Patrick Morrissey runs up field with no defenders in sight.

Patrick Morrissey runs up field with no defenders in sight.

<p>The Dark Horse defense lines up for the attack on the Wallace-Rose Hill offense.</p>

The Dark Horse defense lines up for the attack on the Wallace-Rose Hill offense.

<p>Blake Smith scrambles outside, preparing to deliver a stiff arm to a Bulldog tackler.</p>

Blake Smith scrambles outside, preparing to deliver a stiff arm to a Bulldog tackler.

<p>Boogie Smith gets to the open field, still looking for a running lane on a carry.</p>

Boogie Smith gets to the open field, still looking for a running lane on a carry.

<p>The 2021 East Central Conference Champions, the Clinton Dark Horses.</p>

The 2021 East Central Conference Champions, the Clinton Dark Horses.

The Dark Horses had a thriller this past Friday night at home against the always tough Wallace-Rose Hill Bulldogs. Even the weather got in on the action, causing a brief postponement in play, but none of it derailed Clinton from claiming the East Central Conference Football Championship for the third time in a row, the final 36-27.

It was a tie ball game going into halftime with the score deadlocked at 21-21. The Dark Horses struck last to tie the game after trailing most the half. The turning point came after halftime with Clinton getting the ball back first to start the third quarter. Without missing a step, the Horses carried their momentum over from the end of the second and jumped on the Bulldogs early to start the third quarter. Clinton scored, taking the lead back, which is something they hadn’t done since the start of game.

Once the Horses got back on top, they never let the Bulldogs threaten their lead again.

“Coach Motsinger did a fantastic job tonight, he had his boys jacked up and ready to play,” Clinton head coach Cory Johnson said. “I thought our kids played hard, it was a four-quarter football game, and they had a great game plan on offense and defense – but we did too.”

“Anytime you can do something three times in a row that’s fantastic. We are now the 3-time defending East Central Conference Champions and I am so proud of this football team,” Johnson added.

A four-quarter football game indeed it was that stressed their undefeated record to its limit. Fortune, though, was on their side from the get go when the Horses forced and came up with a fumble during the Bulldogs opening drive of the game. The recovery came early, at 10:47, compliments of Elijah Kirby and his offense made them pay on the ensuing series.

It’d take only two minutes and five plays before they were in the end zone. A run and three passes later, they’d find themselves on the goal line calling on Davion “Boogie” Smith. He didn’t disappoint and was in for a score after the 10-yard carry. Clinton went aggressive on the point after try, going for two, but it was unsuccessful.

The early momentum loss didn’t affect the Bulldogs much, however, as they’d bite back, putting the Dark Horses on their heels. Wallace-Rose Hill scored back-to-back, unanswered touchdowns to go up 14-6. Clinton began to struggle with the Bulldog’s ground attack, though most of it was due to poor tackling. The Horses were trailing nonetheless and weren’t having the offensive success of that first scoring drive.

Clinton wasn’t down big, but the Bulldogs showed no signs of slowing down before outside forces put a halt to everything with :31.4 left in the first.

After extending their lead to eight, Mother Nature came to play, bringing heavy thunder and lighting with her. Due to that, the game was forced to stop and by rule a 30-minute respite took place. She’d take her anger with her shortly after and the action resumed where it left off.

The Horses made the most of that time they were allotted and came back onto the field undeterred. It’d take until 9:10 in the second quarter, but Clinton found the end zone again. On the goal line they’d strike for another 10-yard score, this time through the air. Blake Smith threw a one-on-one jump ball to the corner and Keasean Williams won the exchange. Then, going for two, the Dark Horses converted to tie the game up at 14-14.

Two more scores occurred before the half with Wallace getting the first and taking the lead back at 5:34 after break for a long run. Then, the Dark Horses found their third goal line situation during the final minutes of the second. With 1:06 remaining, Blake Smith broke the plain on a quarterback keeper to make it 21-all and the final score of the half.

The third was huge for Clinton and it’s where the Dark Horses were able to gain the upper hand. They’d get first possession of the half and picked up right where they left off at the end of the second quarter. It took them all of 1:10 to snatch the lead, which they hadn’t held since their first scoring drive. Finally breaking for a big run themselves, Boogie Smith went the distance on a 41-yard carry for the score, the point after counted and the Horses led 28-21.

Once ahead, Clinton never looked back on the scoreboard again.

To ensure that was the case, Williams came up with the biggest play of the half that led to Clinton cementing the win. After a pair of punts, the Bulldogs had possession again and were driving down field near the halfway point of the third quarter. Faced with third down around midfield, Wallace-Rose Hill went for a deep pass catching Williams by himself.

He had coverage on a one-on-one post route when the jump ball came his way. Williams tipped it with one hand and managed to keep his balance and came up the interception on the loose ball that was still floating overhead. He’d get a decent return before giving his offense the ball back with 6:57 left in the third.

Clinton didn’t allow the opportunity to go ahead by two touchdowns pass them by. After eating up three minutes of the clock the Horses were in for the touchdown. It was none other than Boogie Smith that punched it in after a 12-yard carry. The Dark Horses opted for the two-point conversion once more and once more it was good and with 3:49 now showing in the third quarter, Clinton had the biggest lead of the night at 36-21.

That touchdown solidified the game with Wallace only touching the end zone once early in fourth quarter. They went for two but were stuffed by a stout Horses defense putting the game at it’s conclusion of 36-27.

“Let me tell you something man. Coach Grady called a fantastic game and I’m just so proud of all the kids. Boogie Smith did a great job. Blake Smith did great; everyone just did a great job tonight,” Johnson said. “I’m just so proud of my kids, our football program, and just everyone that’s around.”

“I mean three times in a row — that’s just unprecedented. Anytime you can go 15-1 for three years in conference play and 27-5 for three years of football games, that’s a good deal man. These kids just love each other so much — I love the kids, they love us and we’re just a big ole family,” Johnson concluded.

The Horses combined for 362 total yards of offense on 52 plays, 147 of those through the air by Blake Smith, who was 11-of-13 and had a touchdown. The remaining 215 came from the ground and pound, with Blake Smith leading the pack. He went for 117 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown. Boogie Smith was the other workhorse that carried the load, going for 89 yards on 11 carries with three touchdowns.

Williams and Patrick Morrisey had the hot hands at wide receiver, each having five catches. Williams went for 89 yards and a touchdown while Morrisey went for 63 yards.

With the regular season finished and another conference championship wrapped up the Dark Horses finish the season undefeated. Their record at 7-0 overall and 5-0 in conference, the NCHSAA 2A State Playoffs is their next stop where they’ll hold the No. 2 seed in the East with a first round opponent matchup against Eastern Randolph on Friday.

Reach Sports Editor Daron Barefoot at [email protected].