A familiar formula carried the Clinton Dark Horses to a pair of road victories Friday night at Hobbton, as relentless defensive pressure, timely scoring, and steady composure lifted the visiting team over the Wildcats in both the junior varsity and varsity boys match-ups.
The JV contest set the tone early, while the varsity nightcap showcased Clinton’s offensive balance and ability to withstand adversity in a physical county rivalry.
JV
The junior varsity matchup opened with early nerves on both sides, as turnovers piled up before Clinton’s Cyrus Fennel scored the game’s first points roughly two minutes into the game. At the 5:20 mark of the opening quarter, Clinton ratcheted up its full-court pressure, beginning a theme that would define the night.
Hobbton got on the board through Zecharia Holmes, but Clinton’s activity in the passing lanes soon paid dividends. Javarus Johnson capitalized with a fast break layup before Clinton’s Romello Causey answered with a three-pointer. After settling into a half-court man defense, Clinton stifled Hobbton’s scoring chances late in the quarter.
Johnson managed a free throw with 12 seconds remaining, but Causey beat the buzzer with a three to close the first quarter and push the lead to 16-7.
Clinton opened the second quarter back in a full-court man press. Braxton McLamb scored at the line for Hobbton, but Clinton quickly converted turnovers into points, stretching the lead to 24-9. After Hobbton applied its own full-court pressure, Dark Horse Messiah Bell and Holmes traded three-pointers. A late three from Zaire Patterson capped the half, sending the Dark Horses into the break ahead 31-15.
The second half followed a similar script. Clinton responded to Hobbton’s opening bucket with a three and a fast-break layup from Patterson. An and-one conversion by Clinton’s Terrance Cowen, followed by another steal and layup from Patterson, ballooned the lead to 42-17 midway through the third quarter.
As Clinton rotated its bench heavily in the fourth, McLamb sparked Hobbton’s offense early, but Clinton’s depth continued to add points. Despite scoring from Johnson and McLamb, Hobbton couldn’t close the gap, and Clinton pulled away for a 62-35 victory.
Afterward, Clinton JV head coach Roland Thompson acknowledged both the win and the areas still needing attention.
“We put a lot of emphasis on our press — that’s a lot of our bread and butter,” Thompson said. “Although tonight it didn’t go every time as we wanted, we’ll take the win. It wasn’t our best game. We had unforced turnovers and things we’ve still got to clean up, but the guys stepped up.”
Thompson noted the importance of a next-man-up mentality with two players unavailable.
“Some of those guys aren’t used to having those minutes,” he added. “But whenever your number is called, we need you to be ready.”
Hobbton JV coach Dasmine Joyner credited Clinton while pointing inward for his group’s struggles.
“That’s a good ball team over there — they’ve got athletes,” Joyner said. “But we strayed away from the things that worked for us earlier in the week. We’ve got to get back to knowing what we know.”
Joyner believes the challenging non-conference slate will pay dividends.
“We’ve been playing bigger teams,” he said. “When we start conference play, I don’t feel like there’s a team we can’t match up with because we’ve already fought bigger and better teams.”
Varsity
The varsity boys match-up opened with both teams trading baskets, but Clinton quickly turned missed shots into fast-break opportunities and trips to the free-throw line. Richard Simpson scored off an inbound play for Hobbton, drawing contact but missing the and-one.
After a Clinton timeout with 2:07 left in the first quarter, the Dark Horses surged. A three at the buzzer from Dark Horse Aaran Landrum sent Clinton into the second quarter with a commanding 26-12 advantage.
Two minutes into the second, Clinton pushed the lead to 31-14 before Amir Tate was fouled to break Hobbton’s scoring drought, followed by a mid-range jumper from Javonte Johnson. Simpson continued to attack but struggled at the line, finishing 3-of-7 from the stripe in the first half.
Clinton began dissecting Hobbton’s 2-3 zone, finding space in the mid-range and briefly mixing in a three-quarter court press. Hobbton answered with a full-court zone press, but Clinton consistently created a numbers advantage in transition. Despite a missed layup on a long outlet, Clinton maintained control and closed the half ahead 46-31.
The third quarter turned physical, with fouls mounting quickly and Clinton entering the bonus early. Simpson and others converted at the line as Hobbton chipped away. After both teams exchanged three-pointers late in the quarter, Clinton still held a 64-48 edge.
A flagrant foul followed by a technical against Clinton with 56 seconds left in the third gave Hobbton a brief opportunity at the line. Reggie Thompson and Simpson combined to make 2-of-4 free throws, but Clinton steadied itself heading into the final period.
Hobbton played much of the night without key contributors, as Tate was limited by early foul trouble and senior leader Joe Corbett was absent. Junior Javonte Johnson made the most of the extended minutes, attacking relentlessly until the final horn.
Clinton, meanwhile, leaned on its depth in the fourth quarter and never relinquished control, closing out an 89-74 victory.
Simpson finished with a game-high 29 points for Hobbton, while Johnson added 22. Clinton was led by sophomore Ivey Sampson’s 21 points and junior Jaden Bell’s 13, seven of which came at the free-throw line.
Clinton head coach Michael Boykin praised the offensive execution but was quick to point out defensive shortcomings.
“Offensively, we did well,” Boykin said. “Defensively, we did not do good at all. We’ve got to stop fouling, play disciplined, and guard without using our hands. That’s something we’ll work on all next week.”
Boykin also highlighted the return of Jaiden Howard and the energy he brings.
“He’s still getting his stride back,” Boykin noted. “You can see spurts of it, and I’m proud of the guys for encouraging him and pushing him.”
Reflecting on a demanding week, Boykin emphasized the long view.
“It was a good week, but we’re in it for the long haul,” he said. “We’ll enjoy the weekend, then it’s right back to work.”
Clinton now turns its attention forward with momentum, while Hobbton looks to regroup as conference play approaches — lessons learned from a challenging county rivalry night that tested both programs from tip to final horn.