Clear Creek was back on its home field for league football games.
The eighth graders were up first, and all of the Bobcats’ points came in the opening half and they needed just five plays to do it. White County trailed by eight at the half and cashed in a pair of second half scores while holding CCMS in check. WCHS came away with a 20-14 win.
Teams had to make the most of possessions in the seventh-grade game. The Bobcat offense marched down the field to start the game for the game’s only points, and it was all they needed in an 8-0 victory.
Eighth grade
The Bobcats struck quickly with Michael Sapp touchdown runs for both of its scores. CCMS received the opening kickoff and needed just three plays to cover 62 yards. After a 1-yard run by fullback Parker Chancey, Sapp carried twice, and his second was a 46-yard touchdown run. He added the 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.
White was on the field for four plays on its opening drive. A second down fumble was recovered by Bobcat Caleb Gaspar. CCMS was forced to punt, and the Warriors began their first half touchdown drive from the Cats’ 33. WCMS converted a fourth down on the drive and on the fourth play, a 21-yard run put six points on the board.
The conversion failed, and CCMS led by two with 1:10 left in the first quarter.
The Cats’ third drive began with a 4-yard loss before Sapp torched the Warriors around the left edge. This time, he sped 69 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.
The conversion failed and the Cats’ lead stood at 14-6, 48 seconds into the second quarter.
WCMS turned the ball over on downs, and CCMS punted on its fourth possession.
White strung a pair of drives together to begin the second half. The first took 7:12 off the clock. The 57-yard, 13-play drive ended with a 7-yard touchdown pass. The successful conversion evened the score.
Sapp was sidelined for all of the second half aside from Clear Creek’s final drive of the game. CCMS punted after White’s score, and the Warriors took over at Clear Creek’s 46. Nine plays later, a 1-yard run gave White the lead, 20-14.
Clear Creek’s next and final drive ended with an interception on third down and 12 from its own 26 before White killed the clock.
“We were two different ball clubs,” said head coach Willie Dodaro. “At halftime, we talked about how it’s a 0-0 game, and we need to play just like we did in the first half. We just didn’t come out, and I was very disappointed when we got down in the second half. Our tackling got a little bad, and their running back was taking us forward instead of us trying to take him back. We gave them a lot of extra yards for first downs. We just didn’t have the same team effort in the second half.”
Seventh grade
Possessions were limited as the Bobcats’ ground game continually drained precious time off the clock. Clear Creek’s defense played well stopping White’s offensive attack, which mixed the run and pass.
CCMS depended on Jaxon Garland and Joshua Wooten on its first drives as they handled all of the rushes. The 11-play, 71-yard series concluded with Wooten’s 1-yard touchdown run, and Garland tacked on the conversion for the game’s only points.
The drive took all but 30 seconds off the first quarter clock, and WCMS punted on both of its first half possessions. The Cats’ second drive of the half ended with a fumble.
Both teams turned the ball over on downs to begin the third quarter, and the Cats’ drive took 6:37 off the clock. White’s next series was its last of the game and showed some promise. The Warriors picked up 48 yards, but on fourth down, Bobcats Kylan Merrell, Jordan Wheeler and Gunner Banks teamed up to stop the Warrior running back short.
Clear Creek’s offense gained three first downs to take the final 4:01 off the clock.
“It was an all-around good game,” said Dodaro of the seventh graders, who earned their first victory in two years. “It was similar to the eighth-grade game, except when we got the lead, we kept it. We kept a zero on the scoreboard, and I’m very proud of them.
“They are starting to get involved with our eighth grade now, and it’s really helping us at practice. The seventh graders are starting to advance and get involved with the scout team, and it’s making them better and us better.”
The eighth grade is 1-1 and the seventh-grade Cats are 1-0. CCMS travels to Union County today and just an eighth-grade game will be played at 5 p.m.