Bulldogs to take on the defending state champs at week’s end in Celina

By THOMAS P. WEAVER

Horizon Editor

CELINA-Not just one, but two Bulldogs had record nights here in Clay County’s second-round playoff win over Whitwell last Friday night.

And the Dawgs needed the historic performances put up by seniors Nate Adams and Lance Burchett, along with the entire team stepping up, to pull off the 39-27 shootout victory.

“Our kids put it on their backs and said, ‘hey, we’re going to the third round,’ and they just fought,” head coach Bruce Lamb said of his Bulldogs, who will host South Pittsburg Friday night in the program’s third-ever Class A State Quarterfinal appearance.  “I’m so proud of them.

“I’ve got all the faith in the world in those young men, because I know they are going to give it everything they’ve got.”

Adams threw for a school-record 471 yards and five touchdowns, while Burchett caught four of the scores and totaled 303 yards receiving—which also set a new bar.

Much of their production came in a second half featuring a total of seven touchdowns between the two teams, as Whitwell kept it close throughout.

“It was back and forth,” Lamb said.  “They are a really good football team.”

The Tigers also struck first in the contest to claim a 7-0 lead on their initial offensive possession, before Clay County answered with back-to-back scores.

Nate Adams found his junior brother Nolan for a 50-yard connection to set up the first one, which was a three-yard rushing touchdown by senior tailback Ayden Soto, and the second came on Burchett’s first catch of the ballgame.

The speedy wideout hauled in a perfect ball from Nate Adams and raced 83 yards to paydirt, but due to a missed extra point and a failed two-point try, the Dawgs only led the Tigers 12-7 at the break.

Carrying the one-score margin into the second half proved crucial for the home team, as Whitwell answered Clay County’s two third-quarter scores.

The fireworks began with a 36-yard touchdown from Nate to Nolan Adams, which surged the Dawgs ahead 19-7, following a senior Manny Hernandez point-after kick.

The Tigers quickly returned the favor to cut the Clay County lead back to 19-14, before Burchett hauled in a 14-yard score and Hernandez was true again to make it 26-14.

Whitwell again found the end zone on their ensuing drive to narrow the lead back to 26-21, but that’s when the two stars of the night combined to put the game out of reach.

Nate Adams hit Burchett for back-to-back touchdowns of 73 and 95 yards respectively on consecutive Clay County drives to seal the deal.

The first came on the opening play of the fourth quarter and the second followed a fourth-down stop of Whitwell inside the 10-yard line by the Dawg defense—which was led by junior linebacker Reece Adams’ 14-tackle night.

The Burchett explosives put Clay County up 39-21, but the Tigers still didn’t fold.

Whitwell scored again to pull within 12 points, and they were driving to make it a one-score game late, when senior Hayden Adams turned them over on downs with a quarterback sack and the Dawgs ran out the clock on the victory.

“What can you say about these kids,” Lamb said.  “I love them and they keep fighting.

“Those guys, they just want to win.  It’s not always going to be perfect, but I know it is going to be with everything they’ve got, and, with perfect effort, you are going to win ballgames.”

Bulldog stats

Clay County produced an impressive 520 yards of total offense on 48 plays, including 49 rushing yards on 20 carries (TD) and 471 passing yards (5TDs).

Nate Adams accounted for all of the yards through the air on 19 of 28 passing (5TDs/INT) and Burchett was the leading receiver (8/303 yds./4TDs).  Nolan Adams (6/131 yds./TD), Reece Adams (3/26 yds.), and junior Waylon Cherry (2/11 yds.) also had catches.

Soto was the leading rusher (13/32 yds./TD), while Nate Adams (4/19 yds.), Nolan Adams (1/7 yds.), and senior Worm Smith (1/2 yds.) each had carries.  The team was also assessed -11 yards.

Reece Adams led the way defensively with 14 tackles (2TFLs), Hayden (TFL/Sack) and Nolan Adams each made six, and Nate Adams had five stops.

Burchett, Soto (TFL, RF), Smith, junior Cole Eads, and sophomore Roland Holaway all made four tackles each, while juniors Bryson Sharp and Kolton Brown had two stops apiece.

Friday night

quarterfinal

Clay County (10-2) will welcome the defending Class A State Champion South Pittsburg Pirates (10-2) to town Friday night for the third round.

“They are extremely athletic, they are big up front, and they are just a really good football team,” Lamb said.  “They are the defending champions, and they are the champions until they get beat.

“And we are going to do everything we can to stop them.”

The Pirates’ pair of losses came to Oliver Springs (10-2) in the first game of the season and to Class 3A Sequatchie County (11-1) by one point.

The Dawgs ended their season last year at South Pittsburg with a 58-0 loss in the second round of the playoffs, and Clay County is 1-7 overall against the Pirates, with a lone win coming the first time they met in the 1983 regular season.

The last time South Pittsburg came to Celina for a game was the historic 1985 Class A Semifinal, where the Dawgs fell to the Pirates 35-0.

The winner of Friday night’s quarterfinal will face the winner between Coalfield (11-1) and Oliver Springs.  If Clay County can beat South Pittsburg, they would play their semifinal here on John Teeples Field next week.

Tune in to Horizon Sports Network coverage of Friday night’s game to hear more from Lamb on the Pirates 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.