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Mr. 5,000: Driskell leads Boyd past McKinney, into the playoffs
By Richard C. White, rwhite@starlocalnews.com
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Just as McKinney Boyd's playoff dreams came true, McKinney's hopes for a postseason berth ended in a flurry as Broncos running back Bryan Driskell led the charge, surpassing 5,000 career rushing yards Friday night in the 56-21 victory from Ron Poe Stadium.
"Wow, that's a dream," Driskell said. "I can't believe that I got that accomplishment. I share that with my offensive line and my tight ends. I feel so blessed to be a part of this football team and to have this kind of performance on Senior Night."
"Hopefully this shows we're headed in the right direction," said Don Drake, Boyd head coach. "We've been able to do it three years in a row now. We're a long way from where we started seven years ago and I'm so proud of these kids and the traditions they're creating."
Driskell's star shined bright, as the senior finished with 333 yards off 35 carries and seven touchdowns to go with a slew of impressive career marks and school records in his final regular season game.
Driskell not only surpassed 5,000 career yards rushing in the victory, he also surpassed 400 career points and set a new single game school record with his seven touchdowns.
"That's crazy; it doesn't even feel like I scored seven touchdowns," he said. "I just take it one drive at a time. It's a blessing to be the leader of this offense, to be the spark for all these great guys on this team. The stats are nice, but they wouldn't mean anything if we hadn't gotten the win. We're heading to the playoffs; that's the most important thing."
The annual grudge match between the cross-town rivals had far more than just city bragging rights on the line, as both Boyd (6-4, 3-2) and McKinney (5-5, 1-4) were hoping to play deeper into November, but only Boyd's playoff dreams were realized, coming at McKinney's expense.
"It's a tough loss and our guys are disappointed," said Jeff Smith, McKinney head coach. "Still, it's been a great year and I'm so proud of the way the kids have grown and the character they've showed."
As for Boyd's game plan, there were no surprises on the night as the Lions knew going in that the Broncos were going to have their star running back carry the load in their run-heavy offense.
Starting his night off with a bang, Driskell had all of the Broncos' positive yardage on their opening drive, finishing it with a 4-yard run past the goal line for the game's first score.
Boyd's defense shut down McKinney on their next possession. Rather than kick the field goal, the Lions went for it on a fourth and two from the Broncos 12, but came up one yard short on the quarterback keeper.
Minutes later Driskell was back at it, taking in a 55-yard run for the 14-0 Boyd lead.
"They got a two-score lead, but we bounced back, we battled back," Smith said. "That's a tribute to our kids."
The Lions would strike early in the second quarter as quarterback Robert Somborn found receiver Connor Fuentes for a 14-yard reception into the far right side of the end zone, cutting the Broncos lead to 14-7.
Somborn was 28-of-42, passing for 318 yards and three touchdowns to one interception on the night.
Meanwhile, Driskell's long runs were far from over as he fought off a tough tackle at the 5-yard line to dive into the end zone, capping a 50-yard run late in the second quarter to push the lead to 21-7.
The back-and-forth scoring continued on McKinney's next drive as Somborn again found Fuentes from four yards out. Fuentes was then ejected for taunting after the play.
With a little more than a minute left in the first half, Driskell charged past the goal line on a 7-yard run, surpassing 5,000 career rushing yards in his high school career as Boyd went up, 28-14.
"They ran the ball well," Smith said. "Bryan Driskell had a great night. We just had a hard time stopping him."
Driskell looked just as strong in the second half, powering through a 41-yard touchdown run less than two minutes into the third quarter. McKinney, though, would keep it within striking distance at two scores as TV Williams ran a post route, taking in a 65-yard reception and cutting Boyd's lead to 35-21.
Driskell's special night was far from over as his 15-yard run into the end zone late in the third quarter set a single game school record for six touchdowns while also surpassing 400 total points in his high school career.
"He's outstanding," Drake said. "He's a tremendous athlete, and an even better person and leader for our team. I can't be happier for the kid."
Later in the fourth quarter, after Driskell extended his new school record to seven touchdowns on the night, Boyd's defense got in on the fun, as linebacker Matt Dodson recovered a fumble in the end zone, for the 56-21 final score.
When asked if he had any idea he was about to have the special night that he did, Driskell's answer was quick and simple, as his focus never wavered from the team's collective playoff dreams.
"No, not at all," Driskell said. "I just expected to win. All of this, it was just a bonus."
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