BLADENBORO – Junior Onias Robinson ran for 3 touchdowns as Clinton built a 43-0 halftime lead then withstood a couple of big touchdown plays by West Bladen in the 2nd half for a 49-16 Southeastern Athletic Conference football victory.
Junior Onias Robinson scored on touchdown runs of 4, 13 and 17 yards and finished with 74 yards on 10 carries. Senior quarterback Blake Smith hurled a 41-yard TD pass to junior Jeriah Goodman for the 1st Clinton score. Smith led the Dark Horse runners with 78 yards on 3 carries and threw for 117 yards.
Knight junior Tydrick Stewart scooped up the 2nd half kickoff, sprinted through the first wave of tacklers and outran the Clinton defenders to the end zone to complete a 98 yard touchdown return. Senior Damarius Robinson bulled into the end zone for the 2-point conversion.
The Dark Horses drove 46 yards in 5 plays to score on Onias Robinson’s 13 yard touchdown run, and junior Carlos Alguera booted the extra point to push the lead up to 49-8.
Midway the final period Knight sophomore Cornelius Esters intercepted a Clinton pass and flew down the right sideline on a 96-yard touchdown return. Robinson powered into the end zone again for the 2-point conversion.
Other Clinton touchdowns in the 1st half were scored by freshman Josiah Robinson on a 6-yard run, sophomore Ny’shawn Sampson on an 8-yard run and senior Elijah Kirby on a 25-yard return of a punt that was blocked by sophomore Jymiek Sampson.
Robinson rushed for 77 yards on 6 carries to lead the Knight offense. West Bladen finished with 120 yards on the ground. Clinton rushed for 297 yards and had 414 yards of total offense.
Sophomore Aaron Lewis led the Knight defense with 11 tackles, junior Deonte Lacey was right behind him with 10 tackles. Sophomore Jahmar Richardson totaled 9 tackles, and Esters had 7 tackles and the interception return. Stewart made 6 tackles.
Juniors Gary Parker and Tyler Ward, senior Keshawn Ballard and freshman Noah Hall all finished with 5 tackles each. Sophomore Messyah Whitted had 4 tackles, and junior Javarrie Adams made 3 tackles. Robinson and sophomore Malijah McKoy had 2 tackles each. Senior Andrew Sessoms and junior Xavier Lopez added 1 tackle each.
The Knights finished with a 2-4 record and 3-5 overall record but are still in contention for a Class 2A playoff berth due to their RPI rating. The berths will be announced next Saturday, and next Friday is an open date for West Bladen.
“It’s going to be the longest week of the season,” said Knight Coach Stanley Williams. “Bye weeks are long anyway, but to have it at the end of the season makes it even longer. We will practice next week, try to get some guys that are banged up healthy and have some fun while we wait and see.”
About the 2 big scoring plays in the 2nd half, Williams said, “My guys never give up. You can’t coach heart. These kids have a different mentality. At the end of the game if you can say that you gave your all – 110% effort – then that is all anyone could ask.”
Now the Knights will just have to wait until Saturday when the brackets are announced.
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