Javen Cook zoomed, battered, and broke-tackles his way to 269 yards on 24 carries and 3 trips into the Batesburg-Leesville end zone as Clinton earned a trip to the AA Upper State Championship with a 31-14 win over the previously undefeated Panthers.
The Friday night, 3rd round of the playoffs win at Wilder Stadium for Clinton meant that the Red Devils hung 31 on a team averaging just 7 points per game allowed and held on defense to 14 a team that averages about 40 points a game.
On its way to an undefeated season, before it played at Clinton, the Panthers were ranked #1 in State AA high school football.
Clinton moves on to next Friday hosting Fairfield-Central of Winnsboro in the AA Upper State Championship. It will be Clinton’s first hosting of the Upper State title game since 1994.
Javen "Zoom" Cook’s 269 yards were part of a Clinton rushing attack that earned 382 yards on the ground. Clinton threw just 5 times to gain 11 yards.
Red Devil Quarterback Tushawan Richardson added 89 yards rushing on 13 carries to keep the Panthers’ defense off balance.
Clinton got three turnovers in stifling the Panthers’ passing game to 9 completions in 19 attempts and 89 yards. B-L went for 4 conversions on 10 attempts on 3rd down.
The play of the game might have been a holding-the-ball by Maison Tinsley on a field goal attempt. The Lukas Kuykendall successful attempt gave Clinton a 10-point lead with 7:10 left to play, and forced B-L into seeking two scores to win going into the end of the 4th quarter.
The snap skidded on the ground back to holder Tinsley, who righted the ball just in time for the kick.
Then, Tinsley grabbed an interception with 1:40 left to play, just after Cook put in his 3rd TD at the 2:24 mark. Luke Young and Brett Young grabbed fumble recoveries for Clinton.
Clinton’s defense held the Panthers to a scoreless 2nd half.
“Can’t ask for any better,” Clinton Football Head Coach Corey Fountain said. “One day at a time, one week at a time, trying to go 1-0. Just give God the glory. Our guys came out and executed the game plan. The fans showed up in big numbers tonight and gave us an advantage. I appreciate all you guys who came out tonight (in 37 degree weather as the game ended). I’m proud of our guys and our coaches who decided to go 1-0. It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and I’m thankful for these guys. I’ve got a bunch of guys who are resilient.”
Tinsley’s hold and Kuykendall’s field goal “was huge, that put them in a huge hole” down two scores, Fountain said.
Clinton stunned B-L right away with Luke Young’s fumble recovery at the Panther 18 on the first possession of the game, and Cook’s 4-yard score on Clinton’s 4th play of the game. B-L tied it on a 4th and 1 run from the Clinton 3. Cook broke off a 40-yard run that set up Clinton at the 50, but the Red Devils failed on a 4th and 1.
Once Clinton got the ball back, two Cook runs got the Red Devils into Panthers territory, but B-L intercepted at the goal line to stop Clinton’s drive. A long quarterback run and a scoring pass gave B-L the 14-7 lead, before Clinton was driving again. A Noah Garrett TD reception was taken off the board by an ineligible receiver downfield penalty, but Richardson’s run and dive for the pylon on a 4th and goal from the 9 gave Clinton the tie score with no time left on the halftime clock.
By halftime, Cook already had run for 143 yards.
Clinton’s first drive stalled and a bad snap over the punter’s head gave B-L the ball at the Clinton 16. That’s when Brett Young changed the momentum with a recovery of a Panther fumble at the Clinton 17. A long Richardson run, two Cook runs and a facemask penalty later, Clinton was set up at the B-L 17. That’s when Cook scored, yet again, capping an 83-yard drive.
A Chris Boyd punt return and runs by Richardson and Rhett Gilliam pushed the ball for Clinton to the B-L 2. On 4th and goal, Kuykendall hit his field goal. “Lots of people probably thought we should have gone for it,” Fountain said, “but we needed points.”
B-L’s last gasp was a 4th and 6 incompletion, broken up by Chris and Austin Boyd, at the Clinton 34, followed by a Cook score at 2:24 left to play and the Tinsley game-icing interception.
With the Red Devils at 10-2, Clinton’s Dec. 6 home opponent, Fairfield-Central, is 12-1 on the season. The Griffins defeated Chesterfield, 50-6; Chesnee, 41-6; and Central (Pageland), 48-28, to advance to the AA Upper State Championship. F-C’s only loss this season was at home in the season-opener to AAAAA Ridge View, 42-18. Not losing again after that, Fairfield-Central is the 1st place team coming out of Region 3 AA.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
The Laurens County Touchdown Club is proud to announce that for games played on November 29th, the Player of the week is running back Javen Cook of Clinton High School.
Cook is a junior running back who led Clinton High School to a 31 – 14 win over the #1 ranked Batesburg-Leesville Panthers in the quarterfinals of the SCHSL AA playoffs. Clinton High School will host AA Fairfield Central High School at Wilder Stadium Friday night in the state semifinals.
Javen ‘Zoom’ Cook is a Clinton High School junior for the Red Devils who lead the team in rushing with 269 yards on twenty-four carries and three touchdowns on the night. Cook had a long run of 50 yards and rushed for 11.2 yards per carry from his running back position. The Red Devils rushed for 393 as a team on the night.
Head Coach Corey Fountain stated, “Javen has a great work ethic. His work in the weight room shows on Friday nights when he explodes down the field on big plays. He is a great young man on and off the field.”
The Laurens County Touchdown Club will honor Cook on January 8th at the Touchdown Club Annual Banquet. The Awards Banquet will be at 6 pm at The Ridge in Laurens. Player of the Week awards is presented by Farm Bureau Insurance of Laurens County in 2024.
The featured speaker for the January 8th Annual Awards Banquet will be former Clemson football great Brian Mance. Mance was named the 2023 South Carolina Football Hall of Fame “Humanitarian of the Year.”The TD Club will recognize its All-County team selection as well as Coach of the Year, Player of the Year and the Lakeland’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes Character award winners from each High School as well as Presbyterian College.
The Laurens County Touchdown Club met every other Thursday throughout the regular football season at The Ridge located in Laurens at 301 Exchange Road and will conclude its season with its Annual Awards Banquet at The Ridge on January 8th at 6 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Laurens County Chamber of Commerce in advance for $20 for the Banquet.
On behalf of the Touchdown Club Board of Directors, I would like to thank each of you for your support. Congratulations to junior Javen Cook of Clinton High School as the Laurens County Touchdown Club Player of the Week for November 29th. - Gene Simmons, President
