Reviving the roar: Lions win first district title since 2008 after defeating Vikings

Oct. 22—MOREHEAD — Rhett and Trey Holbrook dreamed of playing for championships.

Winning a district title had been an afterthought for several years in Cannonsburg, but Boyd County could finally envision a path to claim the top spot.

The Lions entered Friday night with one more mountain left to climb: defeat Rowan County.

After Holmes thumped Scott to close district play, the victor of the late-season matchup at Paul Ousley Field would decide the championship.

Forty-eight minutes could not determine a winner.

It took Boyd County just two plays for Malachi Wheeler to find paydirt in the overtime with a 2-yard touchdown run. Rowan County's ensuing possession included nine snaps due to a slew of penalties. The line of scrimmage for the final play of the game was the Vikings' own 45-yard line.

Boyd County's defense held on for a 14-7 win and gave the Lions their first district title since 2008.

"They showed resilience," Boyd County coach Evan Ferguson said. "Any championship football team is going to be tested. You are going to have highs and lows. Championship teams win those low minutes when you are struggling to find a way.

"It's not disrespect to Rowan County," he continued, "but we had our opportunities. We went into what I call scoring territory four times and we find a way to shoot ourselves in the foot. We kept playing and the defense kept bailing us out. We won the game when it mattered."

The Holbrook brothers played their part. They hooked up six times in the first half for 115 yards for the Lions. The passing display also included huge plays downfield.

The first put the Lions into field goal territory in the opening quarter. Trey Holbrook hauled in a 38-yard reception on the sideline. The official ruled he got a foot down before he fell out of bounds.

"Trey was huge," Ferguson said. "He had an outstanding week of practice. He was voted a captain and he's what a captain should be. It's well-deserved. He is an outstanding leader for our football team. He had a great game tonight and he really loosened up (the defense). I am so proud of that kid."

The Vikings blocked the field goal that followed to keep the game scoreless, but the Holbrook duo would get another chance to dent the scoreboard in the first half.

Rhett Holbrook hit Trey Holbrook with the long ball to put Boyd County in business before halftime. Three plays later, the sophomore quarterback lofted a pass into the corner of the end zone. It fell into the hands of Trey Holbrook to tie the contest with two minutes left in the second quarter.

"We really didn't play that much together (on the field) until middle school," Trey Holbrook said of his brother. "Since then, it's been all the time and getting reps in when we can."

Trey Holbrook said the team keeps the same mindset during the season. The Lions stay focused and never want to catch themselves looking forward.

"We just want to go 1-0 each week," Trey Holbrook said. "Coach Ferguson has preached it since summer ball. It's what we concentrate on each game.

"We've had a really good season," he added. "Most of us knew that we would be here. It's been an outstanding year playing with this team. I'm really happy to be a part of it."

Rowan County responded with a long drive after the blocked kick that contained 11 plays and took more than seven minutes off the clock. The Vikings' march stretched into the second stanza and on the first snap, Zach Menard found a wide-open Louis Hayes and he glided into the end zone for a 27-yard touchdown.

"He has taken on all these new roles this year," Rowan County coach Kelly Ford said of Hayes. "He is a tremendous player for us. He is probably one of the most athletic kids that has played at Rowan County. We are happy to have him. He does so much for us."

Rowan County (4-5, 2-2 in Class 4A, District 6) has grown accustomed to competing in big games late in the year. The Vikings claimed the top seed in the district the previous two years.

"That's what our schedule is set up for," Ford said, "and we have played a tough schedule early to play in games like this and get us prepared. Our kids have grown a lot. When you replace your whole backfield, you have to figure things out offensively. We took our punches early. Hat's off to coach Ferguson and those guys. He's worked his tail off to get them back here."

The score remained tied as both defenses held their ground. The Vikings appeared headed for a go-ahead score after Hayes found daylight on the edge and sprinted for a 29-yard gain deep into Lions territory with two minutes left in regulation.

The drive abruptly ended when Boyd County's Jacob Meade stepped in front of a quick Rowan County pass for a pivotal interception. The game headed to overtime deadlocked in a 7-7 tie.

"Our defense has improved all year," Ferguson said. "They have played great all year and we have kept people in check. After the first two games, where opponents put up 28 and 22 points on us, we changed some things and got a lot better.

"We talked in the preseason about what our mission will be this year. We were in every game in the fourth quarter. We let seven of those games go. We didn't lead until overtime tonight, but that was the only time that mattered."

Boyd County (7-3, 4-0) had the ball first in overtime and wasted no time before grabbing the advantage.

The contest was marred by penalties. Rowan County had 16 for 103 yards. The Lions collected eight for 58 yards. Several of the infractions happened on the Vikings' possession in the extra session.

Rowan County headed in the wrong direction and couldn't find its way back.

Boyd County will host its first playoff game since 2008. The Vikings will have to wait another week to find out their postseason destination. Rowan County, Holmes and Scott have identical district records and the tiebreaker will be determined by RPI rankings after the regular season.

"It means the world to me," Ferguson said of the monumental win. "I was excited to come to Boyd County and build something we can be proud of here. We have bonded as a community to do that. I am thankful to be the coach at Boyd County. I hope we can do this year after year."

BOYD CO. 0 7 0 0 7 — 14

ROWAN CO. 0 7 0 0 0 — 7

SECOND QUARTER

RC—Louis Hayes 27 pass from Zach Menard (Weston Maxey kick), 11:55

BC—Trey Holbrook 5 pass from Rhett Holbrook (Cole Thompson kick), 2:02

OVERTIME

BC—Malachi Wheeler 2 run (Thompson kick)

BC RC

First Downs 13 14

Rushes-Yards 26-112 27-92

Comp-Att-Int 14-24-1 11-19-2

Passing Yards 165 127

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 0-0

Punts-Avg. 4-37.0 5-35.0

Penalties-Yards 8-58 16-103

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Boyd County rushing: Wheeler 13-62, R. Holbrook 9-42, Waulk 1-1, Collins 2-16, Team 1-(-9).

Rowan County rushing: Hill 7-30, Hayes 12-34, Menard 16-37, Drake 4-6, Team 3-(-15).

Boyd County passing: R. Holbrook 14 of 24 for 165 yards and 1 interception.

Rowan County passing: Menard 11 of 18 for 127 yards and 2 interceptions.

Boyd County receiving: Thornton 3-20, T. Holbrook 7-120, Butler 1-5, Collins 3-30.

Rowan County receiving: Hayes 3-52, Smith 2-18, Kappas 2-18, Lilley 4-36.