For the second straight season, Woodruff opened its football campaign with a win over Clinton – 21-13 Friday night at WL Varner Stadium. The Wolverines won this game last season, scoring 40 points at Wilder Stadium, and the Red Devils went on to win the AA State Championship.
Woodruff and Clinton have 19 State Championships between them, and this is one of the most storied rivalries in South Carolina High School football. Clinton now leads the series, 56-32.
The loss snaps Clinton’s 9-game win streak en route to the State Championship and a 12-2 record last season. Starting his 7th season at the helm for Clinton, head coach Corey Fountain was 111-28 for his head coach career.
Zy Butler led the Clinton offense – which amassed 300 yards against the Wolverines’ defense – with 104 yards rushing. Butler, in the 4th quarter, and Javen Cook, in the 2nd quarter, scored the Clinton touchdowns.
“We played a really good football team, a well-coached football team (Woodruff is pre-season #4 in the state in AAA),” Fountain said. “I put the responsibility on me. Our guys were put in situations they had not been put in.”
The Clinton defense “played lights out,” Fountain said, as Angelo Cromer blocked a punt and Jaydon Glenn snagged an interception. But Woodruff managed a TD on the first play of the 2nd quarter and another score after a long pass completion. Cook scored for Clinton with 6 seconds left on the clock before halftime on a 5-yard pass play. Two Butler runs gave Clinton hope after it took the 2nd half kickoff, but that drive stalled. The Red Devils later failed to convert on a 4th and 5 at the Woodruff 11. Another long pass completion led to Woodruff’s 21st point. Butler’s score with 7:07 left to play pulled Clinton to within 8 points.
Fountain said the CHS coaches are going to have to figure out how to have more pre-season competition. Weather wrecked some scrimmages and jamborees, and Fountain wants to be sure his players are put into all kinds of offensive, defensive and special teams situation prior to the season-opener. That’s so operating in these situations will become second nature and they won’t get delay of game and other penalties.
“We fought til the very end,” Fountain said. “The mistakes at the beginning of the game really cost us.”
Fountain said the Red Devils, next, will be playing a much-improved Laurens team. “We’re going to watch film on Sunday and make corrections and prepare for Laurens, and make corrections on this team right here. Our guys just gotta fight like they did tonight. If we give the effort that we did tonight on defense, and on offense stop the bad penalities and (improve) the execution, we’ll be fine.”
Clinton outgained Woodruff on offense, 300-227. Wolverines QB Connor Davis threw for 123 yards, 8 of 14 with one int., and a long pass of 45 yards. Davis was credited with 15 yards rushing because tackles behind the line of scrimmage and sacks count against that total. Woodruff’s Aiden Gibson ran for 67 yards and had 98 yards receiving, 45 of that on one play.
Clinton QB Owen Glenn was 6 of 18 passing for 64 yards.
This week, Clinton (0-1) plays at Laurens (0-1), and the following week hosts Newberry, a 62-14 winner at Union County, in the Sept. 5 – 6, 50th Anniversary Weekend for the 1975 AAA State Championship Red Devils team.
“This game (Woodruff) will not define our season,” Fountain said. “It did not define our season last year.”
