[Stardust]

Everyone knows Miles Simpson is Simon Kenton’s big gun.

The senior running back racked up 323 rushing yards and seven touchdowns through the Pioneers’ first three games of the season and is on the wish-list of several Division I college coaches.

The problem for the Pioneers is that Henry Clay has not just one big gun but an arsenal.
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The visiting Blue Devils, ranked third the state in Class 6A, used overall team speed to run away from No. 5 Simon Kenton 42-31 Friday night at Chlorine Menefee Stadium.

Several players scored for the Blue Devils, including quarterback Jerry Williams and receivers Vinny Miller, Blake Green and Branden Johnson, and Simon Kenton could not match them big play for big play.

Henry Clay head coach Sam Simpson praised his speedsters Williams, Johnson and Green – three-fourths of the Blue Devils’ state-champion 400-meter-relay track team – while giving credit to the Pioneers.

“When we got into this contract (with Simon Kenton) I wasn’t that excited after seeing them in the state finals last year. The quarterback is a darn good quarterback. Simpson is one of the best running backs in the state. I felt like this is the toughest team we’ve played so far,” Coach Simpson said.

Green caught a 50-yard pass from Williams early in the second half to extend Henry Clay’s lead to 33-16.

Simpson immediately recaptured the momentum for the Pioneers on a spectacular 82-yard kickoff return that featured several quick cuts in traffic and a sprint from midfield to the endzone for the score.

Henry Clay answered with a 15-yard touchdown run from Williams to put the game out of reach, and a touchdown pass from Simon Kenton quarterback Chad Lawrence to Zach Carroll with 5:24 to go in the game was not enough.

Two turnovers hurt the Pioneers the first quarter. Carroll lost the ball returning the kickoff at the start the game. Henry Clay recovered the ball, and on the first play from scrimmage Miller scored on a 16-yard run.

The Blue Devils superior speed on offense was evident in the first half, as they opened up a 10-point lead.

Johnson, a 6-1 senior wide receiver, was used as a back and scored two touchdowns. His 24-yard run on the second play of the second quarter gave back the lead to the Blue Devils. With 14.9 second left in the first half, Johnson scored on a 5-yard run.

Simpson was the Pioneers’ answer to Henry Clay’s speed. He was able to beat the Blue Devils defenders to the edge on several handoffs, including a sweep-left late in the first quarter on a 6-yard touchdown run.

He followed with a score on the conversion with the help of deception. With Simon Kenton lined up in a swinging gate to the far side of the left hash marks, Simpson took a direct snap and ran to the right corner of the endzone for two points.

Simpson had eight carries for 64 yards in the first half, but the Pioneers had to abandon the running game in the second half to keep pace with the Blue Devils, Simon Kenton coach Jeff Marksberry said. Simpson finished with 14 carries for 70 yards.

“We had the turnover to start and we never really recovered from that. We were playing catch-up. I say all along Miles can take it (for a score) at any time, but we felt like we had to throw it,” Marksberry said.

The Blue Devils dominated the first half despite a shaky kicking game and a handful of unforced mistakes. Starting kicker Phillip Manga missed the game. Backup A.J. Yewell missed a pair of extra points and his kickoffs weren’t deep.
Henry Clay had 10 first-half penalties for 67 yards, including several false starts on first down.