Carter-to-Hill Hail Mary highlights Columbus offense’s big day

On a day that featured seven touchdowns from a highly-potent Columbus offense, one play in particular demonstrated how dangerous the 2017 Blue Devils can be.

Up 27-19 on a hard-charging Jordan squad late in the second quarter, the Columbus offense dinked and dunked its way up to the Jordan 49-yard line. With seven seconds on the clock, junior quarterback Donovan Carter took the snap and hurriedly searched for a Blue Devil downfield.

Carter found junior Darius Hill, who reeled in the pass deep in Red Jackets’ territory and scored. The handy Hail Mary erased all of the momentum the Red Jackets had built and made it evident the Blue Devils were in no mood to back down.

“There was pressure up the sides, so I stepped up (in the pocket),” Carter said. “Darius Hill was running down the field, and I just threw it as far as I could.”

That big play was just a snippet of Columbus’ work in the 47-32 victory over the Red Jackets (1-1). The Blue Devils (1-0) put together a number of long drives -- including a 99-yard series -- on way to its first victory of the fall.

“Donovan did a real nice job today,” Columbus head coach Phil Marino said. “He opens all kinds of things up for us. That first half, I thought we did really well getting the ball to different athletes and moving the ball down the field.”

The beauty of the Blue Devils’ burst into a new season was it was not a product of just one player.

Carter certainly played a pivotal role in the victory, throwing for 237 yards and rushing for 68 in his debut, but his efforts were matched with great outings from several ball carriers. Columbus’ Trey Peterson and Tavian Edwards each found the end zone, while juniors Darius Hill and Ethan Kinder delivered several standout runs as well.

Several Blue Devil receivers also made their marks on the game, including senior Mike Ramsey. Ramsey, who missed all but one game in 2016. He got in on the scoring action late, tacking on Columbus’ last touchdown on a 18-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

Donovan’s first victory as Blue Devils quarterback was an exciting one, especially after he sat out last season. Donovan said it was difficult to just stand by on the sidelines, making Saturday’s showing one he won’t soon forget.

Given how the game turned out, Donovan is eager to make sure that he and the high-powered Columbus offense are not one-hit wonders.

“I’ve been waiting for this game since the first time I stepped on campus when I was officially a Blue Devil,” Carter said. “(The win) was a really good experience. I think we’ll be able to continue it through the rest of the season.”

This story was originally published August 26, 2017 at 6:07 PM with the headline "Carter-to-Hill Hail Mary highlights Columbus offense’s big day."