By Staff
Paul Wilson, Enquirer Correspondent
The Danville Hawks moved to 4-0 with a 13-0 shutout of Priceville in a battle of two fine defenses.
The difference in the game was turnovers. Danville lost two fumbles but the Hawk defense forced seven Priceville miscues, four interceptions and three fumbles.
The first turnover of the game belonged to Danville as Hawk junior Tyree Murphy mis-played a punt. Priceville recovered and had the ball at the Danville 27. The Bulldog offense was unable to take advantage and turned the ball over on downs at the Hawks 23-yard line.
Danville's offense could get only one first down before punting the ball back to the Bulldogs. Three plays later Danville defensive end Logan Asherbranner gave Hawk fans something to cheer about as on third-and-nine at the Bulldog 44, when he sacked Priceville's Zac Fairbanks. Fairbanks lost the football on the play and Patrick Pinchon recovered for the Hawks at Priceville's 44.
Two Jeremy Orr runs gave the Hawks their first touchdown and Craig Poole added the PAT for a 7-0 lead with 3:18 left in the first quarter. Orr swept around left end for 26 yards on the first play and then sweep the right end for 18 yards and the score.
Another lost fumble on Priceville's next possession gave Danville the ball at midfield. The Hawks with the help of a 22-yard Chase Suggs to Murphy pass drove inside the Priceville 20. They would get no further and turned the ball over on downs.
The second quarter saw the Bulldogs turn the ball over twice more as Murphy and the Hawks' Thomas Garner each intercepted a pass but the Priceville defense played tough and kept Danville out of the end zone. The first half ended with Danville leading 7-0.
The third quarter began with each team punting the ball twice. The Bulldogs did win the field position battle as they started their third drive of the second half at the Danville 49. Priceville fullback Justin Lawson ran for 10 yards and a first down at the Hawk 39. Two runs by Hunter Teague gave Priceville a first-and-10 at the Danville 28. It was here that the Hawk defense stiffened and the third quarter ended with Priceville facing a fourth-and-six at the Danville 24 ran the ball and gained only a yard, turning the ball over to the Hawks. A 20-yard Priceville punt gave Danville the football at the Bulldog 43. Nine plays and nearly four minutes later the Hawks had put the game away after a 10-yard Orr touchdown run. A bad snap cost Danville the extra point but with 3:51 left in the game the Hawks led 13-0.
Danville's Donte Orr picked off two Fairbanks passes in the last three minutes and the Hawk defense had its first shutout of the season.
Offensively, Jeremy Orr led the Danville rushing attack with 102 yards on 25 carries.
Lee Waddell led the Danville defense with 10 tackles while Thomas Garner and Craig Poole each had six stops.
Priceville slipped to 1-3 on the season.