Clinton’s Ryheem Skinner and Tyvion Wright combined to run for 337 yards and 5 touchdowns and led the Dark Horses to a 49-19 Four County Conference victory over visiting East Bladen Saturday night.
Skinner, a junior, carried 17 times for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Wright finished with 144 yards and 3 touchdowns on 8 attempts. Wright rolled up 147 yards and 2 TD’s in the first half as the Horses built a 27-13 halftime lead.
Junior Ethan Hines led the Eagles with 168 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns on 21 carries. Hines also returned a kick-off 92 yards for a touchdown.
Eian Hines, Ethan’s twin brother and East Bladen’s leading rusher, did not play due to an ankle injury suffered Monday night at Midway.
“We just didn’t have an answer for them tonight,” said East Bladen Coach Robby Priest. “It was a perfect storm – played on Monday, no practice on Friday because of the rain and we would have like to have had Eian. But we’ll take our lumps and work on coming back stronger next week.”
On the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage, junior halfback Kyle Tatum busted through the middle and raced 49 yards to the Clinton 2 yardline. However, a block-in-the-back flag behind the play at the 25 brought the ball back to the Dark Horse 35, and the Clinton defense took over on downs at the 30.
“Everything went their way all night,” said Coach Priest. “Thought we had the ball down to their two on that first play, but you have to make your own breaks, and we couldn’t slow them down.”
Two plays later Wright scampered 68 yards around right end for a Dark Horse touchdown. Sophmore Chandler Perry booted the extra point for a 7-0 lead at the 8:50 mark.
Ethan Hines fielded the Clinton kick-off that was angled to the left sideline, kept his balance, reversed his way back to the right side of the field and dashed 92 yards for the touchdown. Junior Jesus Ramos kicked the tying extra point with 8:34 left in the quarter.
The Dark Horses responded with a 63-yard drive in 6 plays. Wright had a 25-yard run in the drive and scored the touchdown on a 10-yard run. Perry’s kick made it 14-7 Horses with 5:56 on the clock.
After picking up one first down, the Eagles were stopped on downs at their own 42 yardline. On the next play Clinton quarterback Kris Williams hurled a 42-yard touchdown pass to junior Jeremiah Pope. Perry added the point for a 21-7 Clinton lead with 2:45 left in the period.
East Bladen bounced back with a 52-yard, 13-play march to the Clinton 29, but a chop-block penalty stalled the drive.
Following an Eagle punt, the Horses covered 88 yards in 13 plays. Skinner who gained 48 of those yards fumbled the ball inside the 5 yardline then dove on it in the end zone for the touchdown. A bad snap foiled the conversion attempt, but Clinton led 27-7 with 33 seconds remaining in the half.
On the second play following the kick-off, Hines scooted around the left side and outran the defense on a 66-yard touchdown run. The kick attempt failed, and Clinton led 27-13 seven seconds before halftime.
The Dark Horses took the second-half kick-off and moved 52 yards in 9 plays to boost the margin to 35-13. Wright scored his third touchdown from a yard out, and Williams ran the 2-point conversion.
On their next possession, the Horses drove 59 yards in ten plays. Williams sneaked a yard for the touchdown, and Perry tacked on the point with 11:06 remaining to play for a 42-13 lead.
Ethan Hines shouldered the workload on the Eagles next scoring drive. Hines broke loose for runs of 22, 17, 7 and 6 yards for the touchdown. The 2-point conversion attempt was stopped and Clinton led 42-19 with 7:55 left.
On Clinton’s first play following the kick-off, Skinner rammed into the line, popped through and galloped 64 yards for the touchdown. Perry’s kick made it 49-19.
The Eagles mounted a 39-yard drive to the Clinton 26, but turned the ball over on downs at the 1:52 mark. Sophmore Xavia McDowell bulled through the line for runs of 14 and 10 yards, and Hines darted 12 yards for a first down.
It was the first loss of the season for the Eagles, now 5-1, who will entertain Pender Friday.
Scoring Summary
East Bladen 7 – 6 – 0 – 6– 19
Clinton 21 – 6 – 7 – 15 -49
Clint.—Tyion Wright 68 run (Chandler Perry kick)
EB – Ethan Hines 92 kick-off return (Jesus Ramos kick)
Clint – Wright 10 run (Perry kick)
Clint – Jeremiah Pope 42 pass from Kris Williams (Perry kick)
Clint – Ryheem Skinner 11 run (run failed)
EB – Hines 66 run (kick failed)
Clint – Wright 1 run (Williams run)
Clint – Williams 1 run (Perry kick)
EB – Hines 6 run (run failed)
Clint – Skinner 64 run (Perry kick)
Rushing: EB – Hines 21-168, Nikita Owens 6-23, Kyle Tatum 12-55, Xavia McDowell 6-35, Tyquan McMillian 1-12. Clint – Skinner 17-193, Wright 8-144, Rayquan Faison 10-44, Emari Oates 5-29, Williams 4-3, Prentice Murphy 1-5.
Passing: EB – McMillian 2-6-0, (-5). Williams 2-3-0, 51.
Receiving: EB –Tatum 1-4, Owens 1- (-9). Clint – Pope 1-42, Wright 1-9.
Records: East Bladen 1-1, 5-1; Clinton 2-0, 4-1.
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