Blue Devils Win Back and Forth Battle

WAYNE - In a contest that featured seven lead changes, penalties and a punishing running attack put the game away for Wayne, who topped Boone Central 38-27 Friday night on the campus on Wayne State.

The Blue Devils marched methodically 80 yards down the field on their first possession, scoring from 8 yards out with Reid Korth, who finished the night with 158 yards and 3 TDs.

A blocked punt got the Cardinals going later in the 1st, as Sam Grape took the ball off the Wayne punter's foot and returned it to the 3, setting up a go-ahead score by QB Braden Benes, who tallied 3 rushing TDs in the game to go along with one passing score.

The teams traded leads all evening, deep into the 3rd quarter, when Tanner Walling hit Layne Evans for a 4-yard touchdown to put the Blue Devils ahead for good, 31-21.

The Cards cut the lead to six following another Benes score and appeared to have a chance for a winning drive with 3 minutes left, but a targeting penalty on an incomplete 4th-down Blue Devils pass play, compounded with an unsportsmanlike conduct flag, gave Wayne a 1st-and-goal at the 5. QB Tanner Walling took it in himself from there to salt the game away, 38-27.

Wayne (5-2) is on the road at O'Neill this Friday, while Boone Central (2-3) heads to Columbus to take on Scotus.