For the first time in 6 weeks, the Clinton Red Devils played at their home base, Wilder Stadium.
For the first time in about 50 years, Clinton played in State Classification AA.
Realignment for this season and next season is the reason for AA, as the Red Devils debuted in Region 1, AA, with a 46-21 Friday night win over visiting Chesnee.
The first time in 6 weeks was because of three road trips and two games cancelled or postponed by Hurricane Helene.
Clinton Football Head Coach Corey Fountain said, not this week, but last week the Red Devils had players at home without electricity and water, and the coaches were able to get the team together to do a welfare check on everybody. The players were anxious to practice because they wanted to see each other, the coach said.
This is an important win because the winner of Region 1, AA, has home field advantage throughout the post-season playoffs. Clinton will face serious playoffs challenges against Fairfield-Central and Chester in the opposite region. Clinton moves on now at 4-2 overall, 1-0 in region play, to a game next Friday at Landrum.
Fountain said, post Helene, “We’d get together in voluntary practices. Everybody showed up because they missed each other, and they wanted to see each other. It was awesome. It’s just a really good feeling to be 1-0 in the region, proud of our coaches, proud of our guys.”
Fountain said the challenge of playing now was so many distractions and so many things way more important than football, in the wake of a deadly hurricane. The preparation “got their mind off everything that hadn’t been so good,” he said.
The Red Devils hadn’t even been in school. With hurricane-caused e-Learning days and fall break, Clinton High won’t start classes back until Monday.
Clinton pounced on Chesnee early with a Devin Swindler touchdown catch on a Tushawan Richardson pass and a Rhett Gilliam 2-point conversion run, and a Noah Garrett touchdown catch off a play-action fake to Javen Cook (129 yards rushing) by QB Richardson.
Chesnee scored on a QB run in the 2nd, but Clinton struck right back as Richardson connected with Chris Boyd for a 47-yard TD pass on fourth down. Clinton recovered a Chesnee fumble at the Red Devil 6 with 3:20 to play before halftime, and Chesnee missed a field goal on the first possession of the second half.
The Eagles were able to score on the second play of the 4th quarter and with 2 seconds left on the game clock.
The Red Devils ran the ball 36 times to gain 276 yards, and Richardson went 9 of 15 passing to add 178 yards to the offense. Chesnee had their opportunities – 60 plays for 330 yards – but the Red Devils took advantage of their 51 plays to rack up 454 yards.
Cook ran the ball 16 times for his 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. Richardson threw for 3 scores. Swindler, returning from injury, caught 4 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown.
Clinton will not make up its non-region game against Union County and will make up its region game against Liberty (after a bye week) as the regular season-closer in November.
