Late score lifts DC past Trojans
Nov. 5—It was a bittersweet evening for the Daviess County football team Friday night.
Panthers quarterback Lake Wilson carried in a 6-yard touchdown with 8.5 seconds remaining to lift DC to a 34-27 win over North Hardin in the first round of the KHSAA Class 6-A playoffs at Reid Stadium, but it came moments after star running back Bryson Parm left in an ambulance following a severe ankle injury with just 25 seconds left to play.
The victory sets up the Panthers for a second-round clash with Central Hardin next week — but it came at a price.
"I just hate it for him, because he's such a special player and he's battled adversity his whole life," DC coach Matt Brannon said of Parm, who returned after missing most of his junior campaign to run for 1,468 yards with 16 TDs this year. "... It's sad for him that his career ends that way, but just very proud of what he's done while he's been here.
"At the same time, you want to be proud of these guys, for them to answer — with basically no time to even think about it — and come out here and punch it in. Didn't play our best game, but you know what? Playoffs, you win and move on, so we'll take it."
The Panthers (7-4) got off to a quick start, with Wilson finding wideout Luke Floyd for two long first-half touchdowns to build a 27-13 advantage at intermission.
After DC recovered its own game-opening onside kick, Wilson found Floyd for a 28-yard touchdown less than three minutes into the contest.
North Hardin (4-7) answered on its first drive, with quarterback Kae Kirkland's 53-yard completion to Shaun Boykins setting up a 3-yard running score for Kye Boyd.
Two plays later, Wilson found Floyd down the seam for a 73-yard scoring strike that put the Panthers up 13-6 with 6:01 left in the first frame.
The Trojans again tied things up on their next drive when Boykins broke free for a 37-yard TD run.
Jack Ball capped off a 13-play, 55-yard drive with a 1-yard TD run early in the second stanza, and after trading turnovers late in the quarter, Parm punched in a 2-yard touchdown to put DC up 27-13 — a lead that stood until halftime.
After holding the Panthers to a turnover on downs following a fake punt attempt on their first possession of the second half, the Trojans scored on a 2-yard run from Boykins to pull within 27-20 with 7:20 left in the third quarter.
Another turnover on downs later in the fourth allowed North Hardin to tie the game on Boyd's 32-yard breakaway score with 5:45 to go — setting the stage for DC's final drive.
According to Brannon, his team's last possession was about moving the ball and using up as much clock as possible without putting themselves into any bad situations.
"Coach (Dalton) Oliver did a good job of calling those plays to get that," Brannon said of his offensive coordinator. "That first-and-goal was a run-pass option where Lake could roll around, and then he just scored on his own on that last scramble. Just proud of the guys and the way they executed down the stretch."
Wilson completed 17-of-29 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns with an interception for DC, while Floyd finished with 177 yards and a pair of scores on seven receptions. Parm added 143 yards and a TD on 32 rushes, and the Panthers racked up 453 yards of total offense.
Boyd paced the Trojans with 111 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, with Boykins adding 110 yards on five receptions and 57 yards with a pair of TDs on six rushes. North Hardin finished with 328 yards of total offense.
NORTH HARDIN 13 0 7 7 — 27
DAVIESS COUNTY 13 14 0 7 — 34
DC-Floyd 28 pass from Wilson (kick failed)
NH-Boyd 3 run (kick failed)
DC-Floyd 73 pass from Wilson (Hagedorn kick)
NH-Boykins 37 run (Rasheed good)
DC-Ball 1 run (Hagedorn kick)
DC-Parm 2 run (Hagedorn kick)
NH-Boykins 2 run (Rasheed kick)
NH-Boyd 32 run (Rasheed kick)
DC-Wilson 6 run (Maysey kick)
