BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
HAZARD — The Martin County High football team opened the season Aug. 23 against the Hazard Bulldogs. The defending 2A District champ could not muster up enough points and fell 51-20 to start the season at 0-1.
The Cards were down early 21-7 in the second quarter. Quarterback Devan Maynard kept Martin County within reach when he rolled out to the right and found Brayden Estep in deep right for a 31-yard touchdown pass.
Maynard and Estep connected again for a 39-yarder at midfield when Estep tipped the pigskin into the air and wrangled it in for a catch on fourth-and-17.
Facing another fourth and long situation, the Cards stuck with that combination when Maynard launched a throw from 36 yards out. Estep rose above a Bulldog defender in the end zone and pulled down a second tough catch for a 20-29 score before halftime.
Hazard went on a frenzy in the second half to pull away from Martin County and hand the Cards an opening loss.
Maynard was 6-14 on passing with 141 yards amassed and two touchdown passes. He showed off his running skills and rushed for 94 yards, including a 42-yard touchdown run.
Estep had 94 yards receiving on only three pass receptions. Two of those catches resulted in a touchdown for the Cards.
Aiden Horn ran for 31 yards on 11 attempts and caught a pass for 10 yards. Weston Jude had 17 yards on three rush attempts and 37 on receiving.
Senior Damian Cheek rushed for 5 and Crayson Lafferty gained 4 yards for Martin County.
The Cardinals rushed for 151 yards as a team and passed for 141.
Kicker Caleb Horn booted two point-afters through the uprights.
On the defensive end, senior leader Corey Parsley forced a fumble with Jude recovering.
Lafferty led the team with nine solo tackles and 16 total. Cheek brought down 11 and Kaleb Robinson assisted with seven.
Jerrod Haney contributed with three solo tackles. Martin County had 83 tackles on the evening.
Martin County will travel to Belfry to take on Pike Central in the Pike County Bowl on Friday. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
