By THOMAS P. WEAVER
HORIZON Editor

CELINA-The Clay County Bulldog football team had what can only be described as an impressive debut to the 2021 season Friday night, following their 35-0 blowout of downriver rival Jackson County.

“As far as the effort, the intensity, and, for the most part, the execution, you couldn’t ask for much better for a Week 1,” head coach Jake Johnson said of the beatdown of the Blue Devils. “Coming out and firing on all cylinders, as far as team play, I can’t complain a bit.”

The tone was set early by the senior duo of Wade Coons and Carson Sharp, who led their team in tackles and rushing respectively.

Coons’ fourth-down stop in the Blue Devil backfield handed Clay County their first possession of the game, which resulted in a 13-play, 73-yard scoring drive, capped by the first of three touchdowns Sharp scored amidst a 28-carry, 216-yard performance.

“He’s done it for years,” Johnson said of Coons’ big play, “and him and Carson are the heartbeat of the team.

“It’s hard to argue that. They mean a lot to us.”

Junior Levi Garrett, who was a perfect five for five on the night, added the extra point and the Dawgs led 7-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Following back-to-back Jackson County three-and-outs, the Dawgs struck again midway through the second period, as junior Joseph Marcom pounded his way in from five yards out.

With the kick, Clay County led 14-0, but the Devils didn’t fold.

Using their superior size up front, Jackson County advanced the ball near midfield with a physical running attack.

“It took some adjustment and getting used to up front,” Johnson said of the Blue Devil size. “Initially we were kinda shocked by their physicality, but we tuned it in after that.”

With Garrett, junior Hunter Kyle, and sophomore Tyler Wathal clogging up the middle, the Dawgs forced Jackson County into a passing situation and Clay County took advantage.

Freshman Nate Adams picked off the Blue Devil pass to set his team up with a chance to go up three scores before halftime.

Junior quarterback Keaton Arms then executed the two-minute drill to perfection.

Arms scrambled for 28 yards first, before finding sophomore Weston Birdwell and junior Jimmy Burchett through the air, to set up another Sharp touchdown and send his team into intermission up 21-0.

“I thought you really saw the emergence of him controlling the offense in all phases,” Johnson said of his second-year signal-caller, who completed eight of 14 passes for 100 yards in the game. “I see a lot better decision-making process and the evolution of him as an upperclassman.”

Arms, Sharp, and the Dawg defense then picked up where they left off in the second half to secure the shutout.

Arms engineered his fourth scoring drive of the night with completions to All-State classmate Alec Kerr and Jimmy Burchett, who not only hauled in the 19-yard touchdown, but also finished as the leading receiver with five catches for 76 yards.

“You can’t just take away one guy anymore,” Johnson said about Arms’ weapons on the outside. “Everybody knows Alec Kerr and everybody is game planning to stop him.

“He’s not an unknown anymore. That’s why you see Jimmy running open down the field and he has really emerged with his route running and physicality.”

Leading 28-0 throughout the fourth quarter, Johnson said the Dawgs were “just trying to run the ball and run out the clock,” but Sharp had other ideas and broke free for a 67-yard exclamation point to account for the final score.

“He had a night and that’s what you want to see out of your seniors, but we had people stepping up across the board,” Johnson said. “Those guys on the front line playing due to injury, young guys on special teams… all of them stepped up.

“We’ve got a good mix of kids in every class, we’ve got contributors from all levels, and that’s a good thing. Something we’ve never really had before.”

Stats
Clay County racked up a total of 384 yards of offense on 57 plays, including 284 yards rushing on 43 carries and 100 yards passing.

Sharp’s big night (28/216 yds./3 TDs) led the way on the ground, while Arms (13/51 yds.) and Marcom (2/17 yds./TD)—who got banged up early and was limited—rounded out the rushing yardage.

Arms (8/14 for 100 yds./TD/INT) accounted for all of the yards through the air. Burchett (5/76 yds./TD) was his favorite target, while Kerr (2/17 yds.) and Birdwell (1/7 yds.) also had receptions.

Coons (TFL/FF) and Kyle (RF) led the defensive effort with six tackles apiece; Kerr and Marcom each had four stops; Arms recorded three; Sharp, Wathal, Jimmy Burchett, and freshmen Lance Burchett and Hayden Adams all had two tackles; and Garrett, Nate Adams (INT), and sophomores Austin Anderson and Ben Maxfield each had a tackle.

Clay County hosts Clinton County, KY next Friday night at John Teeples Field. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and live coverage on the Horizon Sports Network begins one hour prior at 6 p.m. online at www.dalehollowhorizon.com.