Clear Creek football took the field for a pair of league championship games.
The seventh-grade Bobcats hosted Lumpkin County last Wednesday, and four quarters were not enough to decide a winner. CCMS made short work of the Indians in overtime and walked away with an 8-6 victory.
Clear Creek eighth graders were in Lumpkin a day prior for their title tilt. The evenly played game remained tied until late in the fourth. The Indians were able to reach the end zone before holding off CCMS for a 14-8 win.
Seventh grade
The scoreless game’s overtime period saw each team receive a possession at the opposition’s 15-yard line. A winner was declared once a team led after both teams received a possession. For CCMS, that did not take long.
Lumpkin was on offense first, and the Indians struck quickly. The Indians’ quarterback took a draw through the middle of the line on first down before breaking to the outside and into the end zone. The conversion failed, and the Bobcats’ offense took the field.
CCMS quarterback Slade Smith’s option keeper on first down advanced the Cats to the 3-yard line. Fullback Cal Morrison covered the rest on the ensuing play to even the score. Morrison then took a handoff over the left side of the line and across the goal line to seal the Bobcats’ championship.
“We had injuries and had kids going in there and doing what we needed to do,” said head coach Willie Dodaro. “We tell them at practice to pay attention, because there is going to be a time you’re going to have to play on this team. Hats off to the coaches for having the kids prepared.
“When they scored (and didn’t get the two-point conversion), our kids knew we had a chance to win. That gave us a second wind and that was it. We didn’t put our heads down.”
To begin the game, CCMS punted twice and its third drive ended on downs.
The Bobcat defense held the Indians on downs through their first two drives, and the third resulted in a punt.
A Morrison sack on the Indians’ first possession is what stalled the series. Lumpkin’s ensuing drive hit a snag when Bobcats Brier Jones and Jax Burney sacked its quarterback.
Clear Creek had a productive drive to start the second half. The Cats picked up a pair of first downs, and they moved across midfield on a 10-yard completion to Morrison that was accompanied by a LCMS 15-yard penalty.
From the Indians’ 20, Smith’s fourth down pass was dropped in the end zone. However, CCMS cornerback Noah Rice intercepted a pass on Lumpkin’s ensuing offensive play, and the Cats had another opportunity to reach the end zone.
CCMS started from Lumpkin’s 25-yard line, but the drive stalled 8 yards later. Lumpkin’s last drive of regulation only advanced to the Cats’ 45.
Smith and Morrison traded carries, and Jackson Jones caught a 4-yard pass to progress CCMS to the 11. Following a 4-yard run by Morrison, he received a final carry as time expired, but referees deemed he was inches short of the goal line.
The championship win capped the Bobcats’ 7-0 season. The win marked Clear Creek’s third straight undefeated seventh-grade season.
“Our numbers are perfect for this group and we have a lot of kids out,” Dodaro said. “We’re hoping to keep everyone in tact and hope everyone stays with the program. We need to keep lifting and getting stronger.”
Dodaro added, “Our fan support this year was outstanding. I just really want to thank the community for all the support they gave us. We had some great crowds this year and they never let us down.”
Eighth grade
The game got off to a tremendous start for the Bobcats as cornerback Jeremiah Few was there to retrieve the ball for the offense. On Lumpkin’s opening drive, Few recovered the Indians’ second-down fumble.
The Bobcat offense took over at their 41. Following runs off the edge of 12 and 7 yards by halfback Ryan Rellinger, fullback Madden Hopkins shot through the middle of the Indians’ defense. He outraced the secondary for a 40-yard touchdown run, and Rellinger added the conversion for an 8-0 lead less than two minutes into the game.
Lumpkin blended the run and pass to advance 49 yards to Clear Creek’s 12-yard line. They went to the air on the drive’s 10th play, and Few made the interception in front of the Indians’ towering receiver.
Quarterback A.J. Callihan’s 13-yard gain got the Cats’ next drive going before Hopkins and Rellinger moved CCMS to near midfield. A 15-yard chop block penalty set the drive back, and CCMS was forced to punt.
LCMS embarked on a 12-play, 84-yard touchdown drive. Their fullback accounted for over 40 rushing yards, and they got a boost from a roughing the passer penalty. A 20-yard completion was followed by a 14-yard fullback dive for a touchdown.
The conversion evened the score at 8-8 at the half. Another chop block penalty on CCMS to begin the third quarter led to the Cats’ second punt of the game.
LCMS then opted for a fake punt from the Cats’ 49, but the CCMS made the stop. The Cats were unable to take advantage of field position, and after turning the ball over on downs, LCMS was set to go ahead for good.
The Indians’ drive started from their 42 at the onset of the fourth quarter. The possession consisted of eight runs and one completion, and it was a 25-yard fullback dive on the ninth play that moved the Indians ahead by six.
Clear Creek’s final drive got underway at its 40 with 2:59 on the clock. After achieving a first down, the Bobcats ran a reverse pass that was intercepted by LCMS.
The Indians drained the remaining 1:56 off the clock to claim the title.
“It’s unfortunate,” Dodaro said of the loss. “I can’t be more thankful for these eighth graders. If they hang together and keep playing, they’ll be able to help up at the high school.
“This group battled every day. They battled at practice and on game days. We had some tight games but they battled and they won what they needed to get back to the championship. Unfortunately, their only two losses (over the past two seasons) was to Lumpkin this year. As a staff, we’re proud of these guys and how they worked out in the summer and in July to get the season started. You can’t ask anything more out of a group of boys.”
The eighth-grade Bobcats finished the season with a 6-2 record.