The Clinton Red Devils dropped hammer-time on the Knights of North Central Friday night with a convincing 56-7 win at Wilder Stadium.
“We talked about it all week, we wanted to go at them full speed. We wanted to be the hammer, not the nail,” Clinton Football Head Coach Corey Fountain said.
“We were able to execute, and we need to keep it up. You win (with preparation) Sunday through Thursday.”
The win makes Clinton 1-0 in what’s called “the third season” – the Class AA State Playoffs, where Clinton is defending its 2024 State Championship, the 9th in the storied history of Red Devil Football.
Javen “Zoom” Cook did his part – 9 carries for 115 yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior signal-caller Owen Glenn got the scoring started with a 51-yard TD run, two plays after Clinton accepted the opening kickoff. The “drive” took 59 seconds.
Cook entered the game with 1,426 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns.
Cook’s 3 scores were sandwiched around a drive that failed on a North Central interception in their own end zone – just Glenn’s 5th pick in 95 passing attempts coming into the contest.
Maison Tinsley’s 30-yard pick-six and PJ McGowan’s 11-yard scoring catch of a Glenn pass got the score to 42-0 Clinton with 27 seconds before halftime. The game was played throughout the second half with a running clock, and Clinton still managed scores by Rhett Gilliam (returning from injury) and reserve Bryland James. Clinton held the visitors out of the end zone until 1:22 left to play – the Knights never made it into the red zone and tallied just 7 first downs, with 27 yards of total offense in the first half. North Central had entered this game 7-3 overall including a big win over highly-regarded Andrew Jackson.
Clinton meanwhile was 4 of 7 on 3rd down and 5 of 6 from inside the red zone. The Red Devil passing attack added 64 yards to the 335 rushing. This was Clinton’s 20th consecutive win over a Class AA team, and 91st overall in the playoffs.
Clinton (8-3 overall) advances to host Saluda this coming Friday, in Round 2 of the AA playoffs. “Saluda played close games this season against Batesburg-Leesville and Strom Thurmond,” Fountain said. “We will prepare the way we always prepare.”
Did You Know?
North Central was 3-7 in 2024 and improved to 7-3 in 2025, inder Daniel Sisk, before meeting Clinton Friday night. The Knights were 1-9 in 2022.
The Knights lost 55-0 to Manning in the 2024 playoffs, while Clinton defeated Pelion, 56-0, in last season’s first round. In round two, Clinton plays Saluda (6-5), a 33-13 winner over Mid-Carolina, of Prosperity in Newberry County, which was the former school of Louie Alexander, now the Red Devils athletics director and offensive coordinator. The M-C Rebels finished 3-1 in region and were champs of Region 3, AA. It was the Rebels first home playoff game since 2010. Second-ranked in the state in Class AA, Clinton is 13-4 under football head coach Corey Fountain in the playoffs. -- Info from Red Devil Game Notes by Patrick Nelson & The Newberry Observer.
SALUDA lost 3 close games in their region to teams that made the AA state playoffs: 28-24 to Ninety Six; 20-14 to Strom Thurmond (#1 ranked in state AA) & 35-34 OT to Batesburg-Leesville.
They also lost, by wider margins, to Southside Christian & Newberry (both still alive in AAA state playoffs).
Saluda DFEATED Crescent, Ridge Spring-Monetta, Chester (still alive in AA playoffs), ALA, Pelion and Mid-Carolina. - Source: MaxPrep/ Saluda Schedule.
Player of the Week
Hello Everyone,
The Laurens County Touchdown Club is proud to announce that for games played on Friday, November 7th, the Player of the week is Clinton High School running back Javen Cook.
Cook is a senior running back that lead the Red Devils to a 56 – 7 win over 7 – 3 North Central High School in the first round of the SCHSL AA football playoffs.
Javen ‘Zoom’ Cook had 115 yards on just 9 carries and three touchdowns for the Devils all in the first half of the 1st round game. Cook had a long touchdown run of 41 yards and averaged 12.8 yards per carry. His TD runs were of 4, 41 and 17 yards on the night. Cook is now a three time recipient of the Touchdown Club Player of the Week Award throughout the 2025 season.
Head Coach Corey Fountain stated, “Week in and week out Javen Cook has been consistent in his work ethic and performance! He is a tremendous athlete and person.”
The Laurens County Touchdown Club will honor Cook on November 20th at the bi-monthly Touchdown Club meeting. The meeting will be at noon at The Ridge in Laurens with School District 56 serving the meal and the food service line opening at 11:45 am. Player of the Week awards will presented in 2025 by Farm Bureau Insurance of Laurens County.
The November 20th meeting will feature the South Carolina versus Clemson preview with legendary player Rick Sanford representing the Gamecocks of South Carolina and outstanding former Tiger Coach Robbie Caldwell representing the Clemson Tigers.
The Laurens County Touchdown Club meets every other Thursday throughout the football season at The Ridge located in Laurens at 301 Exchange Road and the public is invited. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $15. All meetings are at Noon with the food service line opening at 11:45 am. Additionally, the Farm Bureau Insurance “Player of the Week’ awards will be presented for the October 31 as well as the November 7 and 14 High School football games and we will have a recap from all of the coaches of the local High School teams and Presbyterian College. Lakelands FCA of Laurens County will present a ‘Players Bible’ to each award winner as well.
On behalf of the Touchdown Club Committee Members, I would like to thank each of you for your support. Congratulations to Player of the Week Javen Cook of Clinton High School for games played on Friday, November 7th.
Thanks and Best of Luck to all of our county teams this week.
Gene Simmons, President
Laurens County Touchdown Club
