Several members of the Clarke Central High School varsity football team’s defense celebrate a fumble recovery in the Gladiators’ 7-17 loss to Jefferson High School in Billy Henderson Stadium on Sept. 23. According to head varsity football coach David Perno, the Gladiators’ defense played well, but the offense didn’t put the team in a position to win. “You want to stay positive, but that offense was just atrocious. It was atrocious the first half, a little better in spots (in) the second half, but we’re just gonna struggle if we don’t play better offensively,” Perno said. Photo by Aza Khan
The CCHS varsity football team lost their Region 8-AAAAA opener to Jefferson High School by a final score of 7-17 in Billy Henderson Stadium on Sept. 23.
The Clarke Central High School varsity football team was defeated by Jefferson High School by a final score of 7-17 in Billy Henderson Stadium on Sept. 23.
The Gladiators came into the game having lost three straight games for the first time since 2012, but couldn’t buck that trend against the Dragons. The loss was the Gladiators’ first Region 8-AAAAA defeat since 2019, a result that head varsity football coach David Perno attributed to his offense.
“On offense, everything (needed improvement). It just was pitiful, it really was,” Perno said. “I just thought that after last week we had gotten our confidence back, but we didn’t block anybody tonight, couldn’t run the ball, weren’t very efficient throwing it.”
CCHS fell behind in the first quarter, with JHS running for a short touchdown on their second drive of the game. That scoreline held until the half, in part thanks to several defensive stops by the Gladiators.
“My team looks at me as their energizer, so with me on the field, (there is) more energy and a better feeling. We did hold up better with me out there.”
— Malachi McNeill,
CCHS cornerback
“I feel like our defense held up better than we usually do,” CCHS cornerback Malachi McNeill, a senior, said. “We didn’t give up the score that everybody was projecting and we shut down their five-star (recruit) Sammy (Brown) from having a better game than he usually (does).”
JHS scored a touchdown on their first drive of the third quarter to go up 14-0 before the Gladiators pulled a touchdown back after recovering a third-quarter fumble, one of two turnovers the Gladiators’ defense forced. The other came on a second-quarter interception caught by McNeill, who led the defense on his return to the field after being injured against Cedar Shoals High School on Aug. 18.
“My team looks at me as their energizer, so with me on the field, (there is) more energy and a better feeling. We did hold up better with me out there,” McNeill said.
The Dragons put the game out of reach with a late field goal, handing CCHS a fourth straight loss. In order to break that streak, McNeill believes his team will need to come together ahead of their next game against Flowery Branch High School on Sept. 30.
“We gotta love each other hard because this is all we got,” McNeill said. “This is our only team, and we got to ride it out for the rest of the year.”
