Micah Joyner sparks Dougherty past Westover for region football title

ALBANY — Micah Joyner scrambled toward the sideline, changed direction and kept running. Westover defenders pursued him across the field, getting close enough to threaten a tackle but never close enough to finish one.

By the time Dougherty’s sophomore quarterback reached the end zone, he had done considerably more than rescue a broken play.

He had given the Trojans breathing room in a championship game — and started a third-quarter surge that delivered his father a milestone victory.

No. 7-ranked Dougherty defeated crosstown rival Westover 31-8 Friday at Hugh Mills Stadium, clinching the Region 1-4A championship before the stadium’s largest crowd of the season.

The Trojans improved to 8-1, while Westover fell to 7-2. Dougherty coach Uyl Joyner earned his first victory in three meetings against his older brother, Westover coach Corey Joyner.

On a night that also brought Dougherty’s homecoming celebration and the fifth Hamp Smith Classic, honoring the legendary Albany State coach, Micah supplied the defining play.

Dougherty’s defense made sure it mattered.

Before the Trojans scored 21 third-quarter points, their defenders turned away two Westover opportunities to make a 10-0 game much tighter. The Patriots reached the 9-yard line on their opening possession of the second half, then recovered a Joyner fumble on their next defensive series.

Neither opportunity produced points.

That resistance gave Micah time to find a way through a Westover defense that had spent the first half making everything difficult.

The Trojans had threatened immediately. Senior David Burgess returned the opening kickoff to the Westover 24, but the Patriots held and Christian Hernandez missed a 40-yard field-goal attempt.

Westover answered with a ground-driven possession featuring quarterback Gabriel Hopper, Jalen Mack and Michael Daniels. Daniels’ big gain helped put the Patriots at the Dougherty 23 before Nilan Jones delivered a sack. Westover’s fourth-and-7 pass fell incomplete.

The first quarter ended scoreless. A special-teams mistake finally created the opening Dougherty needed.

Backed up in their own territory during the second quarter, the Patriots could not execute a punt after the punter failed to handle the snap. Dougherty tackled him at the Westover 23.

Micah needed one play, finding Jayden Richardson for a 23-yard touchdown. Hernandez’s extra point made it 7-0.

Burgess later returned a punt 48 yards to the end zone, but a block-in-the-back penalty erased the touchdown. The Trojans instead settled for extending their lead just before halftime.

A completion to Detavious Poole moved Dougherty to the Westover 13 with 21 seconds remaining. Another pass to Burgess put the Trojans at the 11 with three seconds left, and Hernandez kicked a 23-yard field goal as time expired.

Westover emerged from halftime with an opportunity to change the game.

Hopper found Jordan Joyner — Corey’s son and Micah’s cousin — open behind the defense for a gain to the Dougherty 24. A defensive holding penalty helped move the Patriots to the 9.

From there, they went backward. A fourth-and-11 pass fell incomplete.

Westover got another chance when Micah escaped pressure near his goal line and advanced to around the 30 before losing a fumble on the tackle. Again, Dougherty refused to yield. The Patriots faced fourth-and-14 at the 30 and threw incomplete.

This time, the Trojans turned the stop into separation.

Micah connected with Zion Johnson and Alonzo Hammond, then scrambled for another gain as Dougherty moved into Westover territory. Intentional grounding pushed the Trojans back, and personal fouls on both teams interrupted the possession while officials sorted out the penalties.

When play resumed, Micah made a snap’s worth of football last much longer.

He retreated from pressure, worked toward the sideline and cut back toward the middle. Defenders kept coming. He kept finding another route.

The touchdown and Hernandez’s extra point made it 17-0.

Dougherty quickly made the margin larger.

Westover fumbled the ensuing kickoff return, and the Trojans recovered at the Patriots’ 25. On the first play, Micah found Melvin Williams over the middle. Williams leaped for the catch and took it into the end zone for a 24-0 advantage.

Penalties then moved Dougherty’s kickoff spot to the Westover 30. Hernandez followed with an onside kick, and the Trojans recovered at the 24.

Poole caught a pass and dragged defenders to the 7. Two plays later, Johnson scored, and Hernandez’s kick made it 31-0 by the end of the quarter.

Westover broke through in the fourth. A big run by Hopper and a Dougherty penalty helped set up his 12-yard touchdown pass to Ahmad Mitchell. Hopper found Jaden Thomas for the two-point conversion.

By then, the Trojans had turned a defensive struggle into a championship celebration.

Uyl had his first victory over Corey. Dougherty had the region title.

Micah had supplied the escape nobody could stop.