Dragons fall to Cleveland in season opener

August 28, 2024 by Dan McWilliams Special to The Courier News

The Class 5A Clinton Dragons kept close for a half with their 6A season-opening opponent Friday, but host Cleveland shut out Clinton in the final two quarters for a 36-13 win.

The Blue Raiders piled up 21 penalties for 214 yards, giving the Dragons five first downs via flags, and fumbled four times, but Clinton could not take advantage.

The Dragons committed eight penalties for 62 yards, and Clinton’s offense came within a few yards of two touchdowns, but was unable to score.

The Dragon duo of quarterback Jaylon Benjamin and wide receiver Bryson Maddox continued their strong preseason performance.

Benjamin connected with Maddox on touchdown passes of 72 and 28 yards in the first half.

Maddox finished with a game-high four catches for 122 yards. Benjamin went 9-for-24 passing, for 183 yards and one interception.

“It’s literally just a learning curve; we’re young,” said Clinton Coach Jason Hamock. “I was really proud of our penalties. We had some delay-of-game penalties. That’s a young quarterback at times—they lose that sense of urgency because he’s thinking through things. He’s trying to make sure he’s getting it all right when he calls it.

“I felt like we played a good clean game,” Hamock said. “I was tickled to death with the kids’ character and poise. They had every right there at the end. They were getting bad, and it was getting a little chippy out there.

“We played nasty but we kept it classy,” he said. “That’s kind of what we want to do this year: keep it classy in all things we do. I’m proud of them.”

Maddox’s performance impressed his coach.

“The kid’s a beast; he’s fun to coach,” Hamock said. “That kid’s got a motor, and he doesn’t know what quit means.”

Cleveland used two quarterbacks and big rushing and receiving stats from running back Isaiah Davis, who carried 16 times for 116 yards and a touchdown and caught one pass for 66 yards and a score.

Blue Raider quarterback Chase Stephens alternated with Cash Bandy, with other plays featuring direct snaps.

Stephens went 5-for-10 passing for 97 yards and two touchdowns, while Bandy compiled 6-for-11 passing, for 89 yards and a score.

Cleveland outgained Clinton 449 yards to 241, with 263 yards rushing.

Aalijah Davidson led Dragon running backs with 13 carries for 34 yards.

Punters Blane Collins of Clinton and Sloan Bolanos of Cleveland recorded long boots, with Collins nailing a 54-yarder and Bolanos a 60-yarder.

Cleveland lineman AJ Westfield recorded 1½ sacks, while Seth Carroll made a sack for the Dragon defense.

Clinton fell to 0-5 all-time against Cleveland.

The Dragons turned the ball over on downs on the game’s opening series. Clinton moved the chains twice, but the drive stalled at the Blue Raider 39.

The home team then drove to the Clinton 34 before turning it over on downs. The Dragons would get a 10-yard first-down run from Davidson on their next series, but again did not convert on a fourth-and-10 at the Cleveland 41.

The Blue Raiders finally scored late in the first quarter when Stephens found Davis on a short pass over the middle that turned into a 66-yard touchdown sprint. A two-point conversion pass fell incomplete thanks to a tackle by Clinton’s Lucas Butz, stopping the ball carrier short of the goal line.

Cleveland led 6-0 with 2:04 on the first-period clock.

The Dragons wasted little time in answering. Davidson’s 24-yard kickoff return set up Clinton at its own 28, and two plays later Benjamin hit a wide-open Maddox on a slant route at the Cleveland 48.

Maddox outran the defense for a 72-yard touchdown. Emanuel Ortiz’s extra-point kick gave Clinton a 7-6 lead.

The Blue Raiders then moved 77 yards in 10 plays to score their second touchdown.

Bandy found Jay’un Smith open for a 42-yard scoring toss. Sawyer Boyd ran in the two-point try for a 14-7 Cleveland lead with 10:31 to go in the half.

Clinton responded again as the Blue Raiders committed two 15-yard penalties to help the Dragons move 68 yards in six plays to paydirt.

From the Cleveland 28, Benjamin found Maddox open over the middle at the 10, and the Dragon receiver completed the touchdown play. Gabe Moore blocked Ortiz’s extra point, leaving the Dragons down 14-13.

A shanked punt by Cleveland that went 5 yards set up Clinton on the Blue Raider 41, but after a 31-yard pass from Benjamin to Donnavin Pencek, the Dragons lost the ball on downs as Davidson came up inches short of scoring on fourth-and-goal at the 4.

Cleveland ate up much of the remaining time in the second quarter with a 12-play, 84-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Stephens to Sam Sartin. Bolanos’ extra point gave the Blue Raiders a 21-13 halftime lead.

Clinton did not record a first down in the third quarter. Cleveland scored on its opening series as Brayden Carroll ran in a 27-yard touchdown off a direct snap to cap an 11-play, 70-yard drive. Westfield ran for a two-point conversion for a 29-13 lead.

The teams then traded extra-long punts and a pair of shorter ones.

Smith intercepted a Benjamin pass and returned it 61 yards for a touchdown, but numerous flags on the play brought it back to the Cleveland 19, and the Blue Raiders punted.

Benjamin rushed for a Dragon first down as the visitors moved as close as the Cleveland 3, but a fourth-down sack by Westfield and Landon Douglas ended the drive.

Cleveland then went on a seven-play, 83-yard drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by Davis and Bolanos’ extra point with 3:34 showing.

Clinton continues non-region play this Friday with a game at two-time defending state 5A champion Knoxville West (0-1).