By Jason Nichols
The CCHS Panthers improved to 2-1 on the varsity season, with a 26-14 win over Roane County this past Friday.
This was the first true victory over Roane County since 2004 (although Clay did receive a forfeit win back in 2015 when Roane used an ineligible player). The game went back and forth in the first half, with Clay holding a 20-14 halftime lead. After some halftime adjustments, the Panthers shut down Roane in the second half and scored again to win 26-14.
Players of the game were junior FB Luke Burnette, who had 11 carries for 87 yards and two touchdowns, and senior WR/DE Ryan Burdette led the defense with 20 tackles, two sacks, and five tackles for loss. Additional notable stats included junior Caleb Wynn, who had 32 yards rushing, 34 receiving with one TD reception and one two point catch. Wynn also had an 87 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Senior QB Alex Grose had another 100 yard passing game when he hit on 10 of his 20 passes for 113 yards with a TD and a two point conversion pass.
The Panthers offensive line consisted of Zack Ferrebee, Ben Burdette, Riley Perkins, Andrew Stutler, Zack Faulkner, and Colton Casto, and had tremendous pass protection on the evening.
Last week’s coaches corner was delayed due to the early timing for the Clay County Free Press because of the Labor Day holiday. Clay played Braxton back on September 1 and Braxton took the win with a 32-13 score. Braxton jumped out with a 20-0 lead after the first quarter. The Panthers settled down and outscored the Eagles the rest of the way, but it was not enough. Players of the Game for Braxton include senior QB Alex Grose, who connected on 13 for 17 passes with 154 yards and a touchdown. Senior Ryan Burdette hauled in five of those passes for 79 yards and scored a touchdown.
The JV Team has also played two games recently. Clay JV tied Midland Trail’s JV in the opening game with a hard earned 0-0 tie. The defenses were lights out. Clay highlights included FR QB Grant Krajeski’s 125 passing yards, and FR RB’s Elijah Payton’s 92 yards receiving. Gathan Truman led the defensive charge with seven tackles. The JV team then went to Braxton in week two to take on the Eagles. The JV team came out strong and controlled the game throughout. The final score was 26-8 Panthers. Krajeski had 103 yards passing with two touchdowns. Sophomore RB Logan Vance had 13 runs for 103 yards and he pulled in two touchdown grabs. FR Riley Perkins had 87 rushing yards and scored a TD and had two sacks on defense. Junior Brandon Rucker added another 61 yards rushing and eight tackles on the evening.
The next JV game is at Poca on Monday, September 11 at 6 p.m. The next Varsity game is at Valley on Friday, September 15, with a special 5 p.m. start time due to Valley’s field not having lights. Come out and support the Panthers as they try to continue their winning ways.
