DANVILLE – The Danville Hawks opened the 2010 football season with a 47-27 home loss to the Colbert Heights Wildcats.
Sophomore Cole Claunch did much of the damage for the Wildcats, throwing touchdown passes of 82 and 21 yards to Joshua Lindsey to give Colbert Heights a 12-0 lead in the first period.
Claunch finished the night with 269 yards and four touchdown passes.
Danville cut the lead to 12-7 on its next possession as the Hawks drove 97 yards in 11 plays.
Junior quarterback Caleb Hill got the touchdown on a 4-yard run and Lawrence Jacko kicked the extra point to cut the Colbert Heights lead to five with 10:46 left in the first half.
Hill kept the drive alive with a pass down the left sideline to senior Clint McAbee. The pass gained 23 yards to give Danville a first down at their own 28. Hill completed 5-of-6 passes on the drive for 84 yards.
Colbert Heights ended the first half with a 19-7 lead when Claunch hit Jeffrey Handley on an 11-yard touchdown pass.
Chandler Cruise added the extra point for the Wildcats.
The Colbert Heights lead grew to 27-7 with 4:44 left in the third quarter when Jason Handley scored on a 1-yard plunge. The two-point conversion was successful and gave the Wildcats a 20-point advantage.
Danville scored three times in the final period but could gain no ground as Colbert Heights matched each score with one of its own.
Danville’s touchdowns came on a 4-yard run by Thomas Russell, a 30-yard run by Jessie Posey and a 37-yard fumble return by Aaron Anderson.
The Wildcats scored on a 73-yard Claunch-to-Handley pass, a 75-yard interception return by Handley and a 36-yard Dylan Murphy run as time expired for a 47-27 final.
Individual leaders for Danville were Jessie Posey with 70 yards rushing on 16 carries. Caleb Hill threw for 153 yards while completing 15-of-28 passes.
Clint McAbee had six receptions for 64 yards while Thomas Russell caught three passes for 36 yards.
The Hawks will attempt to get their first win of the season Friday against Sheffield at home in the region opener for each team.