BY BOO NEWSOME
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — District 7-2A champion Martin County will clash with Pike Central, the No. 4 seed from District 8-2A, in a KHSAA playoffs showdown Friday at The Rock in Inez.
Both teams enter the game with identical 5-5 season records. Pike Central owns a 9-6 win over the Cardinals in the second game of the season in the Pike County Bowl. The Cardinals are out to prove they are a much-improved team.
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
Martin County season recap
Under the seasoned leadership of Coach Josh Muncy, Martin County dominated the District 7 competition with a perfect 3-0 record and secured the championship. The Martin County offense has been firing on all cylinders through 10 games, averaging 24.3 points per game. Defense has also held strong with the Cardinals allowing just 14.3 points per game.
Offensively, the Cardinals have excelled in their ground game, racking up 2,408 rushing yards at an average of 240.8 yards per game.
Key offensive contributors include senior running back Brock Messer, who racked up 916 rushing yards, averaging 91.6 per game, and a team-leading nine touchdowns; Aiden Horn, who contributed 558 total rushing yards and seven touchdowns; and senior running back Madden Miller, who amassed 528 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
Sophomore quarterback Jackson Miller boasts 523 passing yards and four touchdown completions.
Devan Maynard has been a standout in the receiving department, amassing 269 receiving yards on 12 pass receptions and hauling in four touchdown receptions.
Defensively, Martin County is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A for interceptions with 16. Julian Stafford made his mark with a tally of eight interceptions.
Madden Miller leads the Cardinals with 129 total tackles, while Damien Cheek follows with 84 total tackles, four for loss, and 1/2 sacks. Bryston Wells has amassed 64 total tackles, 17-1/2 for loss, and five sacks. Rafe Price has 60 total tackles, 16-1/2 for loss, and five sacks.
Noah Mollette has forced two fumbles and recovered one fumble.
Special teams were not neglected either, with Caleb Horn boasting an 88% success rate on PATs.
Pike Central season recap
On the other side of the field, the District 8 Pike Central Hawks, coached by Ron Varney, struggled in district play with a 0-3 record and fourth-seed finish. Despite their district challenges, the Hawks have accumulated 1,580 rushing yards, averaging 158 yards per game. On defense, they allowed an average of 19.6 points per game while scoring 16.1 points per game.
Freshman Quarterback Jamere Knuckles leads the Hawks in rushing and passing yardage. Knuckles has a total of 577 passing yards and seven touchdown completions, with three interceptions. He has 836 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Lane Adams has been the go-to target in the receiving department with 28 receptions for 279 yards at an average of 29.9 yards per game.
On the defensive side, Malachi leads the Hawks with 113 total tackles, closely followed by Trevor Holbrook with 100 tackles.
Steven Santes has been reliable in the kicking game, boasting a 90% success rate on PATs.
Pike Central found themselves at the bottom of District 8 with a winless 0-3 district record and losses to Shelby Valley, Betsy Layne and East Ridge.
