Clinton’s upset bid falls short

The Clinton Red Devils’ football team rallied from an early 10-0 deficit in the first half of Friday’s Class 3A playoff opener against Seneca, and had the top-seeded Bobcats on the verge of an upset loss – but the Red Devils just couldn’t hold on at the finish.

Seneca’s Shantravis Holden rushed for a 7-yard touchdown with 37 seconds left in regulation to cap a last-gasp comeback and give the Bobcats an 18-14 victory to eliminate the Red Devils from the playoffs. Clinton finished the season with a record of 4-7.

Clinton did all it could to keep Seneca at bay, forcing two turnovers and holding the ball for nearly 30 of the 48 minutes. Running back Mark Wise also carried the load for the Red Devils’ ground game, gaining 178 yards on 20 carries – scoring one touchdown.

But Clinton was denied on fourth-and-3 when Kris Holmes ran a halfback option play as the team was trying to run out the clock. It gave the ball back to Seneca on its own 20-yard line with 4:28 to go, setting up a final drive that saw the Bobcats convert on fourth-and-11 to essentially save their season.

Clinton’s final stab at victory ended when, after Seneca’s go-ahead score, quarterback Konnor Richardson was intercepted.