WC Fell Short 26-20 in their Season Opener Against Clinton

Warren Central High School football team fell short 26-20 in their season opener against Clinton at the Red Carpet Bowl.

Early on in the game, a bobbled snap caused Clinton to take possession of the ball inside the 10-yard line. Big tackles made by TK Qualls and Ronnie Blossom along with good coverage by Chester Savage forced the Arrows to attempt an unsuccessful field goal.

As the Vikings took possession of the ball, they had trouble getting down the field and were forced to punt. After sacks by Larry Reynolds Jr. and Gavin Davenport, WC managed to earn another opportunity on offense.

With 7:06 left in the first quarter, quarterback Nash Morgan handed the ball to Maddox Lynch who ran then backed and threw it right back at Morgan for a 35-yard touchdown. Jonah Artman kicked the extra point to put the score at 7-0.

The Arrows didn’t get discouraged as they continued to move the ball down the field. As Clinton was faced with a fourth down, WC jumped offsides to put them inside the five-yard line and they would score two plays later. A failed extra point helped the Vikings stay ahead 7-6.

Clinton also scored a second time once they got possession of the ball as they went up 12-6.

Late in the second quarter, Aden Greer began to pick up positive yards along with Eric Collins Jr. Morgan was sacked twice before halftime but showed off his true speed when he scrambled out and hit Red Winters for a big gain. Davenport took a handoff to the outside and managed to get to the 1-yard line just before another bobbled snap where Clinton recovered.

WC’s defense stepped up again and forced a punt. Just before halftime, Artman nailed a 46-yard field goal that put the score at 12-10.

Coming out of halftime, WC faced two devastating blows in the span of three minutes. Clinton’s quarterback scrambled for a 78-yard score and just a few players later Lynch’s punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown as the Arrows went up 26-10.

A few drives later, Artman hit a 48-yard field goal to put things at 26-13. The Vikings went on to make some defensive stops, including another sack from Qualls with assistance from Samuel Ross.

Morgan hit Winters on a 40-yard gain to the five-yard line when WC went back on offense. A few plays later Morgan attempted to scramble it in but was cut short at the one-yard line. 

As Reynolds laid out Clinton’s running back, they were forced to punt. Morgan connected with Lunch on a nice gain while Greer picked up some tough yards on the ground. Jadarius Miller then ran it in for the 1-yard score and narrowed the game to 26-20 after Artman’s extra point. 

Late in the fourth, Winters caught a pass to the 1-yard line and just as WC was set to score, Lynch was cut short on a scramble.

The Vikings never took back the lead and fell short in week one. They will host Pearl next Friday.