Last week, Marquel Tinsley sat on the sideline after dislocating his shoulder on the opening kickoff return. This week, Tinsley hauled in two touchdown catches to lead Daviess County to a 20-18 win over John Hardin.
After a one-hour rain delay, the Panthers (2-1) wasted not time putting points on the board — something they’ve struggled with out of the gate in their first two games.
Landon Newman gave Daviess County the edge early when he found the endzone on a 3-yard rush. The Bulldogs stalled on their opening drive, giving the ball right back to the Panthers, who were able to quickly capitalize.
Quarterback Joey Cambron connected on a 40-yard pass to Tinsley, giving the Panthers a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. Cambron hooked up with Tinsley for a second time on a 52-yard touchdown, but a missed extra point kept the score at 20-0.
Tinsley was deemed fully recovered from his injury, and he said he felt that was nothing short of a miracle. Head coach Matt Brannon echoed that sentiment.
“It was a unique situation with his dislocated shoulder,” Brannon said. “This morning, the training staff told us his injured shoulder was stronger than his non-injured shoulder. I truly believe in divine intervention in this one. I think it was a little higher power at work.”
The Bulldogs did manage to get on the board before the break, scoring a touchdown with 1:13 to go in the half. A failed two-point conversion attempt made the score 20-6 at halftime.
John Hardin carried the momentum of their first score into the second half, scoring twice more in the third quarter. However, failed two-point conversions on each of those drives kept the Panther lead at 20-18 going into the final 12 minutes of play. A scoreless final quarter gave the Panthers a victory and got them back in the win column.
Brannon said he appreciated the defensive effort from his squad. As the game drew near the end, the Panthers didn’t stood strong and held the Cougars at bay.
“Ultimately, this game was won because we played great defense,” Brannon said. “Hats off to the defense, they kept us in a situation where we could finish it out.”
Cambron finished 30-of-42, passing for 324 yards and two touchdowns. Tinsley hauled in 11 receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Newman carried the ball 22 times for 110 yards and a single score.
Daviess County will be back in action at 7 p.m. Friday, playing Hancock County (2-1) on the road.
