LEXINGTON, KY – The Sayre Athletic Complex, tucked just off Athens–Boonesboro Road, was the stage for one of Kentucky’s biggest playoff upsets last Friday night when Coach Dane Damron’s Paris Greyhounds, a four-touchdown underdog, stunned defending Class 1A State Champion Lexington Sayre 14-10 to earn their first trip to the regional finals since 2015.

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Sayre, who eliminated the Greyhounds in the second round the last two seasons, entered the contest in hopes of keeping their back-to-back title chase alive but the Hounds had other ideas, as they controlled the game on both sides of the ball, leaving the Sayre’s sideline and fans shocked.

MasseyRatings.com predicted Sayre to win 42-14, and gave Paris a 3% chance of winning.

“Great win for our program,” first-year Paris Coach Dane Damron said afterwards. “Really happy for our players, our school, and the Paris community!”

Fueled by juniors Madi Bell, and QB1 Guy Turner, the Greyhounds’ offense dominated possession for 33 of the game’s 48 minutes. Though not every drive ended in points, their ball control kept Sayre’s offense off the field most of the night.

The coach added that the guys they have to make plays really did. “Madi (Bell) is a beast and a really good football player. Guy (Turner) hit some big throws, and Brandon (Santiago) was who he always is … very dependable and made plays.” 

On defense, the Greyhounds rode the back of junior Chace Williams, who delivered another monster performance, virtually shutting down the Spartans’ high-powered offense. Sayre managed just one big play and a single touchdown – a far cry from the 41 points they scored against Paris last year and 38 the year before. The home team finished the evening with 137 yards of total offense, with 75 of those yards coming on one play. 

Additionally, the 10 points scored were the Spartans’ second-lowest scoring output of the season. Breaking it down further, this marked only the fourth time since 2020 that Sayre, who revived their football program back in 2018, failed to score at least two touchdowns in a game. 

With the victory, the Paris Greyhounds (7-4) face an uphill battle in the Region Championship against powerhouse Raceland (10-1). The Rams, three-time reigning state 1A runners-up, have been a thorn in Paris’ side for years, winning 16 straight matchups, including a 55-7 blowout earlier this season. Only twice in that streak have the Greyhounds come within two touchdowns. History is stacked against Paris, but with everything on the line, the Greyhounds will be looking to break the streak and make another huge statement in this high-stakes showdown. The game is scheduled for 7:30 at Raceland/Worthington. 

Paris 14, Sayre 10

Both teams came up empty on their opening drives, but Sayre struck first on its second possession. The Spartans pushed into Paris’ red zone before stalling, settling for a 42-yard field goal from senior place kicker Gannon Rice.

Paris answered with a marathon drive late in the first quarter. Starting at their own 13-yard line with 1:44 remaining, the Greyhounds leaned on Bell to grind out an 18-play series that chewed nearly 11 minutes off the clock. Costly penalties, however, derailed the effort, and Paris turned the ball over on downs at Sayre’s 19.

Momentum shifted when the Hounds’ defense forced a punt. The snap sailed over the Sayre punter’s head, and senior Carson Graves scooped it up before being chased down by Williams, setting Paris up at the Spartans’ 9-yard line. Two plays later, Turner powered through the heart of the Sayre defense for a 2-yard touchdown. Junior Bruce Hayden’s extra point gave Paris a 7–3 lead heading into the halftime break.

Hounds strike first in the second half

Sayre opened the second half with a punt as Paris’ defense, anchored by Williams and senior Aiden Goff, continued to dominate.

Starting at their own 16-yard line, the Greyhounds, again, leaned on Bell and Turner to steadily march downfield. A Sayre penalty pushed Paris across midfield, and Bell’s 14-yard burst advanced the ball to the 36. Turner added seven more, before Bell, helped by senior Trevion Mizell, powered through for a 17-yard gain to the 12. A facemask call against Sayre moved the ball to the 7.

On the next snap, Turner scooped up a low ball and sprinted around the right side, slipping past the Spartans’ defense for his second touchdown of the night. Hayden’s extra point was good, capping a 9-play, 84-yard drive and extending Paris’ lead to 14-3 with 6:29 left in the third quarter.

Paris threatened again after Sayre failed to convert on fourth down deep in their own territory. Starting at the Spartans’ 44-yard line, the Greyhounds advanced to the 21, but two costly penalties stalled the drive and forced a punt on 4th-and-17.

Sayre responded with their biggest play of the night. 

Senior Beau Perry, taking a direct snap, broke free for a stunning 75-yard run before junior Brandon Santiago chased him down at the Paris five-yard line. On the very next play, Perry tossed the ball to senior Hampton Monday, who ran it into the endzone. Rice’s extra point was good, and suddenly Sayre had clawed back into the game, trailing just 14-10 as the final quarter began.

Final quarter drama

Paris threatened again when Turner connected with Mizell for a 28-yard gain into Sayre territory. But on third-and-long, Turner’s pass to Zarion Snowden was intercepted by Perry at the 5-yard line, who returned it to the 42, setting up what looked like a game-winning drive for the defending champions.

Sayre marched forward as Perry opened with an 11-yard run and Houston Ward added 8 more. Facing 4th-and-2, Ward muscled through for the first down. Consecutive runs of 9, 6, and 8 yards put the Spartans at the Paris 13. But a bad snap cost them 16 yards, and after a failed field goal attempt was extended by a roughing-the-kicker penalty, Sayre had new life at the Hounds’ 15.

Paris’ defense, led by seniors Zavyer Elam, and Aiden Goff, along with Williams, held firm. On 4th-and-goal from the 17, QB Gage Pennington lofted a pass into the end zone, only for Brandon Santiago to snatch it away with a game-saving interception.

Coach Damron praised his defense: “We gave up only one big play and really stopped their run game. Aiden and Chace were great on the DL, and our secondary really covered well.”

With 4:58 left and Sayre holding three timeouts, Paris needed first downs to seal the upset. 

Bell delivered, breaking loose for 14 yards on 2nd-and-12. Another facemask penalty on Sayre after a Bell run gave Paris the clinching first down. From there, Turner knelt twice in victory formation, securing a monumental upset for the Greyhounds.

Game stats

Bell led the Greyhounds rushing attack with 148 yards on a career-high 28 carries. Turner rushed the ball 16 times for 35 yards. 

Turner finished his evening completing 8 of his 15 passing attempts for 107 yards.

Brandon Santiago caught 3 passes for 32 yards. Bell had 2 catches for 19 yards, while Snowden (12 yards) Mizell (28 yards) and Xavion Wallace (16 yards) had one catch each.

Williams, one of the top tacklers in 1A, paced the Greyhounds’ defense with 11 total stops, including four tackles that went for a loss. Senior Dexter Leverett and Bell finished with 8 total hits each. Junior Brajon Santiago totaled 5 hits. Delivering 4 total tackles were senior Aiden Goff, and Brandon Santiago. Rounding out the Greyhounds tackle leaders with 3 hits each were Mizell, and sophomore Jamarcus Foster.