Despite two recent losses, Clinton still has chance to make playoffs
By Danny C. Davis
Halloween night did not turn out well for the Clinton Arrows this season. Clinton dropped their third Region 2-7A game in a row, to drop to 4-5 overall and 1-3 in region play. Despite the loss, Clinton still can make the playoffs for the first time since 2022 with a win by at least 8 points or more at Madison Central in the season final regular season game Thursday night November 6 at Madison.
Many Arrow fans were already keeping an eye on playoff scenarios and matchup odds—similar to how people follow projections on platforms like 2up sportsbook—hoping Clinton could still control its own destiny.
In the past, winning at Madison Central has not been easy for the Arrows. Clinton has only one win at Madison since 2015. The Arrows beat Madison Central 38-31 at Madison in 2022.
Unlike a week before against # 4 Oxford, this game did not start well for CHS. After Clinton drove down the field and settled for a 30-yard field goal by Braylon Spann, Germantown reeled off 30 first-half points before the Arrows scored again.
The Mavericks executed a trick play on the first possession with a pass in the backfield to Nyikius Johnson, who threw to Keyshaun Coleman for a 33-yard gain to the Arrow 31. Two plays later, GHS QB King White hit a wide-open Lawson Branson in the end zone for a touchdown and a 7-3 lead.
Then the floodgates opened for the Arrows.
On Clinton’s next possession, Arrow QB Jayden Jones threw the first of two interceptions. GHS’s White then hit Branson for a 19-yard TD, and the Mavericks extended their lead to 14-3 with 5:18 still left in the first quarter.
Clinton QB Jones threw another interception on the Arrows’ next possession, and GHS kicked a 36-yard field goal to go up 17-3 in the first quarter.
Germantown went up 23-3 on Mike Johnson’s TD pass to Branson with 8 minutes left in the half. The Mavericks then went 69 yards in 10 plays to go ahead on Johnson’s 5-yard run to gain a 30-3 advantage.
Clinton scored on the Arrow’s next possession on a 44-yard pass play from Jones to Jaden Johnson to cut the GHS lead to 30-10 at the half.
In the second half, the Arrow defense played better but still couldn’t stop the Maverick offense with White, Johnson, Coleman and Branson.
White hit Johnson for a 61-yard TD pass play to make it 37-10 with 4 minutes left in the third. Clinton came right back with what would be their final scoring play of the night.
Sophomore running back Cayden Albert scored for Clinton on a 5-yard run to cut the lead to 37-17 with a minute left in the third. But that was as close as Clinton would get. Johnson busted through on a 37-yard TD run with 11:16 left, and GHS added another field goal to make it 47-17.
The game was the largest point differential and most points CHS gave up this year.
Germantown had 486 offensive yards, to 204 by CHS.
Johnson had 189 yards on 28 carries. White threw for 172 yards. Branson had 92 yards receiving, and Coleman caught 6 passes for 151.
Braylon Lowery led the Arrows’ rushing with 94 yards on 19 carries. Jones completed 7 of 14 passes for 109 yards. Jamari Smith caught 3 passes for 50 yards. Jaiden Johnson caught 2 passes for 43 yards.
Defensively for Clinton, Jaiden Jefferson had 6 tackles. Cameron Cornelius had 5 tackles. Robsen Neblett had 5 tackles, and Davon Merchant had 4 stops.
“Germantown came out and jumped on us early with trick plays and got a big early lead,” said Arrow head coach Hamer Morgan. “They were by far the best team we played this year on offense and defense. They have a lot of Division One college prospects. But we made some mistakes on defense that we hadn’t made all year.”
“We didn’t expect this kind of game at Clinton,” said Germantown head coach Russell Mitchell. “We knew Clinton had one of the best defenses in Class 7A and are so tough against the run. That is why we ran those gadget plays early to try to get a lead and had to be aggressive right out of the gate. But I think the future is bright for Clinton football, with their young quarterback that is only going to get better and will be their 3-year starter. And give their defense a lot of credit for how hard they have played and really get after you and put a lot of pressure on everybody that have played them.”
“The good thing is that we still have a chance to get in the playoffs, and that is all we can ask for right now,” said Morgan. “We have six days to get ready, and we will work hard every day – and I know these guys will go up to Madison and play as hard as they can Thursday night.”
The week before, Clinton appeared to be on track to upset # 4-ranked Oxford at Arrow Field and get a game lead up for a chance to make the playoffs.
For the first 30 minutes of the 48-minute game (2 ½ quarters), the Arrows completely dominated the Chargers. QB Jayden Jones’ 37-yard run with 10:43 left in the 3rd period gave Clinton a 23-7 lead. But after that, for the final 18 minutes, it was all Oxford, who walked off the field with a 33-23 win.
The Chargers outscored Clinton 26-0 in the final 15 minutes to give Clinton their 2nd straight Region 2-7A loss and a fall to 4-4 overall and 1-2 in Region 2-7A.
The loss marked the first time an opposing team came back against that big of a second half Arrow lead, since Clinton fell to Madison Central 38-31. Clinton had led that night 31-8 in the middle of the 3rd quarter, in 1999 at Roy Burkett Field.
Oxford QB Knox Kiffin threw a 37-yard TD pass with 3 minutes left in the third. Kiffin then connected on a 2-point conversion pass to make it 23-15.
Three minutes later, Jones fumbled and it was recovered by Oxford and returned 26 yards for a TD. Kiffin passed for a 2-point conversion again to tie the game 23-23 with 13 seconds left in the third period.
Another fumble by Clinton lead to another Charger TD to make it Oxford 30-23 with 9 minutes left. Oxford added a late field goal to compete the 26-point comeback and win 33-23.
It was a story again of not scoring touchdowns when in the red zone and turnovers by the offense. Clinton stalled in the red zone three times, and depended on Brylon Spann to kick field goals of 41, 26 and 20 yards in the first half.
Jones threw a 16-yard TD pass to Dayson Scott on the Arrows first possession.
Once again, Clinton totally dominated every offensive statistic but the final score.
Clinton had 74 plays for 399 total yards (277 yards rushing and 122 yards passing). Clinton had the football for 29 minutes 36 seconds. CHS had 21 first downs.
Oxford had 46 plays for 285 yards (99 rushing and 186 passing. Oxford had the football only 18 minutes and 24 seconds). The Chargers had only 12 first downs.
Jones had 21 carries for 165 yards. Boskey Evans had a career rushing night – 14 carries for 102 yards.
Defensively, Cameron Cornelius had 7 tackles. Christian Cavett and Dallas Jones each had 4 stops. Treion Casnel had an interception return for 29 yards.
