Tanner Cook | Bristol Herald Courier Sports Correspondent

GATE CITY, Va. — When Gate City’s football team needed a big play in Friday’s Mountain 7 District showdown against Abingdon, the plan was simple — give it to Corey Byrd.

And did that plan ever work to perfection.

Byrd, who finished with 199 yards on 12 carries, had two long runs on back-to-back carries late in the fourth quarter that both went for touchdowns and sealed Gate City’s 28-17 win over the Falcons at Legion Field — a first for the Devils since 2013.

“I knew those big plays were going to happen,” Byrd said. “I say that because of the guys blocking for me up front and they keep me humble. They all get the job done by opening up the holes and my lead blockers — Mason (Hickman) and Walker (Hillman) — do all the dirty work

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