Clinton’s playoff push comes up short
Clinton wide receiver Joel Crawford looks for running room as he squares off against a Halls defender after hauling in a pass during Friday night’s regular-season finale. The Dragons fell to the Red Devils 45-7, ending their season with a 3-7 record. (photo:Tony Cox )
Halls improved to 5-5 overall and 5-2 in Region 2-5A, finishing in third place. Clinton ended the season 3-7, 3-4, coming in fifth in the region, one spot out of qualifying for the playoffs.
The Dragons were held to a season-low 75 yards of total offense by Halls. Clinton’s lone touchdown came on the final play of the first half when Ziyer Oliver returned a kickoff 86 yards to the end zone.
Charlie Turbyville made 15 tackles to lead the Dragon defense. Oliver added eight stops, Austyn Phillips seven, Davontae Fortson and Reed White six each, and Camdyn Wilcox five.
Red Devil freshman running back Maverick Sharp carried the ball 17 times for 160 yards and two touchdowns, and teammate Knox Burton ran eight times for 140 yards and three TDs to help Halls total 359 yards of offense. The visitors scored on their first seven possessions of the game.
Both teams committed double-digit penalties, with Clinton getting flagged 14 times for 129 yards and Halls 11 for 121, with several other fouls offsetting.
The Red Devils forced a turnover on downs at the Dragon 45 on the first possession of the game. Halls scored five plays later on a 5-yard run by Burton. Zander Wilson’s first of six extra points made it a 7-0 contest with 7:37 remaining in the first quarter.
After a Dragon quick-kick by quarterback Mason Eckerson, Halls drove 89 yards in 11 plays for a score to take a 14-0 lead. Tight end Travis Brasfield caught a 17-yard TD pass from signal-caller Harrison Andriopoulos to cap the series with 57.3 seconds on the clock.
Defender Carson Pearce got a piece of Eckerson’s next punt to set up the Red Devils on the Dragon 13-yard line. Four plays later, Sharp scored on a run from 4 yards out with 8:00 to go in the first half.
Another Dragon punt was followed by an 82-yard run by Sharp for a 28-0 advantage with 5:56 remaining.
Hudson Limbaugh sacked Eckerson for a 15-yard loss to set up a punt, and the Red Devils kept the ball until Wilson connected on a 30-yard field goal with 19 seconds to play.
Oliver fielded Wilson’s kickoff at his own 14 and motored down the left sideline for a touchdown as time expired. Manny Ortiz’s extra point brought Clinton to within 31-7 at halftime.
Burton broke loose for a 70-yard TD run on Halls’ first snap of the second half to put the Red Devils ahead 38-7 and bring on the mercy-rule running clock.
Eckerson was injured moments later on a play that drew a targeting foul on Halls. He left the game and did not return. Brenden Hayden came in at quarterback for the Dragons, but his second pass was intercepted by Eddy Soto. That led to a 42-yard touchdown run by Burton on the first play of the fourth quarter to provide the final margin.
Eli Rutherford recovered a Dragon fumble at the Halls 38, but White made a fourth-down stop for Clinton moments later to give the home team possession again.
Turbyville posted the Dragons’ longest rush of the game with a 13-yard jaunt before Kegan Wayland intercepted Hayden and Halls ran out the clock.
The Dragons will play in Class 4A for the next two seasons. Region opponents and the 2027 schedule will be announced soon.