BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — There was that sweet, fall crispness to the air that everyone had been waiting for on Friday night in the first round of the Class 2A state playoffs. Martin County’s faithful gathered around The Rock with their hoodies and blankets while the Cards caught fire for a beatdown of the Pike County Central Hawks 34-6.
The Cardinals earned this win in the trenches. The offensive line opened things up and allowed their running backs to rack up 356 rushing yards. The defense put a stop to Central’s attack, allowing only 60 yards total.
For senior Corey Parsley, stepping onto the home field one last time stirred up a mix of feelings.
“Playing at the Rock is a feeling you can never replace,” Parsley said. “Winning the district here last year, beating Shelby Valley here twice my freshman year, and being able to play on this field for four years is a blessing.”
He paused, then added, “I love them all. Our team is like a brotherhood.”
It did not take long for the Cards to jump on the board. Quarterback Devan Maynard placed a floater to Jerrod Haney at the end zone from the 18-yard line just over one minute into the contest.
Parker Watts hit the scoreboard next after receiving the handoff and hauling it 30 yards past multiple defenders.
Senior Julian Stafford capped off first half action with another tote from the 5-yard line before hitting paydirt. Caleb Horn sent a kick through for a 21-0 lead heading into the break.
Zach Hamilton, known to his teammates as “Chunk,” was energized as he took the field for his final game at Cardinal Stadium.
“It’s kind of sad because you start to realize you have to grow up,” Hamilton said, reflecting on the moment. “But it makes you happy at the same time.”
He reminisced about one highlight in particular. “One of my favorite moments was when Corey Parsley and I took a guy all the way to the end zone.”
Central spiced things up starting the third with a sweep and pass to the end zone. Martin County’s defense stopped the two-point conversion as Payton Ward jumped on the ball.
“Our defense played amazing — the best we’ve seen,” said senior tight end Chase Stacy. “It just means a lot to win this playoff game, especially at home. It’s been a great season, and hopefully we’ll beat Valley at their place to keep it going.”
The next Cardinal possession saw Maynard go through with the quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 to convert a first down. Damian Cheek had a big run for a first-down gain of 16 yards to the 10-yard line.
The Cards could not convert and Central took over.
Peyton Lowe came in clutch for Martin County after a huge sack for a loss of 11 yards.
The Hawks were forced to punt. Maynard danced around it before finally picking it up and rushing for 20 yards.
On the ensuing play, Maynard faked the pass and ran it in from his own 30-yard line for a touchdown.
On Central’s final drive, Mason McCoy and Crayson Lafferty hit the Hawks with a big tackle for a loss to clinch a second-round berth in the 2A playoffs.
For senior Kaleb Robinson, the evening felt “surreal.”
“It’s all coming back to me,” he said. “I’ve played on this field since I was a kid, but I never really thought about it until tonight. It hit me all at once. I’ve been playing with most of these guys my whole life. Seeing everyone smile and play hard — that’s my favorite part. These guys are brothers to me. I’m grateful for all the relationships I’ve built with my coaches and teammates.”
Watts finished the game with two touchdowns and 130 yards on the ground.
Maynard ran for 119 yards on nine totes and scored a touchdown.
Stafford racked up 88 yards on 11 carries and crossed the end-line for a TD.
Cheek had 20 net yards rushing on only two runs.
Underclassmen Haney caught a touchdown pass for 18 yards. Horn was 4-5 on point-after attempts.
Parsley is eager for another night on the field.
“We’re going to get back in the lab and grind – clean up some penalties and blocking,” he said. “It should be a good week.”
Martin County (8-3) will travel to Shelby Valley (5-6) for the second round of the 2A playoffs this Friday.
The Cards defeated Valley 40-28 in a close contest earlier this season.
Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Defensive stats were not available before the press deadline.
