Panthers edge Red Devils in 22-21 classic
Clinton’s Kadon Crawford (5) goes up over Chapman DB Hank Tolleson (13) for a first-quarter touchdown reception Friday night.
Clinton never led Friday night in a 22-21 loss to Chapman at Wilder Stadium, and the Red Devils came up short on a game-winning 2-point conversion attempt with no time left on the game clock that would’ve given them the lead when it mattered most.
Junior quarterback Tushawan Richardson authored a 12-play, 99-yard drive that was capped by Kadon Crawford’s 5-yard touchdown reception that cut the Panthers’ lead to 22-21.
After initially trotting out kicker Keegan Fortman for a game-tying point-after attempt, Clinton head coach Corey Fountain decided to go for the win.
“I just felt like the momentum was going our way, and we’d go for 2,” Fountain said.
Richardson dropped back to pass, but was pressured and in the grasp of a defender as he threw a desperation pass that fell incomplete near the goal line.
Clinton’s last-minute drive began after a goal-line stand kept the Panthers out of the end zone.
The game between two top-10 teams in Class 3A for the most part lived up to the billing.
No. 8-ranked Chapman (4-1) scored first and added a 2-point conversion for an 8-0 lead in the first quarter, but the No. 2 Red Devils answered on their ensuing possession with a 16-yard touchdown strike from Richardson to Crawford and a 2-point conversion to tie the game at 8-8.
After trailing 15-8 at halftime, Crawford connected with wideout Keleja Byrd on a 35-yard touchdown pass on a halfback option to tie the game at 15-15 with 1:24 left in the third quarter.
Chapman quarterback Coleman Gray put the Panthers ahead 22-15 with a his second touchdown run of the game with 9:23 left in the fourth quarter.
Gray also had a 58-yard touchdown run and a 65-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring. He finished with 177 yards rushing and completed 8 of 17 passes for 150 yards.
Richardson finished with 100 yards rushing on 11 carries and completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 159 yards and the two touchdown passes to Crawford.
Crawford recorded nine catches for 99 yards and the single completion for a touchdown.
The Red Devils (4-1) were hindered by penalties for the entirety of the game. They were flagged 16 times for 142 yards.
The two teams combined for nearly 900 yards of total offense – 424 for Chapman and 468 for Clinton – and 241 yards in penalties.
Chapman handed Clinton their last regular-season loss on Oct. 15, 2021, a 27-26 defeat that also came at Wilder Stadium.
Game Notes: While the two teams were nearly even in total yardage, Clinton ran 74 total offensive plays, compared to 48 for the Panthers. But the Red Devils struggled with penalties that stifled drives. At one point late in the second quarter, Clinton faced a 1st-down-and-53 after successive penalties that ended what appeared to be a scoring drive. . . . Injuries continue to mount for the Red Devils. Linebacker Brett Young suffered a shoulder injury and was in a sling during the second half. LB/RB Kason Copeland is out for at least the regular season with a broken collar bone. RB/LB Zane McLendon also suffered an apparent sprained ankle against Chapman.
