BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Martin County Middle School opened football season Aug. 16 with a loss against Betsy Layne at home.

The Cards had a chance on their final drive, but fell to the Bobcats 14-20.

On a Betsy Layne possession in the opening quarter, Parker Maynard had an interception near the endzone. The Cards took over on the four. Maynard received the handoff and broke a tackle to avoid the touchback for a 13-yard gain.

The Bobcats got the ball back on downs and scored the game’s first touchdown on a 38-yard run. They went for two, but the Martin County wall stopped their conversion for a score of 6-0.

In the beginning minutes of the second half, the Cards had a fourth-and-1. Jarred Haney had an 8-yard run for the first down. He picked up another 5 yards on the next play.

With the ball on the 27, Haney threw a long ball to Brody Howell for Martin County’s first score with 3:09 to go in the third.

After an offsides on Betsy Layne, the Cards went for two and Haney snuck through to take the lead 8-6.

The Bobcats would score again in the fourth to retake the lead 14-6 with 4:17 left in the game.

One minute later, the Cards threw an interception and Betsy Layne extended their lead 20-8.

The Cards hurried it up and the ball would get to the 22 with 2:24 remaining. Maynard received a 5-yard pass before getting hit with a 22-yard touchdown pass as he was fading back.

Betsy Layne would get it back with 2:00 to go and a 20-14 lead. Jeremy Bentley for the Cards had a key hit to force a fumble that gave the Cards a chance to win.

On fourth down, Haney drove his shoulder into a Bobcat defender and bounced off for a first down. He’d make another dash when it was third-and-10 to get to the 33 and within scoring distance.

After a penalty and a few incomplete passes, this one would sting for the Cards as they fell 14-20.

“It felt like that last drive lasted 10 minutes,” Coach Wesley Hager said. “We had a lot of our key players get injured on one of the last few defensive drives.”

Hager continued, “We had a shot. They had guys off the edge, and we weren’t communicating up front, so we didn’t have a lot of time to throw.”

Haney and Maynard were proud of the team effort.

“I put my whole heart into it and I just ran out of energy on that last drive,” Haney said.

The two boys honorably put the loss on themselves.

“I had a post route on that second down and I just couldn’t convert. We had a chance to win it and if I catch that, it’s a different ending.”

Coach Hager was pleased with the overall performance.

“That was the first legit time our kids experienced contact. I’m impressed with how resilient we were being down 20 to 6 to come back and have an opportunity to win the game,” said Hager.

The Cards took on Magoffin last week and lost.

The MCMS A team will host Shelby Valley on Thursday at The Rock. Game time is 6 p.m.