REVENGE - with stats as PDF attached.
Thunder and lightning struck Chapman Friday night – as Clinton pounded out scoring drives of 80 and 73 yards in its third and fourth possessions then Justin Copeland went lightning for 70 yards on a pooched kickoff return in the second quarter.
It was all part of the Red Devils’ dismantling of Chapman, 49-19, in non-region action on the road. Clinton comes back home this coming Friday against South Aiken, then opens region play Sept. 30 at Union County.
The Yellowjackets had their stingers clipped by 30 points by a previously winless Laurens team Friday night at KC Hanna Stadium.
Jishun Copeland scored Clinton’s first quarter TDs on runs of 6 yards and 34 yards. Bryson James added a 6-yard score capping the 73-yard drive, before Chapman scratched the scoreboard on a 10-yard touchdown pass, aided by a late hit out of bounds penalty.
Chapman tried the pooch kick to disastrous results, as Justin Copeland took it to the house. The Red Devils led 28-7 with 6:43 left before halftime.
“Our kids were locked in all week. We had a good week of preparation,” Clinton Football Head Coach Corey Fountain said. “We had unfinished business with them (a 27-26 Chapman win last season at Wilder Stadium), and we took care of business. They have a pass heavy offense – we bent but we did not break – (but) we have to clean up the penalties.”
The Red Devils were flagged 11 times for 122 yards. Twice in the third quarter their 49th point was taken off the scoreboard by penalties, including a 70-yard Bryson James run that was not a touchdown because a block in the back penalty was called at the Chapman 5-yard line. A Kaydon Crawford 7-yard TD catch was negated by an illegal man down field penalty. Then, Chapman roughed the passer, but that play was a do-over because Clinton was flagged for an illegal man down field. Finally, Justin Copeland put an end to it on a reverse, and Clinton got to its 49th point with 3:35 left in the 3rd quarter. Chapman scored its 19th point with 4 minutes left in the game.
With 3:14 to play until halftime, Clinton’s defense held Chapman on a 4th and 3, and then Kadon Crawford caught a 49-yard Austin Copeland pass to the Chapman 5. Jayden Robinson scored with 59 seconds left in the half, capping a 74-yard drive. Up 35-7, the Red Devils surrendered a Chapman long scoring pass with 25 seconds to play until halftime.
Starting the second half, Clinton drove to the Chapman 25, but a penalty stalled the drive. Eventually, though, Jishun Copeland found paydirt on a 10-yard run, pushing the score to 42-13 with 6 minutes to play in the 3rd quarter.
Chapman ran the ball 26 times to gain 81 yards and completed 11 passes in 34 attempts to add 120 yards.
Clinton ran the ball 53 times to gain 478 yards and added 114 through the air – Clinton approached the 600 yards gained mark, as its 66 plays netted 592 yards. Bryson James ran for 124 yards and Jishun Copeland ran for 104 yards.
Clinton improved to 5-0 – the No. 4 ranked team in State AAA – and Chapman fell to 1-4 against a tough non-region schedule that included Woodruff, Byrnes and Boiling Springs. The Panthers’ lone win was a field goal in overtime win at Laurens, which destroyed Union County, 44-14, at home for the Raiders’ first win on the season. Union County is Clinton’s on the road Sept. 30 opponent – the start of Region 4, AAA action that will determine seeding for the playoffs.
Woodruff defeated Chapman, 13-7, in the season opener. Clinton and Woodruff square off in region action, Oct. 14 – meanwhile, Chapman tests Union County this coming Friday.
