Clear Creek Middle School locked up trips to the football postseason with two more conference wins.
The Bobcats hosted the Lumpkin County Indians last Tuesday, and their victories landed on both ends of the spectrum. The eighth-grade matchup saw CCMS light up the scoreboard with offensive and defensive touchdowns for a 40-0 win.
The seventh-grade Cats struggled with ball security, but the defense made plays when needed to preserve their undefeated season. What turned out to be a costly LCMS special team’s mistake was all it took, and Clear Creek clawed their way to a home victory, 2-0.
Eighth grade
While CCMS did fumble on its first and last possessions of the opening half, the Bobcats made up for it with defensive scores.
The Cats’ second drive lasted a play and concluded with fullback Peyton Chancey rumbling for a 56-yard touchdown. Clear Creek’s second series needed two plays and covered 51 yards. Chancey rushed both times, and his final was a 43-yard run into the end zone.
When the Cats’ defense took the field, Chancey was there once again to scoop up a fumble and return it 16 yards for a 24-0 lead with 5:44 to play in the half.
LCMS fumbled again on its ensuing possession, and this time Bobcat Mac Burnette recovered. Clear Creek’s three-play possession ended when halfback Douglas Callihan rushed for a 22-yard touchdown around the right side.
Behind 32-0, Lumpkin punted, and CCMS fumbled when it got the ball back. However, LCMS then threw an interception, which was returned 48 yards by Bobcat Chaz Curtis for a 40-0 CCMS advantage at the half.
A running clock was used in the second half and time quickly expired.
Seventh grade
CCMS fumbled on its first three possessions and threw an interception on its fourth. The Bobcat defense bent in the first half but did not break. LCMS used all of the first quarter, but its drive stalled at Clear Creek’s 37.
The Indians’ second drive was halted when Bobcat Madden Hopkins took the ball away from a LCMS running back. Lumpkin’s third drive produced the only points of the game. A high snap on a punt from the Indians’ 4-yard line rolled out of the end zone for a safety and 2-0 CCMS lead with 2:02 left in the first half.
Lumpkin was able to string together a pair of clock draining drives in the second half, but the Bobcat defense was there to make crucial plays on the goal line.
The Indians’ opening drive of the third quarter lasted 12 plays. Hopkins made tackles on back-to-back plays on third and fourth down, which stopped Lumpkin’s offense on Clear Creek’s 2-yard line.
CCMS was forced to punt, and LCMS took over at the Cats’ 31 with 3:30 to play. Facing third and goal from the 10, Lumpkin completed a pass, but A.J. Callihan was there to make a tackle at the 3-yard line to deny the Indians.
With the game on the line, Lumpkin’s final run was stopped when Bobcats Hunter Newhart, Kevin Olea and Hopkins teamed up to make another goal line tackle to dash Lumpkin’s hopes.
The win improved the seventh-grade’s record to 4-0, and the eighth grade is 5-1. CCMS traveled to Pickens at press deadline for the final game of the regular season.