By Staff
Russell Frye, Sports Correspondent
Coming into their second game of the season at Sulligent, head coach Joey Burch
and the Hawks looking to show some improvement from their week 1 loss at Falkville. Unfortunately, that improvement failed to show as the Blue Devils handed the Hawks a 56-0 defeat at Brown Stadium in Sulligent.
On a night when Danville's offense was on the field for almost 60 plays, it was the Danville defense that, once again, was bitten by the big play as the host Blue Devils scored on plays of 54, 25, 84, 74, and 72 yards.
On Sulligent's second play of the game, Rashad Johnson broke two Danville tackles and ran 54 yards for the first score of the game. Sulligent missed the extra point but led 6-0 at the 8:58 mark of the first quarter.
Danville's next possession started from their own 24 before having to punt the ball away 7 plays later from their own 36. On the fourth down play, the snap was low and it forced the punter, Steven Biggans, to have to run the ball and he was tackled for a one-yard loss, giving the ball back to the Blue Devils.
Two plays later, Johnson scored again. This time from 25 yards out, putting the home team up 13-0.
The Hawks were helped out on their next drive by a Blue Devils penalty for roughing the punter. One the very next play, Craig Poole broke a 10-yard run only to lose the ball and give it back it Sulligent on the 20-yard line
What happened next seemed to take the air out of Danville's sails.
With less than a minute to go in the first quarter, Sulligent's quarterback, Alex Roberts, called his own number and ran a draw up the middle of the field. On the play, Roberts broke three tackles and ran 84 yards to put the Blue Devils up 20-0 after the extra point with only 48 seconds left in the quarter.
On their next possession, the Hawks had to punt after three plays. On the 42 yard punt, Sulligent' s Johnson returned it 74 yards for their fourth score of the evening. With 10:08 left in the first half, the Blue Devils led 27-0.
Just four minutes later, the Blue Devils scored from 15 yards out on a pass play from Zac Evans to Michael Harrington in the back of the end zone.
Danville and Sulligent swapped possessions going into halftime with the Blue Devils leading 34-0. At the half, Sulligent had 178 yards on 16 plays compared to 48 yards on 34 plays by the Hawks.
The second half started with a little momentum for Danville as Roberts fumbled on the very first play from scrimmage. After the fumble, Danville took control from Sulligent's 35-yard line.
See HAWKS, B-4