Clear Creek is ready for the Mountain League football playoffs.
Possessions were scarce in the eighth-grade matchup versus Dawson County, and the CCMS Bobcats bullied their way to a 30-0 victory. Clear Creek seventh-graders overcame a shaky start and pulled ahead in the final quarter. A late Tiger touchdown gave DCMS the lead, and the Cats’ valiant effort came up short, 20-16.
The games were originally scheduled for last Wednesday at CCMS, but impending weather moved them up a day.
“We played really well and shut them out. I was real pleased with that, and we moved the ball well,” head coach Willie Dodaro said of the eighth-grade Bobcats. “I was very pleased with the effort and the adjustment they made at a young age to go in and get ready to play Tuesday. Praise to the coaches too for getting us ready. Anything can happen when you have to shift something.”
CCMS scored points on four straight drives. Meanwhile, Dawson was limited to three possessions on the day and punted twice before a second half interception.
The Cats had to work for their first two touchdowns, which needed seven and eight plays, respectively. Clear Creek’s rushing attack was in gear with quarterback Slade Smith, fullback Cal Morrison and wingback Silas West picking up yards behind a dominant offensive line. West’s 19-yard run around the right edge moved CCMS to the Tigers’ 2-yard line. After a penalty, reserve fullback Lian Hup’s 7-yards dive capped the 41-yard series.
Morrison added the conversion for an 8-0 lead.
The Cats’ next drive began at their 42. Wingback Owen McCollum joined West and Morrison in the running column, and seven straight Bobcat rushes moved them to the 5. Wingback Jackson Jones rushed to cover the remaining yards for a 14-0 lead.
Dawson’s second punt gave CCMS the ball at the Tigers’ 40. After a 30-yard run by McCollum, Smith completed a 10-yard touchdown pass to Morrison, who also added the conversion.
Down 22-0, DCMS attempted an onside kick to begin the third quarter, and CCMS took over offensively. After a penalty, Morrison rumbled for a 47-yard touchdown on first down. His conversion extended the Cats’ lead to 30.
Dawson’s third and final possession of the game ended with a Jones interception. CCMS emptied its bench on its final possession to run out the clock.
CCMS seventh-graders dealt with a running back who had speed and size to glide past defenders and break tackles. The Cats struggled early and gave up consecutive touchdown drives of two and three plays. They concluded with touchdown runs of 55 and 48 yards for a 12-0 lead.
Clear Creek punted twice and turned the ball over on downs through three possessions. After forcing a Tiger punt on their third series, the CCMS offense was on the field at Dawson’s 46.
CCMS wingback Michael Sapp took the first down sweep around the right corner all the way to pay dirt. He added the conversion to trim Dawson’s lead to 12-8 at the half.
Possessions were limited in the second half, and the Cats put together a punishing drive that spanned into the fourth quarter. CCMS marched 55 yards on 16-straight rushes, and the Cats overcame a 13-yard loss on a sack with a 15-yard DCMS penalty.
Fullback Parker Chancey helped Sapp handle the carries to move CCMS down field. From the Tigers’ 7, backup quarterback Christian Blakely scored the go-ahead touchdown. Chancey’s conversion gave the Cats a 16-12 lead.
Dawson responded with an eight-play drive, and they were all runs. The 55-yard possession ended with a 1-yard touchdown. The successful conversion moved DCMS ahead by four.
Clear Creek was stuck in reverse on its final possession of the game.
“They have a bruiser over there who is fast. At first, our kids didn’t want anything to do with him,” Dodaro said of Dawson’s running back.
“It was a matter of reinforcing to them we want to be in this game. They went up on us and we finally started tackling and doing really well defensively. We had a good drive to end the second quarter and had the momentum going for us. They finally went up on us late.”
The seventh graders began the playoffs at press deadline at Dawson County.
The eighth-grade Bobcats host Fannin County today at 5:30 p.m.