Devils’ Season Closes With 38–14 Loss
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Kemauri Page follows a block from Tre Adams while searching for running room against Kemper County in Friday’s second-round playoff matchup.
WATER VALLEY — The Blue Devils’ (9-3) playoff bid came to an end Friday night as Kemper County used a fast start and a physical front to hand Water Valley a 38–14 loss in the second round.
The matchup looked even on paper, but the Wildcats (6-6) wasted little time showing otherwise. They punched in three touchdowns in the opening quarter, added two more before halftime, and broke a long run early in the third to make it 38–0 and force a running clock.
Their physical front and explosive backfield dictated the entire game.
“Their running back is really good, and they’re really good up front,” head coach Clint Faust said after the game. “We were kind of outmatched on the line of scrimmage. I thought we could play with them at the skill positions, but up front they controlled the game.”
Trailing by 38 points, the Blue Devils kept swinging. Tre Adams broke loose for a 41-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to put the Devils on the board. Later in the fourth, quarterback Derion Gale found Braylon Benson for a 25-yard touchdown, then connected with Parker Turnage for the two-point conversion to set the final score at 38–14.
But turnovers and missed opportunities hurt the Devils early, and against a team as athletic as Kemper County, those mistakes pile up quickly.
Faust made one thing clear: this season mattered.
In the postgame huddle, he told his players they had taken a meaningful step forward for the program — winning more games this year than the previous two seasons combined and finishing 9–3 with a perfect 4–0 division record.
“I appreciate this group of seniors,” Faust told the Herald. “They have helped us take the next step in our program. We’ve obviously turned a corner. We’re learning how to win — now we have to learn how to compete with those top-tier teams.”
He also praised the seniors for who they are off the field.
“A good group of young men,” he said. “I think they’re going to go out and be successful adults.
Hopefully some of the things we instilled in them carry over and help them be good fathers and husbands along the way.”
Assistant Coach Bryant Mix, who has spent a quarter-century coaching on the Blue Devil sideline, shared the excitement about where the program is heading. Mix is also proud of the team’s toughness throughout the season and of the former players who helped lay the foundation for this year’s success.
“We have a good group of young men coming back. We’re going to hit that weight room starting Monday and get ready for 2026,” Mix said.
