The Inter-Mountain photo by Joey Kittle
Philip Barbour entertains Clay County at George Byrer Field at BC Bank Park at 4 p.m. today.
PHILIPPI — School history will be made today when Philip Barbour hosts its first-ever playoff football game.
The sixth-seeded Colts (7-3) battle No. 11 Clay County (7-3) at 4 p.m. today in a Class AA, first-round matchup at George Byrer Field at BC Bank Park.
It’s the second straight postseason berth for Philip Barbour under head coach Nick Mayle. The Colts also entered the record books in 2023, winning the first playoff game in the 61 years of the school’s existence.
The No. 61 has special meaning for the Philip Barbour family, as Keaton “Beef” McDermott donned the jersey number during his all-state career for the Colts.
The 2024 graduate was tragically killed in an automobile crash in June.
Mayle
Philip Barbour features the hard-nosed running of Logan Beam, whose amassed over 1,000 yards on the season. The junior has found the end zone a team-high 17 times on the season.
Freshman Robbie Jones has stepped in at quarterback with senior Braylyn Edwards sidelined with an injury.
His top targets include junior speedsters Cam Bennett and Malachi Poling, who both have five receiving touchdown receptions on the season.
Sophomore running back Mason Jones and junior receiver Patrick Webster also figure into the offense.
The line is anchored by 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior tackle John McGee.
On defense, junior Tyler Vance has emerged as one of the top players in Class AA from his linebacker spot.
The ball-hawking Vance is averaging 12.5 tackles, a team-high four quarterback sacks, forced two fumbles and recovered two more.
Fellow linebackers Mason Jones and Beam are second and third, respectively, in stops, while junior Aidan Phillips has three sacks.
Robbie Jones is the team-leader in interceptions with six.
Bennett and Poling have two picks apiece.
The Panthers counter with versatile senior quarterback Noah Collins, who has passed for 41 touchdowns and rushed for an additional 12.
Collins’ favorite targets are junior Jakoby Nichols and freshman Joel Elliott.
Nichols is averaging over 100 yards per game receiving, with 16 TD receptions.
Sophomore Blake Coleman leads the team in tackles with 10.6 per game.
Clay County leads the all-time series, 3-0, including a 36-30 home win in the last meeting between the schools in 2022.