Clinton defeats Elkins in 3A-1

ELKINS — In what could end up being the deciding factor in the 3A-1 Conference title race, Clinton proved to be the cream of the crop Friday night with a 49-28 over Elkins in John Bunch Stadium.

Both teams entered the contest with unblemished 3-0 conference records.

Clinton (7-0, 4-0) got 378 of its 433 total offensive yards on the ground, enabling the Yellow Jackets to control the flow for the most of the night. Quarterback Weston Amos led the attack with 98 yards on 15 carries.

The victory was the 100th career victory for Clinton coach Chris Dufrene in his 16 seasons at the helm of the Yellow Jackets. It also gave the program its first 7-0 start since 2010.

“Both teams just played really well tonight,” Dufrene said after getting doused with the ice bucket after the game. “Elkins has a very talented group. We were just able to get a few breaks here and there, and put some points on the board.

“Our kids kept playing hard all now and I was proud of them.”

The fireworks started early as Elkins needed just four plays on the game’s opening drive to scratch the scoreboard with a 44-yard strike from quarterback Quinn McClain to the speedy Chad Graham.

Not to be outdone, Clinton needed only three plays on the ensuing drive to take a 7-6 lead on Charleston Sowell’s 46-yard touchdown jaunt.

“We started out like we wanted to, getting the ball first and getting an early lead,” Elkins coach Chad Harbison said. “But they are so good on offense, and the biggest thing for us was not getting any stops when we needed them.

“They run the ball so well and just chew up the clock with four- and five-yard runs ,up and down the field.”

Elkins (5-2, 3-1) drove the ball to the Clinton one-yard line on its next possession, but was thwarted by the Yellow Jacket defense, turning the ball over on downs. Clinton then proceeded to move the ball 99 yards in 13 plays – 12 of those on running plays. John Riley Hinchey completed the drive with a 4-yard run over the goal line.

Amos then scored from three yards out to put the Yellow Jackets in front 19-6 with 5 minutes, 16 seconds left in the first half.

After Elkins cut into the lead with a 33-yard pass from McClain to Graham, Clinton scored with seven seconds left in the half. Amos hit Austin Drake for a 35-yard strike to give the Yellow Jackets a 27-12 advantage at the intermission.

They extended the lead early in the third quarter on Sky Davidson’s 1-yard plunge. Davidson finished with 80 yards on 18 carries.

Elkins then made an impressive burst, scoring two touchdowns within 1:16, benefited by the first of two successful onside kicks. McClain hit Layne Evans from five yards out, then came back with a 20-yard toss to Chance Jones to cut the lead to 34-28 the 4:35 left in the third period.

McClain completed 20 of his 31 passes for 345 yards.

The Elks looked to tie the game early in the fourth, but McClain’s pass was tipped by Caleb Bowman and intercepted by Davidson at the Clinton 21.

The Yellow Jackets, who converted 5 of 5 fourth-down attempts on the night, kept the ball on the ground for the final 17 plays of the game, to melt the clock and secure the victory.

“You can’t say this was the championship game quite yet, but if there’s a team better than them in this league, I don’t know who they are,” Harbison said.