Brooklen Davis spent a lot of time waiting in the wings in the running back room at Montgomery Bell Academy, but his time is now.
The junior’s 175 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns carried the Big Red to their first win of the season Friday night, a 24-20 upset over previously unbeaten Father Ryan.
After watching current Tennessee State freshman Johnothan Moore handle the majority of the carries last season, Davis is turning into a reliable veteran himself.
“(Moore) pushed me every day,” Davis said. “I knew coming into this year, I was going to have to play a big role, knowing we had some guys with inexperience. But I was prepared for it.”
“(Davis) has gotten better each week,” MBA head coach Marty Euverard said. “When he has vision, he is as good as anyone we’ve got. He’s just got to keep working on his vision. I’m really proud of him.”
Sophomore quarterback Hugh Price picked up his first career victory Friday night, and he appreciates having a guy like Davis to trust on the field.
“I can rely on him every play,” Price said. “He’s going to run as hard as he can. He establishes our run game, courtesy of the o-line of course. Even when (I drop back) to pass, I can count on him to pick up that extra linebacker.
“It’s just amazing to have him. I love him. Kid’s got a big heart.”
The Big Red (1-4) notched their first win of the season later than they anticipated, but they felt like they were on the doorstep the whole time. MBA dropped one-score games to Pearl-Cohn and Memphis University School in two of the first three weeks.
Despite trailing 13-0 after one quarter at Father Ryan, the Big Red maintained their focus and confidence. The Irish only managed one more score the entire game.
“As a coach, you just never want your kids to quit believing, and they didn’t,” Euverard said. “We came out here tonight against a really good Father Ryan team and played outstanding in all three phases: defense, offense and kicking game. It was incredible.”
“(The win) shows our team that we can do it,” Davis said. “We can do it. That’s all it is. It’s about us. I’m not worried about nobody else but us, our team and our growth.”
MBA has now beaten Father Ryan 27 consecutive times. The Irish’s most recent victory over the Big Red came in the 1997 Division II-AA state title game.
Father Ryan, which is 3-1 with marquee wins over Brentwood Academy and Pope Prep, will look to bounce back next Friday at Briarcrest Christian (2-3). Montgomery Bell Academy travels to Chattanooga to take on McCallie (5-0).
Montgomery Bell Academy 24, Father Ryan 20
MBA 0 10 7 7 24
FRHS 13 0 7 0 20
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
FRHS – Charlie Becker 76-yard pass from Jojo Crump, Peter Hagey kick (11:43)
FRHS – JoJo Crump 1-yd run, Peter Hagey kick failed (4:03)
Second Quarter
MBA – Brooklen Davis 2-yd run, Liam Hackett kick (11:23)
MBA – Liam Hackett 30-yd field goal (6:35)
Third Quarter
MBA – Brooklen Davis 2-yd run, Liam Hackett kick (7:39)
FRHS – JoJo Crump 1-yd run, Peter Hagey kick (2:04)
Fourth Quarter
MBA – Brooklen Davis 30-yd run, Liam Hackett kick (5:40)
