Possessions were scarce in last Thursday’s eighth-grade football game between Clear Creek and Dawson County.
The CCMS Bobcats hosted the visiting Tigers and rushing attacks dominated the day. With only seven combined pass attempts, the clock quickly ticked by and the Tigers were able to pull out a 7-6 victory.
The Tigers kicked a low line drive to start the game, which bounced off a Bobcat and Dawson recovered.
The Tigers’ 11-play drive spanned 51 yards and included 10 rushes. The lone pass accounted for the 24 yards and the Tigers reached pay dirt on a quarterback sneak on fourth down and goal from the 1-yard line.
The extra point gave DCMS a 7-0 lead late in the opening quarter.
Clear Creek’s two first half drives both stalled on downs and the Cats gained just one first down in the process.
The Tigers maintained their lead into the second half where they fumbled on their first possession. Bobcat Dakota Nelson was there to scoop up the low shotgun snap, and CCMS took over at its 28.
On first down, quarterback Issac Rellinger kept the ball off the right edge and picked up blocks from lineman Aidan Ledesma and wingback Kyle Cowart for a 10-yard pick up. Two plays later, fullback Kade Miller took a quick hand-off 16 yards to set up first and goal from the 3.
Following a short loss, Miller attacked the middle of the line again for a 4-yard touchdown. Rellinger was brought down in the backfield as the conversion failed.
Dawson found success on its next possession and drove from its 12 to the Bobcats’ 7. However, a third-down pass was intercepted by Cowart in the end zone and returned out to the 11.
CCMS achieved a pair of first downs on its final possession. After progressing to the their 37, two penalties and two losses saw the Cats get pushed back to their 5-yard line as time expired.
CCMS is 1-3 overall and will travel to Pickens Thursday for a 5 p.m. kickoff.
Seventh grade
Clear Creek seventh-graders ran into a Dawson County Tiger squad that made big plays offensively while keeping the Bobcats in check when they had the football.
The Tigers took a two-score lead into the locker room at halftime and added one more touchdown in the third quarter for a 19-0 victory.
CCMS struggled offensively and were limited to short gains in the first half. The Bobcats were forced to punt on all five of its first half possessions and did not achieve a first down.
The Tigers used two runs to cover 51 yards on their first possession of the game. A Tiger running back took a jet sweep around the right edge before cutting back across the field and down the sideline for a 39-yard touchdown run.
CCMS settled in defensively over Dawson’s next three drives, forcing a punt and two turnovers on downs.
On their last full possession of the half, DCMS added to its lead. Five plays moved the Tigers 40 yards, and a 3-yard quarterback sneak made Dawson’s lead 12-0 at halftime.
Dawson tacked on six more points on its opening drive of the third quarter. On the fourth play, a 42-yard run off right tackle capped the 61-yard drive.
Down 19-0, CCMS put together its best drive on its lone possession of the second half. Clear Creek gained two first downs and quarterback Bo Chronic completed a 6-yard pass to Carter Ortis. Facing second down from the Tigers’ 31, Chronic was intercepted.
Dawson took over late in the third quarter and its final drive drained all of the fourth. They punted back to CCMS as time expired.
The seventh-grade Bobcats are 0-3 and will play at Pickens Thursday following the eighth-grade game.