By KEVIN MOBLEY – Web Writer
Clarke Central High School was defeated by Gainesville High School 28-56 on Oct. 18 at Billy Henderson Stadium.
The Clarke Central High School varsity football team lost 28-56 on Oct. 18 at Billy Henderson Stadium against Gainesville High School and their senior quarterback Deshaun Watson, the consensus No. 1-rated high school quarterback in the nation.
“All week we practiced at a faster tempo,” CCHS senior linebacker Chika Anukam said. “We had a no-huddle offense going ourselves at the end of the week. We were prepared for the pace more than we were last year.”
GHS received the opening kickoff. After CCHS kicker Matthew Ward’s kickoff found the end zone for a touchback, the “Big Red” set up for their first offensive possession. The Gladiator defense forced GHS to punt after a three-and-out.
The Red Elephants forced CCHS into a fourth down situation as well, but Clarke Central came to the line of scrimmage with a trick up their sleeve. CCHS sophomore running back Jaqua Daniels received the toss from junior quarterback Akeem Wise and passed to sophomore receiver Desmond Sorrells for a 15-yard gain and a first down.
Shortly thereafter, CCHS senior quarterback Cameron Johnson would connect with senior fullback Baylor Ward for a 13-yard score, giving the Gladiators an early 7-0 lead after Ward’s PAT attempt was good.
That lead, however, would be erased in a matter of 16 seconds.
GHS junior receiver Orrin Ragland received the opening kickoff at the 4-yard line, weaved his way through traffic in the middle and sped past the CCHS kickoff coverage for a 96-yard touchdown return to tie the game.
The two teams traded possessions for four straight drives before GHS registered the next points on the scoreboard.
On GHS’s first scoring drive, Watson and the Gainesville offense drove 69 yards down the field for a touchdown, capped off by Watson’s 16-yard pass to senior receiver Jay Gaudlock for six.
On the first play of CCHS’s next possession, CCHS junior running back DeAnthony Vereen was stripped of the ball by GHS sophomore defensive back Chris Byrd into the hands of GHS senior linebacker Devan Stringer, giving the Red Elephants the ball at the Clarke Central 47-yard line.
“My teammates helped me out,” Watson said. “If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have had the great performance that I did.”
Gainesville would capitalize on the opportunity, driving 47 yards in seven plays as Watson would find the end zone from one yard out to extend the GHS lead to 14 points.
CCHS then went three-and-out once again, opening the door for the Red Elephants to make it a three-possession game. Gainesville would do just that, as Watson connected with Byrd for an 11-yard touchdown pass with 5:30 remaining in the second quarter, the largest deficit the Gladiators have faced this season.
The CCHS offense would be stalled yet again by Gainesville, as the Gladiators were stopped for another third-and-out.
Up by 21, Gainesville drove down the field to score a touchdown on their fourth-straight drive. GHS converted on 4th and 11 on a pass to Byrd for an 18-yard pickup, and on the next play Watson rolled right, backtracked to his left and found Gaudlock wide open in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown to make it 35-7.
“First half, I thought we played great on both sides of the ball,” GHS head football coach Bruce Miller said. “We’ve just got to keep improving on that and keep getting better and better.”
In the second half, however, Clarke Central started to find a rhythm on offense, registering 21 points. GHS answered all but one of those scores in the third quarter.
“I knew (CCHS) was going to come out and keep fighting,” Watson said. “We just had to execute and score whenever they scored and that’s what we did.”
On CCHS’s first offensive possession of the second half, the Gladiators found the end zone as Johnson threw to senior receiver Jaquan Dowdy streaking down the left sideline for a 31-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Gainesville lead to 21.
GHS came right back with a score of their own, as Watson leapt over two CCHS defenders for his second rushing touchdown to make it 42-14.
The next two scores took place in unconventional fashion. Daniels completed his second pass of the night – a 23-yard touchdown to CCHS senior receiver Austin Johnson, and GHS junior quarterback Mikey Gonzalez connected with Watson for a seven-yard touchdown.
“(Throwing, rushing and catching a touchdown) is something that all high school players dream about,” Watson said. “I had the opportunity and I took advantage of it.”
Cameron Johnson added the final score for the Gladiators with a four-yard scamper for a touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
An alarming moment did take place in the fourth quarter. On second down of a GHS possession, Watson rolled out to the right to make a pass off his left intended for junior receiver Rodney Lackey that fell incomplete. Watson appeared to have discomfort in his left calf, limping back to the backfield for the next play.
On third down, Watson stepped up in the pocket to make another throw, and immediately after the play was over he hopped off the sideline where he collapsed.
Trainers stretched out the senior quarterback for some time, and Miller confirmed after the game that Watson’s injury was simply a left calf cramp.
Gonzalez quarterbacked the Red Elephants the rest of the way, adding a second touchdown pass on the night to Lackey to finalize the score at 56-28.
Gainesville improves to a 7-1 overall record, 6-0 in Region 8-AAAAA. The “Big Red” have bye week next week before traveling to Loganville High School on Nov. 1 at Red Devil Stadium.
“I think every time they grabbed the momentum we took it back from them,” Miller said. “Clarke Central is to be commended, but I think we took it back from them, and I think that’s one of those things you have to do to win these games.”
CCHS drops to 5-2 on the season overall, now with a 4-1 record in 8-AAAAA play. The Gladiators will go up against Flowery Branch High School (6-2; 5-0) next week on Oct. 25 at Falcon Field.
“I saw passion, I saw desire and I saw a willingness to fight even when things weren’t going very well,” CCHS head varsity football coach Self said. “We could’ve easily laid down, a lot of teams have, and we didn’t.”
