HOWARD — Emotions ran deep and covered the spectrum on Friday night as the Danville Blue Devils overwhelmed East Knox in the annual Devil-Dog game, 42-0.
Under the visitors’ goal post at East Knox’s Chet Looney Stadium, Blue Devils fans, coaches and families celebrated not only the victory, but the outright Knox Morrow Athletic Conference crown.
“I told the players, we were one step closer to completing the mission by beating East Knox, and of course winning the conference title,” Danville coach Matt Blum said.
The Blue Devils wasted no time by scoring on their first possession.
Brycen Burke made an acrobatic catch in the corner of the end zone, followed by a successful two-point conversion putting the visitors up 8-0 with 9:56 remaining in the first period.
Running back Cy Wallace set the pace, as he has all season, recording three touchdowns.
East Knox made it inside the red zone twice in the first half, but came away empty both times.
The closest the Bulldogs were able to hit paydirt took place in the second quarter when they managed to get to the Blue Devil 1-yard line, but a penalty and a goal line stand by a stingy Danville defense quashed that drive.
By the end of the third period, Danville had opened a 36-0 bulge. The scoring for the contest ended when Justice Tharp snagged a touchdown pass for the Blue Devils.
That completed a 10-0 regular season and a 7-0 mark atop the KMAC standings. Danville has clinched a first round bye in the Division VII playoffs.
Meanwhile, the home Bulldogs circled up after the game, some for the last time, listening to coach Gage Steinmetz as he delivered one final address for the 2026 season. Following the talk, players lined up and one by one, bade farewell with a hug from each coach.
“This season has been a testament to the brotherhood and the family atmosphere we have with this team,” Steimmetz said in his first season as head coach. “Looking at these seniors, they really paved the way for the underclassmen and showed them what a good team mate looks like, what a leader looks like and what commitment looks like.”
“I don’t think words can describe what this senior class meant to this program, they set the foundation, they were the leaders.”