Clinton rolls over Wolverines, secures No. 2 spot

Clinton exploded for four touchdowns over the first 14 minutes of the Red Devils’ showdown Friday night at Woodruff and cruised to a 39-17 victory.

With the win, the Red Devils (9-1 overall, 4-1 Region 3-3A) locked down the No. 2 seed from Region 3-3A as the state playoffs begin next Friday. Clinton will face the third-place team from Region 2-3A, which is expected to be Berea.

Jykorie Gary scored the first of his two first-half touchdowns on a 90-yard run with 2 minutes, 29 seconds remaining in the opening quarter and added a 5-yard run with 10:24 left in the second quarter. Gary led Clinton with a team-high 134 yards.

Senior receiver Wilson Wages opened the scoring for Clinton with a 5-yard touchdown reception from Davis Wilson.

Bryson James gave the Red Devils a second 100-yard rusher on the night with 102 yards on 14 carries. James’ 1-yard run also handed Clinton a 32-0 lead with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

Woodruff got on the scoreboard with Damarian Elmore’s 27-yard run with 12:10 left in the fourth quarter, cutting Clinton’s lead to 32-7. The Wolverines (4-5, 3-2) added a Jalien Tribble touchdown run and a Noah Gaspar field goal in the final minutes of the game to make the final 39-17.

Elmore turned in a game-high 201 yards on 32 carries. The Clinton defense limited Woodruff quarterback Carson Tucker to 34 yards on 6 of 16 passes with an interception. The Red Devils defense also scored a first-quarter safety.

Clinton 39, Woodruff 17