The Clinton Dark Horses celebrated Senior Night in commanding fashion Friday, rolling past Heide -rask 52-21 in East Central 3A/4A conference action at Dark Horse Stadium.
Clinton came out firing, exploding for 21 points in the first quarter and 24 more in the second to seize a 45-7 halftime lead before cruising to victory. The win lifted Clinton to 4-5 overall as they head into the regular-season finale at Southwest Onslow.
Junior quarterback Miles McCallop was nearly perfect under center, completing all 10 of his pass attempts for 127 yards and two touchdowns. He also added 10 rushing yards on the ground. Jonah Boone led the receiving corps with three catches for 43 yards, followed by Zaire Strickland with two grabs for 40 yards, and Aaron Landrum adding two receptions for 21 yards.
On the ground, the Dark Horses continued to spread the load. Senior Demarius Pugh powered through with 33 rushing yards on four carries, Aaron Cooper followed with 29 yards on five carries, and sophomore Gavin Miller added 30 yards on six attempts. As a unit, Clinton rushed for 99 yards on 18 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per touch.
The defense set the tone early and often, forcing stops and keeping the Titans’ offense bottled up through most of the first half. A highlight came from senior Jaden Williams, who punctuated his return from injury with an emotional pick-six in front of the home crowd.
Head coach Johnny Boykin said the performance was the product of a week focused on finishing strong after recent frustrations.
“It’s always difficult on a night like that, but we wanted to finish,” Boykin said. “We had not finished the last two games we were in, and we wanted to complete drives, complete quarters, and finish the task.”
Boykin emphasized the team’s effort to build consistency and clean up details on both sides of the ball.
“We wanted to neutralize their run game and build off what we did last week,” he said. “Defensively, we wanted to clean some things up, and offensively just be consistent in our execution and technique.”
The Dark Horse defense, Boykin noted, has shown steady improvement as players have grown into a new scheme.
“It takes a little time to learn,” Boykin said. “They’re understanding their fits, their responsibilities, and they’re buying into the idea that even if it’s not your play to make, you can still make the play for a teammate.”
On Williams’ interception return for a touchdown, Boykin said it was a fitting moment for the senior leader.
“He hadn’t really played most of the year, and this was the first game where he started to look like himself again,” Boykin said. “He’s only going to get better. It was great to see him have that moment on Senior Night.”
Boykin also took time to praise his senior class for their resilience and leadership.
“This group has been through a lot. They’ve stayed committed through the changes and challenges,” he said. “They’ve been a staple for what Clinton football is about, and I think you’ll see some of these guys playing at the next level.”
Looking ahead to the regular-season finale against Southwest Onslow, Boykin said the focus remains on discipline and balance.
“We just need to continue being consistent; playing good offense, defense, and special teams,” he said. “If we complement each other in all three phases, we’ll be just fine.”