JOHNSTOWN — Bryce Staats threw for three touchdowns and ran for a pair in Danville’s 40-0 shutout victory at Northridge on Friday night.
The win keeps Danville in a tie with Johnstown for the lead in the Mid-Buckeye Conference with identical 6-1, 4-0 records.
Staats accounted for nearly 82 percent of the Blue Devil offense, with 138 yards rushing on just nine attempts and 11-of-23 passing for 145 yards. His three passing TDs give him 15 for the season against zero interceptions.
Danville’s defense kept the Vikings Jacob Burke in check, limiting him to 29 yards on 12 carries. As a team, Northridge (3-4, 1-3) managed just 25 yards on 37 carries. Bryant Garee completed 12-of-21 passes for 93 yards.
The Blue Devils took over at their own 21-yard line for their first drive of the game, and Staats immediately took off for a 79-yard TD run with 8:31 left in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
Danville had the ball again to start the second quarter, just outside the midfield stripe. Staats sent a pass to Corey Geog, and he took it the rest of the way for a 51-yard TD and a 13-0 lead. A Viking fumble gave the ball right back to the Blue Devils, and Kyle Schultz punched in a 1-yard run with 9:58 to play. Geog hauled in Staats’s 2-point conversion pass for a 21-0 score.
With Northridge unable to move the ball, Danville had two more touchdowns left in the half. Staats zipped a 2-yard TD pass to Dan Mickley with 5:01 left in the half, and at the 1:29 mark Staats found Geog again, this time for 32 yards, for a 33-0 halftime edge.
The Blue Devils got the ball to start the second half, and Staats began it as he did the first half, with a touchdown run. Staats ran it in from 48 yards out, and the score was now 40-0. Danville put in its reserves at that point, and they ran out the clock.
Schultz rushed four times for 25 yards for the Blue Devils, and A.J. Winings had one run for 27 yards. Ridge Durbin was 3-of-5 for 18 yards passing in relief. Geog finished with six catches for 115 yards and a pair of scores.
Danville’s biggest game of the year so far will come this Friday, as it hosts fellow MBC leader Johnstown at 7 p.m.
