Dragons roll to first-round upset over McMinn
Clinton’s first postseason road win since 1995
Clinton’s Bryson Maddox pulled in two catches for 97 yards in the Dragons’ 34-10 win over the Cherokees. (photo:Tony Cox )
The victory was Clinton’s first in round one of the postseason since 2009, ending a streak of four playoff losses in a row. The win also was the Dragons’ first on the road in the playoffs since a 1995 triumph at Morristown West, stopping a run of five straight losses.
The win sets up a second-round playoff game this Friday at Oak Ridge, the county rivals’ first-ever meeting in the postseason. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Quarterback Joshuah Keith posted great numbers for Clinton (5-6) at McMinn County, completing 16 of 26 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown, with one interception.
Wesley Phillips led Dragon receivers with five catches for 79 yards and a touchdown. Jawan Goins paced the Dragon ground game with 15 carries for 43 yards, and added four receptions for 54 yards. Deameion Leavell caught three passes for 77 yards. Bryson Maddox caught two for 97 yards.
D’Mon Marable rushed for two TDs for Clinton, and Chauncey Felts ran for one score. Emanuel Ortiz booted four extra points for the Dragons.
Derek Bean capped the win with a 78-yard interception return for a touchdown, his team-leading fourth pickoff of the season. He recovered a fumble as well.
The Dragons outgained the Cherokees (6-5) 381 yards to 241.
Clinton rushed 29 times for 65 yards and three scores, keeping pace with McMinn County’s ground game.
The Cherokees entered the contest having passed only 46 times all year. Against Clinton, they rushed 35 times for 163 yards but did not score via a run. McMinn County quarterback Brady Mullins was 8-for-14 passing, for 78 yards and a TD, with two interceptions. Jakaryn Dyer led Cherokee rushers with six carries for 55 yards, while teammate Taylon White added six for 49 yards.
Jayson Graham and Marable led the Dragon defense with 13 tackles each.
Graham had one tackle for loss for 5 yards, forced a fumble, and broke up a pass.
Marable posted a half-tackle for loss of a yard.
Bo Wright also intercepted a pass for Clinton and made seven tackles with one pass breakup.
Jerius Hundley broke up a pass in a six-tackle effort, and Gage Wergin and Felts made five tackles apiece.
Both teams traded punts to open the game before Clinton marched 82 yards in seven plays to take a lead it would never relinquish.
Phillips caught two shorter passes before Maddox reeled in a 55-yarder from Keith to set up the Dragons with first-and-goal from the McMinn County 6-yard line.
Keith was shaken up on the play and exited the game. Marable came in, took two direct snaps, and ran for 3 yards each, the second one taking him into the end zone.
Ortiz’s kick gave Clinton at 7-0 lead with 4:17 on the clock in the first quarter.
Marable and Graham tackled runner Jacob Sharp for 1-yard loss and Wright intercepted Mullins on the first play of the second quarter to end the next Cherokee drive.
Clinton punted but got a first down when McMinn County committed a running-into-the-kicker foul against Blane Collins on the play. But the Dragon drive ended when Sharp made a diving interception of Keith.
The Dragons forced a McMinn County punt and went on a nine-play, 75-yard drive for its second touchdown. Keith ran twice for 12 yards and threw passes of 11, 10, and 29 yards to Goins.
The last set up first-and-goal at the 4, and Felts took a direct snap and ran in the TD on the next play. Ortiz’s boot put Clinton up 14-0 with 3:58 left in the first half.
McMinn County punter Spencer Sullins sent a 46-yarder to the Dragon 16, and Clinton would end up punting out of its own end zone to the Cherokee 30-yard line. The home team scored in two plays as Mullins connected with Sharp on a 27-yard TD pass. Sullins’ extra point cut the Dragon lead to 14-7 with 26 seconds remaining in the half.
Sullins hit a 33-yard field goal to open the second half for the Cherokees, trimming the Clinton advantage to 14-10 with 8:35 left in the third quarter.
The Dragons would answer with another long drive, going 80 yards in eight plays for a score.
Goins ran for 14 yards before Phillips caught a 55-yard pass from Keith for a touchdown. Phillips was open at the 20-yard line and coasted into the end zone from there.
Ortiz’s kick put Clinton up 21-10 with 4:43 on the third-quarter clock.
Rhett Seivers stopped Sharp for no gain to force McMinn County’s fourth punt of the game, and the Dragons went on another long march for a score, this time 70 yards in seven plays.
Felts ran for 11 yards, and Leavell caught a Keith pass over the top of the defense for 48 yards to the Cherokee 2-yard line. Marable again took two direct snaps, scoring on a 1-yard run on the second play for a 27-10 Clinton lead as the extra point was short. The tally came with 9:42 left in the game.
Mullins completed a 15-yard pass to Luke Sliger on fourth-and-four on the next Cherokee series, but Bean recovered a Dyer fumble at the Dragon 20 to end the drive.
Keith hooked up with Maddox for a 42-yard pass on the next Clinton series, but a fourth-down sack by Landon Feggins gave the ball back to the Cherokees.
McMinn County drove to the Dragon 32 as time was running short. On third-and-seven, Graham tipped a pass that Bean intercepted at the Dragon 22. Bean motored down the left sideline to the Cherokee 20 and veered right toward the end zone to complete a 78-yard interception return with 28 seconds left in the game. Ortiz’s extra point provided the final margin of 34-10.