JUNIOR BEARCATS DRUM DANVILLE

The Booneville Junior High Bearcats spotted Danville a touchdown Thursday night then scored 38 unanswered points on the way to a 46-12 win to stay unbeaten in 3A-4 play.

Jace Washburn ran for 61 yards and a touchdown and a pair of two-point conversions. He also threw for 44 yards and two touchdowns.

The Bearcats amassed 345 total yards, with 301 coming on the ground.

After Danville took a 6-0 lead on the game’s first possession the Bearcats blocked a point after try.

The Little Johns actually got the ball back with the lead when the Bearcats lost a fumble at the Danville 10-yard line, but the Little Johns were unable to muster a first down and punted on the final play of the opening quarter.

Over the next 5:56 the Bearcats opened a 30-6 lead.

First it was a 13-yard touchdown run by Hunter Warren to tie it – Conner Lentz had lost a touchdown to a penalty – with 6:00 left in the half. Warren finished with 45 yards for four yards.

Demari Poole, who had seven unassisted tackles and seven assists in the game which saw Danville run 50 offensive plays, recovered a fumble that killed the next Danville possession.

Washburn went 23 yards for the go-ahead touchdown and also ran for a two-point conversion to make it 14-6.

Poole intercepted a pass to get the Bearcats the ball back and, while Poole was switching jersey numbers from 15 to 65 at Danville’s request, Caleb Richardson filled in on the line and Conner Droemer rumbled 32 yards on the next play.

Droemer finished with 67 yards on just two carries.

Despite a false start penalty, Washburn ran for a two-point conversion to make it 22-6 3:07 before halftime.

A fourth down stop by Trevor Karow, who had nine total tackles, and Preston McKinney gave the Bearcats the ball back and Washburn connected with Chase Shelton for 35 yards and a touchdown for another one-play drive. Shelton ran for a two-point conversion and a 30-6 lead.

Out of the intermission it took the Bearcats four plays to score with a throw from Washburn to Dakota Mattson (shown) accounting for the touchdown and Shelton added the two-point conversion and it was 38-6.

Danville interrupted the scoring onslaught with a touchdown with 3:50 left in the third quarter to cut the Bearcat lead to 38-12.

Two penalties on the next possession – the Bearcats were penalized nine times for 87 yards – pushed the Bearcats back Lentz went 48 yards for a touchdown anyway and Poole ran for the two-point conversion to make it 46-12.

Lentz led the Bearcats with 74 yards on his four carries.

Danville scored again with 1:12 to play to set the final.

The Bearcats will be at home next Thursday, taking on Mayflower.