerson added the PAT and tied the game.
The Admirals followed with a nine-play scoring drive that was capped by a seven-yard touchdown run by Brand. The kick was missed and Danville led 27-21 with 1:33 to play in the first half.
The Scotties responded with a drive that ended with a 19-yard touchdown pass from Cash to Sorrels after the horn had sounded to end the half. Thomerson booted the PAT to give Glasgow the lead at the break.
“I can’t say enough about the effort the kids gave,” Wood said. “It’s a testament to how good of kids we have.”
It took the Admirals only two minutes in the second half to regain the lead with a 44-yard touchdown run by Brand. He also ran in the two-point conversion to give his team a 35-28 lead.
The Scotties answered with a more than five-minute long scoring drive that was capped by a one-yard run by Cash with 4:37 showing in the third period. Thomerson’s PAT tied the game once again.
Three minutes later, Danville was back in the end zone, this time with a drive that was capped by a three-yard run from Lynn. Another extra point kick failed and the Admirals’ lead was 41-35, but they wouldn’t trail again.
The Scotties ensuing drive ended with the failed fake punt play.
Along with rushing, Cash had a solid night throwing the ball as well. He completed 12 of 24 passes for 146 yards, a touchdown and a late interception. Smith completed one touchdown pass, which was his only pass attempt in the game.
Sorrels caught five passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Smith caught five for 65 yards and Bradley caught three for 28 yards.
Eight Scotties seniors ended their careers with Friday night’s loss — Cody Edwards, Anthony Jury, Cody Richardson, Mason Shives, Griffin Smith, Tyler Wheeler, Ethan Witty and Jaleel Wood. Glasgow’s season ended with a 5-6 record one year after a winless season.
Coach Wood said he was proud of how far the team had come and that the improvement was only possible because the players had worked so hard to improve.
