By Bill Templeton
Sports Writer

What a difference a week makes.
Following a frustrating loss last week in its home opener, Bell County rallied in the second half Friday night at Dudley Hilton Field to edge Boyd County, 36-31.
It was a game that was not for the faint of heart.
After junior Blake Burnett’s 1-yard scoring run staked the Bobcats to their first lead of the game with 1:30 remaining, Boyd quarterback Rhett Holbrook connected on a 42-yard pass to Cole Hicks down the Bell 1-yard line with less than a minute to play.
Initially stunned into silence, the partisan crowd erupted in cheers when the play was nullified by a holding penalty whistled against the Lions.
Bell senior defensive stalwart Hayden Dameron then combined with teammates on a 14-yard loss on the ensuing play, and two plays later a sack of Holbrook by junior James Neal ended the game.
Junior Kaleb Miller had a monster game for Bell, scoring four touchdowns and rushing 31 times for a game-high 188 yards.
Burnett completed seven of his 12 pass attempts for 129 yards, 103 of which came during the final two quarters, including a 59-yard strike to junior Joseph Brigmon that set up Miller’s fourth rushing touchdown of the contest.
Holbrook confounded Bell defensive backs throughout the game, throwing for 262 yards on an 18-for-31 performance, including a pair of long touchdown passes to Thomas Crawford. The Boyd senior also ran for a touchdown and rushed for 66 yards on 11 carries.
Boyd assumed command early when junior Kaleb Kelley returned the opening kick 42 yards to set up the Lions at the Bell 29. Seven plays later, senior Erik Germann’s 1-yard run opened the scoring.
After thwarting the Bobcats on their first offensive possession, Holbrook needed just five plays to stake the visitors to a two-touchdown lead with a 36-yard scoring strike to Crawford.
Bell answered with a gritty 12-play, 65-yard drive, culminated by a 2-yard run by Miller.
A failed onside kick by the Bobcats set up Holbrook and the Lions near midfield on the ensuing possession, and eight plays later the savvy senior ambled into the end zone from 6 yards out.
Back came the Bobcats, with Burnett leading his team down the field on a drive that featured a 20-yard completion to senior Blake Evans and was capped on a 1-yard scoring run by Miller. Burnett’s two-point conversion run made it, 21-14.
Boyd senior Layton Henry converted a 32-yard field goal just before halftime.
Following the intermission, Burnett triggered a 16-play, 76-yard drive that consumed nearly eight minutes to open the third quarter.
Following two costly penalties whistled against Boyd during the march, a 1-yard run by Miller and a two-point conversion run by Dameron cut the deficit to, 24-22.
Holbrook then needed just seven plays to extend the Lions’ lead, when he and Crawford hooked up again, this time on a 38-yard scoring pass.
The 59-yard Burnett-to-Brigmon pass highlighted Bell’s ensuing drive, and produced Miller’s fourth rushing touchdown, this time from 3 yards out. Dameron’s second consecutive conversion run made it 31-30.
After forcing the Lions’ lone punt of the evening, a 30-yard run by Miller pushed the Bobcats into Boyd territory. Burnett’s 10-yard strike to freshman Logan Greene on fourth down kept the drive alive and two plays later, Burnett’s scoring run set the stage for the dramatic finish.
Bell (1-1) amassed 315 rushing yards on 60 attempts, and recorded 25 first downs. Dameron was credited with three sacks.
The Bobcats travel to Letcher Central on Friday.

Boyd County 14 10 7 0 — 31
Bell County 6 8 8 14 — 36
Boyd – Germann 1 run (kick failed)
Boyd – Crawford 36 pass from Holbrook (Castle pass from Holbrook)
Bell – Miller 2 run (pass failed)
Boyd – Holbrook 6 run (Henry kick)
Bell – Miller 1 run (Burnett run)
Boyd – Henry 32 field goal
Bell – Miller 1 run (Dameron run)
Boyd – Crawford 38 pass from Holbrook (Henry kick)
Bell – Miller 3 run (Dameron run)
Bell – Burnett 1 run (run failed)