ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Spencer Davis' 76-yard punt return for a touchdown with 7:47 remaining set a Show-Me Bowl record and helped lift Hazelwood Central to its second straight state title, as the Hawks defeated Blue Springs 35-24 Friday.
Davis was one of five players to score for Hazelwood Central (13-1) which won its fifth title by beating a Blue Springs team for the second straight season. The Hawks knocked off Blue Springs South 25-20 in the 2008 Class 6 Show-Me Bowl.
Blue Springs finished the year at 12-2. The Wildcats were led by Darrian Miller, who had 36 carries for 182 yards and a TD. Miller finished the year with 309 carries for 2,798 yards and 37 touchdowns.
With his team holding a 28-24 advantage, Davis fielded a punt from Jared Lanpher on his 24 and headed left. Thanks to a key block from Bakari Woods, Davis got the corner and sprinted the rest of the way down the left side line.
His 76-yard return was the longest in Show-Me Bowl history, breaking the record of 68 yards set by current University of Missouri running back Derrick Washington in 2006 when he was with Raymore-Peculiar.
The team's traded touchdowns in the first 24 minutes. Blue Springs took its third lead of the half at 21-14 when Lanpher scored from 1-yard out with 3:17 left in the second quarter. But Hazelwood Central answered that on the next play from scrimmage when Tra Brown took off on a 78-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 21-21 after one half.
Hazelwood Central took the lead for the first time with 10:51 left in the game when Alonzo Chappelle scored on a 5-yard run to make it 28-24.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
