PARTY IN THE END ZONE-Seniors Alec Kerr (#44), Jimmy Burchett (#3), and Joseph Marcom (#28), along with sophomore Nate Adams (#12) combined to score nine touchdowns against Red Boiling Springs in the first half alone. (photos courtesy Kyndra Reagan/cchsmedia.zenfolio.com)

RED BOILING SPRINGS-The Clay County Bulldogs (5-1) responded to their first loss in a big way here last Friday night.

In their neighboring-county rivalry game with Red Boiling Springs (RBS), better known as “The Battle of the Bulldogs,” the black-and-gold Dawgs scored nine first-half touchdowns to roll to a 62-7 victory.

Four came via normal offensive means, while three were produced on pick-six interceptions and another on special teams.

While the Clay County starting defense pitched a shutout, the Dawgs tallied five scores in the first quarter, before cruising into halftime up 62-0.

RBS waved the white flag in the second half, as the hosts decided to only play eight-minute quarters with the TSSAA mercy-rule running clock underway in the final two periods, where Clay County starters never saw the field.

The shortened time frame did lead to a RBS score, as they battled the Dawgs’ reserves throughout the quick third frame and found the end zone in the last period.

Prior to that, senior Alec Kerr ripped off a highlight-reel run on the opening offensive play of the game, to set up the first of senior Joseph Marcom’s three touchdowns.

Less than two minutes later, Kerr hauled in a pass from sophomore quarterback Nate Adams, took it 69 yards to the house, and added a two-point run to put Clay County ahead 14-0.

Following one of many three-and-outs forced by the Dawg defense, Kerr then returned a punt deep into RBS territory.  From there, Adams ran across the stripe, before finding the star of the night for the two-pointer to surge his team out to a 22-0 lead.

Back-to-back RBS interceptions returned for touchdowns followed, as Kerr toted the first 25 yards to paydirt and Marcom ran in the second from 35 yards out.

Senior Levi Garrett added an extra point and the scoreboard read 35-0 when the first-quarter buzzer sounded.

The second stanza didn’t get much better for Red Boiling either, as Marcom rushed 16 yards for his final score, Adams tacked on two more, and senior Jimmy Burchett added an exclamation point heading into intermission.

Adams ran in his second touchdown and backed it up with a pick-six score seconds later, before Burchett completed a 38-yard punt return by finding the end zone as time ran out on the second quarter.

Garrett also banged through two more PATs to account for Clay County’s final margin.

The Dawgs are set to host Class 4A Scott High School from Huntsville, TN Friday at John Teeples Field.  Horizon Sports Network coverage of the game will begin at 6 p.m. online at www.dalehollowhorizon.com.

Stats

Clay County racked up 262 yards on 28 offensive plays in their win over RBS, including 190 rushing yards (4 TDs) and a total of 72 passing yards (TD) on two completions.

While playing for injured senior starting quarterback Keaton Arms, Adams accounted for all of the yards through the air on two of six passing.  Kerr caught both balls, one for a touchdown and one for a two-point conversion.

Kerr was also the leading rusher (4/71 yds./2PT), while Marcom (9/64 yds./2TDs), Adams (3/18 yds./2TDs), and junior Leighton Brown (6/37 yds.) also had carries.

Hayden Adams’ three tackles led the defensive effort, while Kerr (FR/INT/TD), Marcom (INT/TD), Leighton Brown, seniors Hunter Kyle (Sack) and Ricardo McElroy, and juniors Weston Birdwell, Kanyon Short, and Ernesto Sanchez all had two stops.

Players with one tackle each included seniors Garrett, Burchett, and John Hamilton (FR/TFL); juniors Austin Anderson (FR), Ben Maxfield (FF), Brayden Allred, and Logan Jennings; sophomores Nate Adams (INT/TD) and Worm Smith; and freshman Colton Brown.