JASPER, Tenn. — With his heels near the Boyd-Buchanan goal line, Seth Emory guarded the end zone as if it were his home.

The Buccaneers’ all-region linebacker refused to allow Marion County running back Joe Muir in, stopping him short on a two-point conversion attempt with 43 seconds remaining to preserve a 21-20 Region 3-2A victory.

“I was surprised they were running inside,” Emory said. “They had just scored by getting to the outside, but I just came through as hard as I could and tried to blow that play up.”

Boyd-Buchanan was without senior quarterback Nic Hughes, who sprained his left knee in practice this week but is expected to return next week. In his absence, the Bucs rushed 52 times for 284 yards, led by Ben Beasley’s 131 yards on 12 carries to improve to 3-0 overall for the first time since 2002.

“The doctor told us to keep Nic out this week, and I’m always going to keep the health of our kids first,” Bucs coach Grant Reynolds said. “It was a great job by our offensive line to take charge, and I thought all our backs ran hard.

“I have nothing but respect for Marion and the job they did tonight. We just had some kids to step up really big when we needed it.”

In a game dominated by both defenses for most of the night, the teams combined for 222 yards in the fourth quarter. The Warriors pulled within one with a 13-play, 66-yard scoring drive, converting two fourth downs and capped by quarterback Chris Martin’s 4-yard run. After a timeout to talk about the play, Marion ran Muir on an inside veer that had worked for much of the second half.

“I felt like momentum was on our side,” Warriors coach Troy Boeck said. “That’s a play that I believe in. Boyd’s linebacker just made a great play. I believe in these kids and I’d run the same play again if I had to.”

Marion started four first-half drives inside Boyd-Buchanan territory but trailed 8-7. After the Bucs had extended their lead, Marion tied it at 14 on a 42-yard run by Corpeio Brocks. But Boyd answered with a six-play, 91-yard drive that culminated in a 4-yard TD by Hayden Meadows. The drive was highlighted by Beasley’s 75 rushing yards on three carries.

“My line stepped up so much tonight,” Beasley said. “When we watch film, everybody will notice that all I did was run. The holes were opening up so wide they made it easy.”

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