By Erik Harris, sports editor
HAYDEN – Moody wrapped up its 2020 football season on Friday night at Hayden, dropping a Class 5A, Region 6 contest to the Wildcats, 47-28.
On a chilly evening in Robert W. Reid Stadium, the Blue Devils struggled to contain Hayden running back Carson Rickels, who ate up 331 yards on 24 carries and added six touchdowns.
The loss ends Moody’s season with a record of 0-9 — the program’s first winless output since 2010.
With sophomore quarterback AJ Wallace pulling the strings, Moody found flashes of success through the air. Wallace connected on 20 of 29 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. He did, however, toss just as many interceptions in the season-ending loss.
The sophomore righty dropped his second score of the night down the left side, where Kolby Seymour ran it down for a quick 40-yard strike to give Moody its first and only lead of the night at 21-20 with 8:30 remaining in the third frame.
Hayden (6-4) immediately answered with an 88-yard touchdown drive, covering the distance with five straight running plays, the last of which Rickels took 66 yards to the end zone, to pull ahead for good at 26-21 midway through the third.
Wallace tossed his first interception on the ensuing drive, setting the Wildcat offense up at the plus-43. Three plays later, Rickels broke loose for a 35-yard touchdown and a 12-point advantage.
Rickels averaged nearly 14 yards per carry for the home team.
Wallace’s top target was Davion Dozier who pulled down a pair of touchdowns. He first hit the sophomore on a scramble play that sent him sprinting down the sideline for a 67-yard hookup midway through the second quarter. Wallace rolled right and pointed Dozier up the right side where he floated it into a chunk of open field for the sophomore who later sidestepped a defender to finish the long catch-and-run.
Wallace went back to Dozier for the team’s final score of the season, hitting him on a 5-yard out to cut the deficit to 33-28 with 7:50 remaining. Rickels put things out of reach two plays later on a 60-yard TD rush around right end.
Rickels finished the game with touchdown carries of 3, 35, 66, 35, 60 and 1 yard.
For Moody, Dozier finished with seven grabs for 128 yards and two scores.
Hayden scored the first 13 points of the game thanks to a 1-yard quarterback keeper from Silas Miller and a 3-yard effort from Rickels. The Wildcats led 20-14 at the break and 33-21 going into the fourth.