The Clear Creek eighth-grade Bobcats met the undefeated Pickens Dragons last Thursday.
The meeting marked the semifinals of the Mountain Athletic Conference, and the Dragons defended their home turf. After CCMS held Pickens on its first drive, the Dragons scored touchdowns on its next four possessions to earn a 26-0 win.
“Our biggest problem is we don’t have enough soldiers. We just don’t have enough boys out there to give us breaks,” said head coach Willie Dodaro. “We got the line going both ways, and with a team like Pickens, they have the numbers and they have fresh bodies.
“I think we can compete with anybody, but when you face a stronger team like that, you have to have depth.”
The Bobcats had their best drive to start the game. Halfback Hunter Britain hit the edge for gains of 16, 14 and 10 yards while fullback Michael Bushey tested the middle of the line. CCMS earned five first downs and advanced from its 23 to the Dragons’ 33, but a fumble gave the Dragons possession.
Clear Creek’s defense made a stop after Pickens’ offense took over. The Dragons were able to make it to the Bobcats’ 34 where their fourth down pass fell incomplete. However, the Cats’ next two drives of the half concluded with punts.
The Dragons’ capable passing attack was supplemented by a competent ground game that kept the Bobcats guessing. A 36-yard pass moved the Dragons deep into GHS territory, and they scored on a 22-yard run on the drive’s sixth play.
The failed conversion gave the Dragons a 6-0 lead at some point in the first quarter. Pickens’ video scoreboard was only sporadically used, and the clock was kept on the field by referees. Following the Cats’ second punt, PCMS was back in business at its 49. The three-play drive ended with a 10-yard touchdown run, and Pickens led 14-0 at halftime.
“One thing that killed us in the first half was penalties,” said Dodaro. “We were our own worst enemy. We controlled the ball for four minutes and when we got inside the 30-yard line we started going backward and then we fumbled.”
Pickens’ opening drive of the second half began at its 41. On the eighth play, a 27-yard slant pass moved the Dragons ahead, 20-0. CCMS punted after three offensive plays, and the Dragons’ offense was back on the field at their 19.
Three straight runs ended the nine-play drive, and the final was a 9-yard touchdown rush. Bobcat Riley Duggan intercepted the conversion attempt as the Dragons led, 26-0.
Runs by Bobcats Britain, Bushey, Cheyne Smith and Bo Cronic led to two first downs, and CCMS advanced to the Dragons’ 33 before the clock expired.
“We continued to play hard in the second half,” said Dodaro. “They’re that caliber of kid. They went through tough years in sixth and seventh grade still learning the game and getting better and stronger. This year, they started to jell a little bit. This is a fine group of kids, and if they stay together, Coach (Paul) Standard (at GHS) will have something going on.”
CCMS posted a regular season record of 3-3.