Clarke Central High School quarterback Lucian Anderson III, a senior, scrambles to convert a third down during the Gladiators’ 14-28 loss to North Oconee High School on Aug. 5. Head varsity football coach David Perno feels that while the performance wasn’t ideal, the team will recover. “It’s not bad for our team (to start with a loss),” Perno said. “How you define who you are (is not) when things line up, it’s how you bounce back, and so we’re gonna find out what we’re made of next week.” Photo by Lucas Donnelly, story by Wyatt Meyer
In their first game of the season, the Clarke Central High School varsity football team lost 14-28 to North Oconee High School in a preseason scrimmage on August 5.
The Clarke Central High School varsity football team lost to North Oconee High School with a score of 14-28 in a preseason scrimmage on Friday night at Billy Henderson Stadium.
Despite the unofficial nature of the game, the stands on both sides of the field were packed, contributing to a raucous atmosphere. However, most of the noise ended up coming from the Titans’ sideline, as their team took the lead in the first quarter and didn’t look back. To CCHS senior and starting quarterback Lucian Anderson III, the result wasn’t as important as the experience.
“I feel like this was one of those games that (gets) the nervousness out. We have a lot of young players on our team, it’ll be their first time playing varsity football. They came out and they did their best, and that’s all we can ask for.”
— Lucian Anderson III,
CCHS starting quarterback
“I feel like this was one of those games that (gets) the nervousness out,” Anderson said. “We have a lot of young players on our team, it’ll be their first time playing varsity football. They came out and they did their best, and that’s all we can ask for.”
The Gladiator defense struggled to contain NOHS’s passing attack, with the Titan’s three first-half touchdowns all coming on passes of over 20 yards. While head varsity football coach David Perno acknowledged that the downfield coverage was sometimes lax, he believes much of the damage was self-inflicted.
“The big plays killed us on defense. We had breakdowns a couple of times, (but) you gotta give them credit. I mean, they made (the) plays, Perno said. “There are things I expected us to do better than we did, but we’ll get it fixed and we’ll get better.”
The Clarke Central High School and North Oconee High School varsity football teams line up in formation during a preseason scrimmage on August 5. The CCHS varsity football team lost the scrimmage 14-28, but head varsity football coach David Perno believes the team will perform better going forward. “What we showed tonight wasn’t our best football and we all know it, but it happens sometimes. We’re just ready to get back out there and show what we can really do,” Anderson said. Photo gallery by Temprince Battle, Aza Khan and Lucas Donnelly
The Gladiators also failed to consistently trouble the Titans’ defense, with Anderson’s long touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Jordan Dunn in the second quarter and a half-yard Kendrick Curry run in the third quarter being all the offense had to show from the game.
“We got to put a little bit more in (Anderson’s) hands,” Perno said. “It seemed like that first half, he made that one great throw, but every other time, it was situations where we had to throw.”
Instead of going for the win down 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Gladiators’ coaching staff opted to bring on their junior varsity squad to finish off the game. That decision allowed the varsity team to rest for the fourth quarter ahead of the Classic City Championship on Aug. 18. Despite the scrimmage’s outcome, Anderson still feels the team is ready for the rivalry.
“What we showed tonight wasn’t our best football and we all know it, but it happens sometimes. We’re just ready to get back out there and show what we can really do,” Anderson said.
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