Dragons, Mavericks add wins to season totals

Clinton’s potent offense returns, Dragons roll over Panthers 46-27

October 13, 2021 by Dan McWilliams Special to The Courier News

The Clinton Dragons’ potent offense, which hadn’t been seen since the first two games of the season, woke with a vengeance Friday as several players put up season-best numbers in a 46-27 victory at Lenoir City.

The Dragons rolled up 553 yards in total offense in spoiling the Panthers’ homecoming night.

Quarterback Joshuah Keith went 24-for-32 through the air for 366 yards and two touchdowns.

Running back Connor Moody scored on touchdown scampers of 45 and 21 yards and finished with four carries for 74 yards. Keith rushed for 50 yards on eight carries with one TD. Erreese King scored two touchdowns on the ground for Clinton.

Backup quarterback and defensive back Trace Thackerson played receiver for the Dragons and caught both Keith touchdown tosses. Receiver Jeremiah Blauvelt caught an 88-yard pass from Keith, finishing with two catches for 100 yards. Braylon Taylor caught seven passes for 69 yards, and teammate Rodayvien Truss hauled in six passes for 69 yards.

Clinton racked up a season-high 23 first downs and dominated time of possession by holding the ball 26 minutes, 26 seconds, compared with Lenoir City’s 21:34.

Andy King intercepted a pass while Moody recorded a sack and a forced fumble for the Dragon defense.

Lenoir City quarterback Brett Cortez went 20-for-35 for 272 yards and three touchdowns with one interception, but the Dragon defense held the Panthers’ running game to 22 yards on 20 carries. Girl kicker Suzanna Jay made three extra points for Lenoir City and was named homecoming queen at halftime.

Clinton improved to 4-4 overall and 1-3 in Region 3-5A, keeping its playoff hopes alive heading into its bye week. Lenoir City fell to 1-5, 0-3.

Dragon Head Coach Darell Keith said he was pleased with the offensive performance.

“I thought our quarterback and our receiving corps played lights out,” he said. “I was surprised — I didn’t think Thackerson could catch the ball like that. He was pretty good.

“We ran the ball good in spurts. I think the offense finally turned a corner. We were kind of sluggish in the first half. I thought the offense stepped up a little bit tonight. I’m sure people are going to say because it was lesser competition, but I don’t think so. I think Lenoir City is pretty tough. They’re going to hit you and get after you. They have some tough boys.”

The Dragons again had double-digit penalties — 10 for 89 yards — but against Lenoir City, the flags didn’t have nearly the impact on the game as they had in previous contests.

“We worked on it, but it’s still a work in progress,” Keith said of the Dragons’ efforts to avoid penalties.

The Dragons “are an emotional football team,” Keith said, also complimenting his offensive coordinator in the process.

“One thing I can say this year: They play hard every game,” he said. “We’ve been in every game except one, but tonight I hope that this is our coming-out party in revitalizing the offense. I thought Jason Hamock called some good plays, thought he mixed it up really well. Our offensive staff did a great job.”

Lenoir City took the opening kickoff but was unable to move the ball, in part because of an Andy King pass breakup. Punter Leo Gonzalez booted the ball 38 yards for the Panthers, but an illegal-participation penalty on the home team forced a re-kick, and the second punt went only 24 yards.

That set up Clinton on the Panther 46-yard line, and the Dragons would score the game’s first points in only five plays. Truss caught a 19-yard pass for a first down. On a second-and-four play from the Lenoir City 21, Moody bounced off several defenders and made a beeline for the right-front pylon in the end zone to give the Dragons the lead. A two-point conversion run by William Taylor did not find paydirt, and the Dragons led 6-0 with 8:49 left in the opening quarter.

An Erreese King pass breakup helped force another Lenoir City punt. The two teams then traded fumbles, with Deven Monroe recovering a Panther bobble on the Dragon 29-yard line.

Clinton then moved 71 yards in 15 plays to take a 12-0 lead. Big plays included a 12-yard run by quarterback Keith, an 18-yard pass to Andy King, and a 16-yard toss to Thackerson that set up first-and-goal at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, on the first play of the second quarter, Erreese King from a yard out went around right end for the Dragons’ second touchdown. A Moody two-point conversion run failed, but Clinton held a two-score lead with 11:52 left in the

half.

The Dragon defense forced another three-and-out by the Panther offense, and the visiting team would score again.

Clinton marched 70 yards in 12 plays for its third touchdown of the half. Erreese King ran for 16 yards, and Lucas Kendall and Blauvelt caught passes of 12 yards each. On third-and-goal from the three, Erreese King ran in his second touchdown of the night. Ryan Bradley’s extra-point kick gave Clinton a 19-0 lead with 4:05 remaining in the second quarter.

Lenoir City finally made its initial first downs of the game in going 68 yards in 10 plays for a touchdown. Jordy Carroll caught an 11-yard TD toss from Cortez, and Jay’s extra point made it a 19-7 game with 44.5 seconds left in the half.

Truss and Teegan Bolinger caught 22-yard passes for Clinton, and Keith ran for a 12-yard gain, but the Dragons’ final possession of the half ended with two incomplete passes from the Panther 13-yard line.

Clinton wasted little time in the second half in adding to its lead. On the first play from scrimmage, Keith hit Blauvelt in stride with a bomb to the Panther 45, and the tall Dragon receiver ran down the line and tried to dive over the goal line, but was ruled a yard short. The 88-yard gain was the Dragon offense’s longest play of the season. Two quarterback sneaks by Keith from the 1-yard line followed, and the second one produced a touchdown.

The extra-point kick failed, but Clinton led 25-7 with 10:48 still showing on the third-quarter clock

Lenoir City started its next drive from its own 35-yard line. Moody sacked Cortez for a 4-yard loss and forced a fumble, but the Panthers’ recovered the ball. Lenoir City would continue its drive all the way to the Dragon 18 before turning the ball over on downs. Jeremiah Lee nearly intercepted a pass for Clinton on the final play on fourth down.

The Dragons then rumbled down the field 82 yards in five plays for another TD. Braylon Taylor caught passes from Keith of 18 and 9 yards, and Chauncey Felts ran for a 22-yard gain to set up first-and-10 at the Panther 45. Moody then took the ball and outran the Lenoir City defense to the end zone. Bradley’s kick gave

Clinton a 32-7 lead with 3:38 left in the third quarter.

Lenoir City’s offense woke up with a 64-yard drive in eight plays for a TD. Zane Ward caught a 9-yard pass from Cortez for the score on the first play of the fourth quarter, and Jay’s kick cut the Clinton lead to 32-14 with 11:50 remaining.

The Dragons then went on a nine-play, 75-yard drive to add to their lead. Keith made a nifty scramble, zigzagging his way for a 22-yard gain. Bolinger caught a 23-yard pass from Keith to set up first-and-10 at the Panther 17. Two plays later, Thackerson—wide open at the goal line—caught a 15-yard TD pass from Keith. The Dragon quarterback ran for a two-point conversion and expanded the visitors’ lead to 40-14 with 7:50 remaining.

A Dragon personal-foul penalty on the touchdown forced Clinton to kick off from its own 25-yard line, and Carroll’s 14-yard return set up Lenoir City at the Dragon 39. Five plays later, Trey Wilhite ran in a 1-yard touchdown, and Jay’s kick made it a 40-21 game with 6:33 left.

The Dragons again answered on offense after Truss returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to the Lenoir City 44. Braylon Taylor hauled in a 27-yard pass from Keith, and Thackerson caught a 17-yard touchdown toss. A two-point pass play to Derek Bean fell incomplete, but Clinton held a commanding 46-21 lead with 5:29 remaining.

An Andy King interception ended the next Lenoir City possession. King returned the ball 39 yards, but a crackback block on the Dragons officially cut the return to 14 yards.

Clinton went three-and-out and punted for the first time all night. On the final play of the game, Dusty Clevenger caught a short pass from Cortez and weaved his way through the Dragon defense for a 50-yard touchdown. No extra-point was attempted as it would have no effect on the outcome: a 46-27 Dragon victory.

Coach Keith complimented quarterback Cortez after the game.

“That mobile quarterback gave us trouble,” he said. “We weren’t prepared for that.”

Going into an off week before a game against Gibbs on Oct. 22, Keith said his biggest concern with his Dragon team is conditioning.

The coach also offered a message to his city.

“One thing I would like to ask people out there in Clinton land, Clintonians: Let’s pray for our city. Let’s pray for our town. Let’s all be one family, one love. Let’s do that,” he said. “Try to look for solutions instead of pitting each other against each other. I mean, I really love living here. I don’t want to be anywhere else but Clinton.”