Byers shuts out rival Ashland

Coach Chris Daniels didn’t like his team’s lapse in the second and third quarters Friday night, but he liked the end result.

His H.W. Byers football team made the short ride into neighboring Benton County and returned to Marshall County with a 30-0 win in Region 1-1A action.

“It’s good to come back and get a win after a loss the week before (to Okolona),” Daniels said. “We still have some mistakes to clean up, but of course, that’s the case every week.”

The Lions evened their district record at 1-1 and moved to 4-1 overall.

Jabarri Wright was the workhorse. He carried nine times for 164 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions rushed for 311 yards.

Two of Wright’s touchdowns came in the first quarter on runs of 25 and 15 yards. Chris Isom and Houston Harris carried for the two-point conversions following those scores.

It was 16-0 at halftime, and that score held through the third, too.

“We have to do a better job of maintaining our high level of play,” said Daniels, referring to the scoreless second and third periods. “We are going to have to keep the offense going. We were flat. We can’t have stretches like that. We still moved the ball but we got a penalty here or a bad play there.”

Wright lit the fire again in the fourth when he scored on a 25-yard run. The defense got Byers’ last score of the night.

Mardarin Euell picked up a fumble and returned it 90 yards for a touchdown. Vincent Talley ran for the two-pointer.

“When the defense gets a shutout, you know you are doing something well,” Coach Daniels said.

Michael James was three of five passing for 46 yards. Devin Moore caught all three completions. Isom was the second leading rusher. He carried four times for 63 yards.

Next up for the Lions is homecoming Friday night versus district opponent Falkner. The Eagles are 1-4, coming off a 54-0 win over Thrasher last week.

“Falkner will be fired up after that big win, and we can’t let homecoming be a distraction for us,” Daniels said. “We have to come out and play our brand of football.

“We have to be more consistent offensively the entire football game.

“If we have the opportunity to make a play, we have to make a play.” The Ashland Blue Devils (05) visit Thrasher Friday.