Clay County to honor eight on Senior Night prior to title game with Gordonsville

CELINA-A year ago on Turney Ford Field in Gordonsville, Clay County missed out on their second-straight Region 4-A Championship by the slimmest of margins, as the Dawgs fell to the Tigers 42-41 in double overtime.

Friday night, the site for the conference title game flips here to John Teeples Field, where Clay County has beaten their league nemesis the last three times they’ve traveled into the heart of Bulldog Country.

And head coach Bruce Lamb said “it would be huge” to have Joe Neil Eads Stadium filled to the brim and overflowing onto the Clay County High School track surrounding the playing field.

“This is the one that everybody looks forward to—players, coaches, fans, everybody—this is the one,” the veteran coach said.  “I know these kids have been looking forward to this game, and to have the support of this town, this community, and everybody lining up the fence row and up the sidelines, in the stands…

“It will mean everything to these kids, because this is the big one, and I know if we could have their support, these kids will absolutely love it, and it would be a little extra on our side.”

The sting of being so close a season ago, paired with the combination of a league title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs at stake, only adds fuel to the fire.

Plus, Clay County seniors Nate Adams, Lance Burchett, Ayden Soto, Worm Smith, Hayden Adams, Kaden Strong, Eli Burnette, and Manny Hernandez will also be honored prior to the game during Senior Night festivities.

“It’s big, because there are a lot of things at stake,” Lamb said.  “I think we’ve been looking forward to this night since back in August and we will be ready to go.”

The Dawgs improved to 7-2 with a 33-0 shutout of Trousdale County last week, while Gordonsville dropped one to 8-1 Bledsoe County 45-35 to fall to 6-3 on the season.

The Tigers other losses have come to Dekalb County (35-21) and Monterey (21-0), who are both 6-3.

“They are a good football team,” Lamb said of Gordonsville.  “Coach (Stephen) Jackson does a great job (and) they are as good as advertised.

“We will have to have our A-game and hopefully we will.”

Tune in to Horizon Sports Network coverage of Friday night’s title game to hear more from coach Lamb on the Tigers during the H&H Auto and Equipment Parts Pregame show starting at 6 p.m., one hour prior to kick off at 7 p.m.

Coverage can be found online at www.dalehollowhorizon.com or on the Dale Hollow Horizon Facebook page.

Dawgs shut out

Trousdale 33-0

Clay County shut out Trousdale County by holding the Yellow Jackets to just over 50 yards of total offense and scoring five first-half touchdowns to invoke the TSSAA mercy-rule running clock at the start of the third quarter.

Class A Mr. Football front runner Nate Adams surpassed 2,000 passing yards for the season and 6,000 yards for his career in the contest, as he threw for three touchdowns and over 200 yards, while his junior brother Nolan Adams broke the career receiving touchdown mark with his 25th scoring catch.

Nolan’s touchdown was a 43-yard strike for Clay County’s first score and his classmate Waylon Cherry caught the next one from four yards out to make it 14-0 in the first quarter, after Hernandez booted two of his three made extra points.

The Dawgs then added three more touchdowns in the second stanza, as Soto ran one in from four yards out, Smith toted another eight yards to paydirt, and junior Reece Adams caught a 15-yard scoring pass to send his team into the break up 33-0.

With the clock continuously clicking in the second half, neither team found the end zone again, and the halftime tally held up for the final score.

Bulldog stats

Clay County produced a total 301 yards in the contest, including 64 yards (2TDs) on the ground on 10 carries and a total of 237 passing yards (3TDs) on 24 attempts.

Nate Adams accounted for all of the yards through the air on 12 of 23 passing (3TDs/2INTs), while freshman Fletcher Strong threw one incompletion.

Burchett was the leading receiver (3/111 yds), while Nolan Adams (3/63 yds./TD), Reece Adams (2/27 yds./TD), Cherry (2/21 yds./TD), and Soto (2/15 yds.) also had catches.

Soto (5/28 yds./TD), Smith (2/26 yds./TD), Nate Adams (1/10 yds.), and freshman Isaiah Burnette (2/-2 yds.) were responsible for the rushing total.

Smith led the way defensively with eight tackles (3TFLs), Reece Adams wasn’t far behind with seven (2TFLs), and Hayden Adams made five (TFL).

Juniors Cole Eads (TFL) and Bryson Sharp (2TFLs) each had four stops; Eli Burnette made three (TFL); Nolan Adams, Strong, Soto (TFL), and sophomore Roland Holaway had two apiece; and Hernandez, junior Kolton Brown, and freshman Tucker Walker made one each.