Scott grabs district win at Rowan on late TD

The Daily Independent, Ashland, Ky.
·2 min read

Sep. 25—MOREHEAD — Down 22-12 at halftime on Friday night, Rowan County scored 22 of the next 29 points to put itself in position for a big district victory.

But Scott had time for one more drive.

The Eagles' Dylan Giffen caught a 9-yard scoring pass from Dasani Lane with 1:21 to play, Scott added a two-point conversion reception from Nolan Hunter, and the Eagles defense forced a fourth-down interception on the Vikings' last-ditch drive to secure a 37-34 win in both teams' Class 4A, District 6 opener at Paul Ousley Stadium on Friday.

Scott (3-3, 1-0 district) took a 22-12 lead into halftime after Hunter's 37-yard return of a blocked punt for a touchdown with 1:08 to go in the second quarter.

Hunter also caught a 32-yard scoring pass from Lane and Dylan Giffen ran for a 63-yard touchdown in the first half.

Louis Hayes rushed for two second-quarter touchdowns, from 7 and 4 yards out, for the Vikings. But, though Rowan County scored two first-half touchdowns and Scott punched in three, the margin at intermission was two possessions due to the Eagles' successful conversion of a two-pointer after their first TD — on Boomer Klusman's reception from Giffen — and two extra points from Sam Wynn. Meanwhile, Rowan County failed on a pair of two-point tries.

The Vikings (2-4, 0-1 district) momentarily made that moot. Rowan County's Zach Menard and Scott's Bennie Hill traded short scoring runs before the Vikings' Miles Knight ran for a 2-yard TD with 48 seconds to go in the third quarter and Hayes racked up his third score, on a 26-yard run, at the 9:12 mark of the fourth frame.

Hayes tacked on two-pointers after each of those scores to put Rowan County in front for the first time, 34-29.

But the Eagles countered with Giffen's second score to pull out the road victory.

SCOTT 8 14 7 8 — 37

ROWAN CO. 0 12 14 8 — 34

FIRST QUARTER

S — Nolan Hunter 32 pass from Dasani Lane (Boomer Klusman pass from Dylan Giffen), 3:25

SECOND QUARTER

RC — Louis Hayes 7 run (run fails), 4:26

S — Giffen 63 run (Sam Wynn kick), 4:09

RC — Hayes 4 run (run fails), 2:52

S — Hunter 37 blocked punt return (Wynn kick), 1:08

THIRD QUARTER

RC — Zach Menard 1 run (kick fails), 9:31

S — Bennie Hill 2 run (Wynn kick), 4:22

RC — Miles Knight 2 run (Hayes run), :48

FOURTH QUARTER

RC — Hayes 26 run (Hayes run), 9:12

S — Giffen 9 pass from Lane (Hunter pass from Lane), 1:21