Loss ends Hawks' playoff hopes
By By Paul Wilson, For the Hartselle Enquirer
DANVILLE - The Danville Hawks were officially eliminated from playoff contention last Thursday night, losing 40-18 to the J.B. Pennington Tigers in a Class 3A, Region 7 game at Smith-Owens Stadium.
Danville came into the game needing a win over Pennington and a win next week at Falkville in order to make the playoffs.
Pennington, meanwhile needed only to defeat the Hawks and they would enter the playoffs as the fourth seed in Region 7.
Pennington would get all the points it needed in the first half as they raced out to a 28-0 lead. Devyn Murphree did most of the damage for the Tigers scoring three times.
The first quarter was a defensive battle as neither offense was able to move the football. Pennington got the only score of the quarter when Murphree returned a Danville punt 63 yards for a touchdown. Pennington’s two-point attempt was no good making the score 6-0 in favor of the Tigers.
Murphree returned a punt 63 yards for a first quarter touchdown and had runs of 2 and 9 yards for scores in the second period.
Murphree also intercepted a Tyler Beck pass to set up his first touchdown run. Pennington’s other touchdown came on a 15-yard pass from Jackson Morton to Derik Vanmaanen.
After falling behind 34-0, the Danville offense came alive under the direction of freshman quarterback Caleb Hill.
Hill, seeing his first significant action of the season, threw two touchdown passes in the third period.
His first was a 7-yard pass to senior wide receiver Schuyler Forman to complete an 11- play, 63-yard drive.
Hill was 3-for-4 passing for 31 yards on the drive.
Danville’s next drive covered five yards in two plays with the touchdown coming on Hill’s 5-yard pass to Thomas Russell.
The short drive came about when Forman intercepted Morton’s pass deep in Danville territory. Forman ran down the left sideline for some 85 yards before being tackled at the 5.
A missed PAT and unsuccessful two-point try made the score 34-12 in favor of Pennington with 1:50 left in the third quarter.
The two teams traded scores in the final period. Danville scored first as junior running back Levi George ran 55 yards for the Hawk score. George finished the night with 117 yards on 22 carries.
The try for two failed but Danville had cut Pennington’s lead to 16 (34-18) with 6:56 left in the contest.
Just when it looked as if the Hawks might make a miracle comeback, the Tigers brought everyone back to reality with a 72-yard kick return for their final points of the night. Pennington’s try for two failed, making the score 40-18.
Danville would put together one more drive but turned the ball over on downs at the Pennington 8.
With the loss, Danville falls to 3-6 on the season. The Hawks will close the year with a trip tomorrow night to Falkville. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
