DANVILLE — Josh Byers already has secured his place among Danville greats, even if the rugged senior linebacker never makes another tackle in his high school career.

Given his propensity for seeking out ball carriers, however, it’s safe to assume Byers hasn’t made his final stop.

The newly-minted Central District Defensive Player of the Year in Division VII, Byers will lead the rough-and-tumble Blue Devils into Friday’s Region 27 championship game against Beaver Eastern at Logan’s Chieftain Stadium. 

The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Byers made 18 tackles in last week’s 46-6 regional semifinal win over Corning Miller. He set the tone on Miller’s first play from scrimmage, de-cleating 1,500-yard running back Zander Bice for one of his two tackles for loss.

Bice was limited to 33 rushing yards on 12 carries. 

“They made a point that they were the more physical team and that set us off a little bit,” Byers said afterward. “We take pride in being a physical team, too, so we took that personally. 

“We came out here and showed them how physical we are.”

Byers has 183 tackles through 13 games. He is 29 stops shy of matching the Danville single-season mark of 212, set by Kyle Schultz in 2012. He would likely need two more games to surpass Schultz, but Danville is the overwhelming favorite to win the Region 27 championship and advance to the state semifinals.

“He’s the heart and soul of our defense,” Danville coach Matthew Blum said of Byers. “He’s a two-year team captain and he didn’t miss a single weight-lifting session during the entire off-season.

“He does everything we ask of him. We’re lucky to have him.”

Byers needs just one tackle to become the eighth player in program history with 400 career stops. Steve Payne owns the career mark of 490 tackles from 2001 to 2004.

With Byers leading the charge, Danville’s stingy defense has taken it to another level in the postseason. In three playoff games, the Blue Devils have outscored their opponents 160-8.

Miller scored its only touchdown in the third quarter of last week’s game, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive scoreless quarters. The last time Danville gave up a score was in the fourth quarter of the regular season finale against East Knox.

Danville’s defense has allowed 132 points in 13 games. The Blue Devils surrendered 96 points through the first five weeks of the season and just 36 points during their current eight-game winning streak.

Danville allows just 79.8 rushing yards per game. Opponents average only 2.9 yards per rushing attempt.

“Any time you have a defense that only gives up three yards a carry, that’s special,” Blum said. “I’m really proud of them.”

While top-seeded Danville thundered into the regional final, No. 2 Eastern had its hands full in last week’s 29-22 win over third-seeded Conotton Valley. The Eagles led 21-0 at the half before Conotton Valley took a 22-21 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. 

Facing a fourth-and-15 situation, Eastern running back Brady Moore took a handoff from quarterback Eric Manley and rumbled 17 yards for a first down. Wyatt Richardson would score the game-winner moments later.

Eastern first fielded a varsity football team in 2015. The Eagles are in the regional final for the first time in the program’s brief history.

Meanwhile, Danville will play in a regional championship game for a third straight season. The Blue Devils reached the Region 25 final in 2022, falling to eventual state runner-up Warren JFK. Danville fell to eventual state runner-up Dalton 31-8 in last year’s Region 25 final.

The Blue Devils are seeking the fifth regional championship in program history. Danville last reached the state semifinals in 2017.

“We’ve never been to three straight regional finals in program history. That’s a big deal,” Blum said. “I don’t want people to lose sight of that.

But we understand what the next step is. We’re ready to do everything possible to break down that door and get to the Final Four.”

Byers agreed.

“The goal is to win a regional championship and get to the Final Four,” Byers said. “We’ve come up short in the regional final the last couple of years. This year we want to win it.”