Alleghany wins TRD football championship

FLOYD – On Friday night, Alleghany continued to do what they have done all season long, stomping their opponents.

 

Floyd County was the 10th team this season to feel the Cougars wrath as AHS cruised to another double-digit blowout victory following a 48-13 Three Rivers District win over the Buffaloes. 

 

The win capped off an undefeated regular season by winning the outright district championship for the Cougars.

 

Alleghany was led by their quarterback Des Jordan, who continued to torch opposing defenses. Jordan threw for 408-yards after he completed 21-of-24 pass attempts.  

 

The junior QB had six total touchdowns in the win over Floyd County, with four of them in the air and two on the ground in the run-game. While Jordan was electric on on the offensive side of the football, he also had a fumble recovery on defense.

 

Jordan completed nine of his 21 passes to senior Xzavier Hayslett, who reeled in a game-high nine catches for 127-yards and two touchdown receptions. Hayslett is only 12-yds shy of the one-thousand mark for the season in receiving yards.

 

Senior Nick Frye put together a season-high in receiving yards with 87 on three receptions, while fellow senior Hunter Knighton and junior Sarge Persinger each reeled in touchdown passes.

 

Running back Carter Nicely continued to bulldoze through the defensive line as the junior added another 100-yard rushing game with 110, while surpassing 1,000-yds rushing on the season on 143 attempts. Nicely also added his eighth rushing score of the year.

 

Junior Brycen Griffith provided a spark on defense with an interception, while senior Joseph Rogers had a forced fumble. 

 

The Cougars took control of the game from opening kickoff. AHS needed only one minute and eight seconds to put the first points of the game on the scoreboard after Jordan scored the first of his two rushing touchdowns.

 

Alleghany would score twice more in the first period coming on a 23-yard push pass from Jordan to Knighton and Nicely rushed into the endzone from 4-yards out as the Cougars built a 20-0 lead.

 

Floyd County would put points on the scoreboard minutes before the end of the first quarter when Luke Schumann reeled in the first of his two touchdown receptions, with the first coming on a 62-yard TD pass from Sam Phillips.

 

In the second quarter, Alleghany’s lead would increase after the Cougars reached the end zone two more times as Hayslett secured the first of his two touchdown receptions. Hayslett completed a 12-yard touchdown reception on the first play of the second quarter. Meanwhile Jordan rushed for his second touchdown a third of the way into the quarter.

 

Alleghany led 34-6 at halftime. 

 

The Cougars would be held scoreless in the third quarter, while the Buffaloes cut into their deficit as Schumann reeled in his second touchdown with this one coming from backup quarterback. J.P. Dunford.

 

The blowout continued into the final quarter when Jordan tossed his third and fourth touchdown passes. 

 

Much like in the second quarter, Alleghany only needed seconds to score. Jordan connected with Hayslett for a second time with this one coming on a play that seemed broken. With the ball spotted at the 5-yard line, the snap was high and the ball flew over Jordan’s head. The quarterback quickly recovered the ball around the 20-yard line and then found Hayslett wide open in the end zone. 

 

You knew at that moment that the game was wrapped up.

 

The Cougars would find the end zone one last time early in the fourth quarter as Jordan connected with Persinger for the game’s longest play as the duo connected on a 76-yard touchdown. 

 

The win improved Alleghany to 10-0 overall and 6-0 in the district. Over the weekend the Cougars were named the No. 3 seed in the VHSL Class 3, Region C playoffs. 

 

On Friday Alleghany hosts No. 6 Wilson Memorial.