MIKE MARSEE

Contributing writer

It’s good to have options, and Boyle County does.

The Rebels are entering the postseason without their starting quarterback, but with at least two viable alternatives they can employ Friday when they host Rowan County in their Class 4A playoff opener.

Sage Dawson will be out after injuring his right knee last week in Boyle’s regular-season finale, and coach Justin Haddix said more than one person will take his place this week.

Junior Avery Bodner, who stepped in for Dawson last week, and sophomore Montavin Quisenberry, Boyle’s leader in all-purpose yards, are the most likely replacements.

“We’re blessed to have two dynamic guys we can put in. They can throw, they can run and it makes them dangerous,” Haddix said.

Haddix wouldn’t say which player might start.

“There won’t be just one guy getting snaps,” he said. “When you can do that, that makes it tough on teams to defend.”

Bodner, a running back-safety who returned last week after missing two games with an ankle injury, completed 11 of 17 passes for 92 yards and rushed for 30 yards in the Rebels’ loss to Frederick Douglass.

Quisenberry, who has been used at running back and wide receiver, started at quarterback last season for Garrard County and threw for 1,034 yards and 10 touchdowns in addition to rushing for 1,501 yards and 19 TDs before transferring to Boyle this year.

As for Dawson, Haddix said early this week he didn’t know whether the junior might return later in the postseason. Dawson’s mother wrote on Facebook Wednesday that her son suffered a sprained anterior cruciate ligament — the least severe type of ACL injury — and a deep knee bruise and that he was scheduled to begin physical therapy Thursday.

“You never want to see a kid get hurt, and especially with how hard he works and what he does,” Haddix said.

Rowan (4-6) was part of a three-way tie for second place in District 4A-6 and got the No. 3 seed based on RPI standings.

The Vikings defeated Holmes and Harrison County, then took eventual district champion Boyd County to overtime before falling 14-7.

Rowan is led by Kelly Ford, who worked under four head coaches, including current Boyle assistant Kyle Singleton, before becoming the Vikings’ coach in 2017. The Vikings haven’t won a playoff game since 2010 but haven’t had a losing season since 2017.

This year’s team is led by 15 seniors, including quarterback Zach Menard (918 yards, seven TDs) and leading rusher and receiver Louis Hayes (666 rushing yards, 497 receiving yards, 13 TDs).

Defending 4A champion Boyle (8-2), the No. 2 seed in District 4A-5, is coming off its most lopsided loss in six years, but Haddix said the Rebels learned a great deal from their 37-6 defeat at the hands of Douglass.

“They’re really good, but we did some things that were out of character for us,” he said. “That’s why we played the game. They exposed the things we need to work on.”

Boyle and Rowan were paired in a third-round playoff game in 2020. It was the first time the Vikings had reached the round of eight since 1982, but they were forced to withdraw due to COVID-19 protocols.