By MARTY WARREN
Contributing Writer

Washington County ran 22 offensive plays and had the ball for nine minutes and 37 seconds during the first quarter compared to just six plays and 2:27 for Danville.

Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right?

Think again.

Danville scored two defensive touchdowns in the first four minutes, 3 seconds of the first quarter before its offense reached the field, led 27-0 after one period of play, and coasted to an easy 40-2 win over the Commanders on Senior/ Hall of Fame night at Admiral Stadium.

The win sets up a showdown next week at Class AA top-ranked and unbeaten Lexington Christian and guarantees a home playoff game in at least the first round of the playoffs.

“I challenged the guys to come out and set the tone early in the first half, and we couldn’t have gotten off to a better start,” Danville coach Mark Peach said. “It was Senior Night and Hall of Fame night and the weather held off. It was time for family, friends, and loved ones to come out and have a good time together.”

And the Admirals’ defense continued to set the tone of the game early.

Keelan Story intercepted a pass from sophomore quarterback Beau Baker and raced 27 yards for a touchdown on the third play of the game and three minutes later, the Admirals got their second touchdown without the offense touching the field when Demauriah Brown picked up a fumble and raced 55 yards for a score and a quick 14-0 lead.

“I can’t say enough about how our defense is playing,” Peach said. “They are playing with more confidence every week. They are playing at a really high level right now.”

It certainly helped to have their leading rusher back, too. Caleb Burns returned after a two-week absence and scored his first three touchdowns of the season- two rushing and one receiving – and the Admirals now have a solid one-two punch in Burns and Brown in the backfield.

“It really helped to have Caleb back but Demauriah gained a lot of confidence in his absence,” the Danville coach said. “We didn’t have to throw the ball much tonight but you can see Brady’s (Morse) confidence building, too. I like the ways the guys are playing right now.”

Brown scored from 50 yards in Danville’s first offensive possession and Burns, who gained 136 yards on just six carries, scored his first touchdown of the season to give the Ads a 27-0 lead after one quarter of play.”

Burns would open the second quarter with a 15-yard run and closed the frame with a 20-yard touchdown catch from Morse to give Danville a 40-0 advantage and set the running clock in motion during the second half.

Washington finally scored late in the game with a safety against Danville’s reserves.

It’s the most important week of the season as Danville (6-3) travels to unbeaten Lexington Christian next week.

“I’m really happy for the guys,” Peach said. “Six wins is the most since Danville won the State Championship in 2017. “We get to host a playoff game and still have a chance to get the number one seed in the district. We still have a lot to play for and lot of football ahead of us.”

At Danville
Washington County 0 0 0 2 – 2
Danville 27 13 0 0 – 40

First Quarter
D – Keelan Story 27 interception return (Keegyn Wilcher kick), 11:03.
D- Demauriah Brown 55 fumble return (Wilcher kick), 7:57.
D – Brown 50 run (kick failed), 4:43.
D – Caleb Burns 9 run (Wilcher kick), 2:07.
Second Quarter
D- Burns 15 run (Wilcher kick), 8:49.
D – Burns 20 pass from Brady Morse (lick failed), 4:57.
Fourth Quarter
W – Safety, 1:38.

RUSHING – Washington, John McDonald 10-(minus 5), Beau Baker 6-(minus 11), Ethan Mattingty 2-(minus 1), Noah Reynolds 1-5, Will Pettus 1-19, Nick Smurphat (minus-4). Danville, Caleb Burns 6-136, Enrique Gutierrez-Jacobs 2-(minus 5), Demauriah Brown 2-52, Bradlon Baughman 1-1, Brady Morse 1-12, Team 2-(minus 20), Ryan Clarkson 2-2, Brenton Stevenson 1-(minus 2).
PASSING – Washington, Baker 11-20-2-136, Reynolds 4-6-1-73. Danville, Morse 2-5-0-54, Gutierrez-Jacobs 2-3-0-29.
RECEIVING – Washington, Jakobie Hughes 7-121, Will Pettus 5-67, Jack Pettus 1-6, Brandon Coulter 2-12. Danville, Story 1-34, Burns 1-20, Clarkson 2-29.