Clinton falls one rally short
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Jawan Goins had 26 touches for 254 yards against Campbell County Friday night. The Dragons fell short in their overtime loss to the Cougars. - Ken Leinart
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Clinton’s Chauncy Felts bowls over a Cougar defender on his way to one of two touchdowns he scored Friday night in Campbell County. - Ken Leinart
The Clinton Dragons rallied multiple times at Campbell County on Friday, but the Cougars ultimately won an offensive shootout 54-48 in overtime in LaFollette.
The loss in the Region 3-5A game dealt a blow to Clinton’s playoff hopes as the Dragons fell to 4-3 overall and 0-3 in the region. Campbell County, which led 27-6 at one point, improved to 4-3, 2-1.
The Dragons, who tied the contest with under 5 seconds remaining, fell to 11-11 all-time in overtime games after the highest-scoring OT game in team history.
Dragon running back Jawan Goins rushed 26 times for a team season-high 256 yards and a touchdown. Fellow back Chauncey Felts carried the ball six times for 43 yards and three TDs. Clinton quarterback Joshuah Keith went 21-for-35 through the air for 239 yards and a touchdown to Wesley Phillips. Keith also rushed for two TDs, giving Clinton six scores in the ground game.
The Dragons outgained the Cougars 550 yards to 472, although Campbell County had the advantage through the air 383-239.
Peyton Ferguson scored three touchdowns for Campbell County, including a game-opening kickoff return for a TD. Quarterback Landen Hensley went 18-for-23 passing for 310 yards and four TDs.
Ferguson started the game with an 89-yard kick-return TD. Eli Austin’s extra point made it 7-0 Cougars only 14 seconds in.
After the teams exchanged what would be the only punts of the game, Campbell County took possession at its 10-yard line. On a double pass, Devon Jones connected with Ferguson for a 73-yard touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
Keith and Phillips hooked up for a 24-yard pass play, and a Cougar personal-foul penalty moved the ball to the Campbell County 28. Seven plays later, Felts carried the ball in from the 1-yard line for the first Dragon touchdown of the night. The extra-point kick failed, but the Cougar lead was down to 14-6 with 2:06 left in the first quarter.
Campbell County then went on a nine-play, 75-yard drive for a TD, capped by Will Lester’s 1-yard scoring run. The Cougars led 21-6 with 10:23 left in the first half.
Goins recorded a 19-yard run on the Dragons’ next possession, but Clinton turned the ball over on downs at the Cougar 14-yard line.
Campbell County moved 86 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown, scoring on a 20-yard pass from Hensley to Mason Shanks. The extra-point kick failed, but the Cougars led 27-6 with 2:47 remaining in the half.
Clinton answered with a seven-play, 58-yard TD drive. Goins had a pair of 12-yard runs, and Keith hooked up with D’mon Marable for a 21-yard pass. Felts scored the TD on a 3-yard run with 31.6 seconds left, then ran for the two-point conversion to cut Clinton’s halftime deficit to 27-14.
The Dragons would outscore the Cougars 14-0 in the third quarter to take the lead. Clinton opened the period with a 12-play, 65-yard drive for a TD. Braylon Taylor caught a 12-yard Keith pass, and Goins ran for 17 and 16 yards. Keith scored the TD on a 1-yard run. Taylor caught Keith’s two-point-conversion pass to make it a 27-22 game.
Dragon gang-tackling on three consecutive run plays forced a turnover on downs, and Clinton got the ball back at its own 49-yard line.
The Dragons scored in seven plays, capped by a 20-yard Felts TD run. The two-point pass failed, but Clinton led 28-27 with 2:08 left in the third quarter.
Campbell County went on a nine-play, 74-yard drive to retake the lead early in the fourth period. Ferguson caught a 26-yard TD pass from Hensley, and Shanks nabbed a two-point conversion pass for a 35-28 Cougar lead with 10:29 left in the game.
Clinton scored in four plays, with Goins outrunning the defense on a 54-yard TD scamper. Keith’s two-point run gave Clinton a 36-35 lead.
Campbell County responded in two plays, as Hensley hit a wide-open Jones for a 48-yard TD pass. The kick failed, but the Cougars led again, 41-36 with 8:29 left.
Both teams turned the ball over on downs before Clinton went on a four-play, 47-yard drive. Phillips caught a 40-yard TD pass from Keith. The Dragons’ two-point pass failed, but they led 42-41 with 2:53 showing on the scoreboard clock.
A 58-yard pass to Ferguson started Campbell County’s next series, which ended with a 7-yard Lester TD run. Austin’s kick gave the Cougars a 48-42 lead with 1:16 left.
Clinton went on a clutch drive in the waning moments of the game. Marable caught a 19-yard pass, Goins ran for 14, and Teegan Bolinger caught Keith tosses of 17 and 9 yards. Keith scored on a 2-yard sneak with 4.7 seconds left.
The Dragons’ Gage Wergin recovered a deflected kickoff, but Clinton’s deep pass at the end of regulation was incomplete, and the game moved to overtime.
Clinton had four cracks at scoring from the 10-yard line but went scoreless after two incomplete passes in the end zone on third and fourth downs.
Campbell County ended the game on the next play as Hensley hit Shanks for a 10-yard TD.
The Dragons hope to get back on track this Friday as they host Lenoir City in another region game.
