By MIKE MARSEE

Contributing Writer

Boyle County’s backups may live for games like this, but they also feel the pressure.

The Rebel reserves got more playing time Friday night than in any other game this season, as they were on the field for well over half of Boyle’s 49-14 victory over Wayne County at Rebel Stadium.

And as they always do, they took the field knowing that they were expected to maintain the level of play that allowed Boyle’s starters to build a big lead.

“It’s what they expect us to do, just keep it rolling,” said backup quarterback Baylor Murphy.

Boyle (9-0, 4-0 District 4A-7) built the 36-point lead required to roll the clock faster than in any of its previous five mercy-rule wins this season, taking a 36-0 lead just 1:26 into the second quarter and paving the way for Murphy and his unit to take the baton.

“We’ve always played together, the guys I go in with, and we’ve always done it,” Murphy said.

The Rebels second and third units played Wayne on even terms, and Boyle coach Justin Haddix said that’s the minimum expectation for players who will likely have larger roles in the next year or two.

“We talk about when you’re in between these white lines the standard that’s expected, and I feel like our guys bought into that tonight and did a good job,” Haddix said.

Murphy went 2 for 3 with a touchdown pass to Lyndon Smith – it was Smith’s first career score – and third-stringer Guy Turner was 2 for 2 as Boyle got in one final tuneup before its showdown with Frederick Douglass in its regular-season finale Friday in Lexington.

Murphy said he thinks the Rebels, the top-ranked team in Class 4A throughout the season, are as ready as they can be for Frederick Douglass, No. 4 in Class 6A.

“It’ll go a lot with practice, with how we do this week, how my guys do on the scout team, but I think we’re good,” Haddix said.

Haddix said Douglass, which defeated Boyle 37-6 last season, presents a tremendous challenge in a game that will impact the RPI standings that will determine who and where Boyle might play in the third and fourth rounds of the playoffs.

“With RPI, the Week 11 game always means something,” he said. “It’s the biggest game of the year for us at this moment.”

Boyle dispatched Wayne (6-3, 1-3) to complete a sweep of its four district opponents by a combined score of 204-38.

Sage Dawson threw a touchdown pass to Geordon Brown and ran for another TD, Montavin Quisenberry scored on his only two rushing attempts and Josh Bixler ran for a score.

Demauriah Brown opened the scoring with a 60-yard touchdown run on the Rebels’ first play from scrimmage, and they also scored less than 30 seconds into the second and fourth periods.

Dawson was 3 for 5 for 87 passing yards and Bixler ran for a game-high 63 yards as Boyle outgained Wayne 343 yards to 180.

Scoring summary

WC 0-0-7-7 – 14

BC 21-22-0-6 – 49

First Quarter

BC – Demauriah Brown 60 run (Andrew Carr kick), 11:44.

BC – Montavin Quisenberry 28 run (Carr kick), 9:19.

BC – Quisenberry 22 run (Carr kick), 5:36.

Second Quarter

BC – Geordon Brown 76 pass from Sage Dawson (Carr kick), 11:42.

BC – Dawson 23 run (Avery Bodner run), 10:34.

BC – Lyndon Smith 20 pass from Baylor Murphy (Carr kick), 1:59.

Third Quarter

WC – Antajuan Dumphord 34 pass from Korbyn Edwards (Brice Lafevers kick), 3:55.

Fourth Quarter

BC – Josh Bixler 63 run (pass failed), 11:51.

WC – Dumphord 11 pass from Edwards (Lafevers kick), 7:07.