By KEVIN MOBLEY – Web Writer
Clarke Central High School’s 23-3 win on Oct. 11 vs. Heritage High School at Billy Henderson Stadium snapped a two-year streak of suffering come-from-behind losses against the Patriots.
The memory of back-to-back comeback losses for the Clarke Central High School varsity football team against Heritage High School was erased rather quickly in the minds of players and fans as the Gladiators defeated the Patriots 23-3 on Oct. 11.
14 seconds, to be exact.
CCHS senior wide receiver Jamonte Smith took the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown, giving the Gladiators an immediate 6-0 lead after junior kicker Matthew Ward’s point after touchdown attempt was blocked.
“We had (Smith) at the beginning of the season, but then he had a collarbone fracture,” CCHS head football coach Ahren Self said. “Last week was his first game back. We finally got him at full go, so we put him back there and he took it all the way to the house.”
The points would keep flowing. After the Clarke Central defense forced a stop, the punt by HHS senior kicker Austin Kulp was short, landing at the Patriots’ 40-yard line. CCHS sophomore running back Jaqua Daniels would then punch it in for six from two yards out shortly thereafter, extending the Gladiator lead to 13-0.
Clarke Central’s unanswered 23-point run continued with seven more points after another defensive stop, as senior quarterback Cameron Johnson connected with senior receiver Austin Johnson for a 25-yard touchdown pass with 2:07 remaining in the first quarter.
“I knew it was there, (Johnson) knew it,” Cameron Johnson said. “We were excited when we got the call, and we executed.”
Heritage senior quarterback Ryan Sutton, who was wearing the No. 12 instead of his regular No. 4, was intercepted on the next drive by CCHS senior defensive back Drico Browner, giving the Gladiators the ball at the HHS 33-yard line.
As the second quarter began, the special teams unit came on the field for what seemed to be a 49-yard field goal try. However, junior placeholder Jacque Germain tossed the snap to Daniels, who then passed to senior linebacker Cedric Armstrong for a 28-yard gain to the HHS four-yard line.
The Patriots would force CCHS to kick a field goal once again. This time, there was no fake, as Ward’s 20-yard field goal attempt was good to make the score 23-0. The Gladiators would not score again.
“In the first half, I think we were rolling,” Cameron Johnson said. “The whole team was, I was and we were going off momentum. Second half, we kind of died down. I really didn’t like that.”
On the ensuing HHS drive, the Patriots marched down the field 63 yards before being halted by the CCHS defense inside the red zone. Kulp’s 34-yard field goal attempt was good, cutting the Clarke Central lead to 20 points. No more points from thereon out would be registered.
The second half saw both teams trade possessions back and forth. In the fourth quarter, an HHS fumble was recovered by Armstrong to put the ball back into the hands of the CCHS offense at the Patriots’ 42-yard line.
On that drive, the Gladiators failed to convert on fourth down when Cameron Johnson’s rush came up inches short of the first down.
The Heritage offense did convert on a fourth down as Sutton passed to junior receiver Obie Fortune for an 8-yard gain. On the next fourth down that HHS faced, however, the Patriots couldn’t move the chains, and CCHS put the finishing touches on its fifth-straight win of the season.
The Gladiators now sit at 5-1 on the year, 4-0 and tied for first place with Gainesville High School, who they face next week, and Flowery Branch High School in Region 8-AAAAA. The Patriots drop to 4-3, 3-2 in 8-AAAAA. They take on FBHS at Evans Memorial Stadium.
“We’ve got a great challenge,” Self said. “(Gainesville) has been blowing everybody out, they’re a great team, their offense is up-tempo and they put a lot of points on the board. We’ve just got to try to slow those guys down.”
