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By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Visiting Clay used a smothering defense and a ball-control offense to methodically pull away from Calhoun Middle School, 36-12, Thursday night virtually eliminating the Red Devils from the CWVAC playoffs.
With the win Clay, 5-1, assures itself of no worse than a tie for the conference title while Calhoun, if it wins out, would tie the Mustangs but would lose the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Clay set the tone from the beginning as it stopped Calhoun's first offensive thrust then scored on its first possession as Zachary Ahart rambled in from 27 yards out as the first quarter was winding down.
Following that the game was a defensive back-and-forth shoving match until the very last play of the first half.
Calhoun had stopped the Mustangs on fourth and long and according to CMS coach Rex Yoak was trying to call a time out with about :20 remaining so Clay would have to punt and the Red Devils would have time to run a play or two.
But when the clock finally was stopped there was only :05.7 remaining and Clay did not need to punt since Calhoun would have no time left in the half to do anything.
Instead the Mustangs send big tailback Brandon White into the middle of the line and in the confusion of the flubbed stopping of the clock on the time out call when White got through the line there was nobody left to tackle him and he raced untouched for a 45 yard score as time elapsed making it 16-0 at intermission.
The third quarter was more or less a carbon copy of the second quarter as it too proved to be a defensive slugfest but the fourth period was a different story.
That's when Clay went to is "Baby Elephant" backfield sending linemen Jerome McGarry and Jonathan Ratliff in to flank White. It worked as the bigger backs bulled their way down the field to another touchdown as McGarry rambled the final seven yards to complete the drive.
Then one of Clay's onside kicks - they kicked short to keep the ball away from Calhoun returner Johnny Taylor most of the game - worked and the Mustangs recovered in Red Devil territory setting up a short field against an already beleaguered CMS defense.
The Mustangs quickly capitalized with Logan Knopp scoring from 34 yards out.
Then Calhoun's offense, which had been held to two first downs to that point, came alive with its first sustained drive of the game. Taylor's 22-yard touchdown gallop capped the drive.
Clay was the first team to hold Taylor under 100 yards rushing this season as the Mustangs limited him to 72 yards on 11 carries. Thus far this season he has 957 yards rushing on 107 carries while scoring 12 touchdowns.
Calhoun tried an onside kick of its on after Taylor's touchdown only to have it go completely wrong as McGarry picked up the bouncing ball from behind a gaggle of downed player from both teams and broke back across the field to race untouched for a 55 yard score.
Clay found out why it had been avoiding kicking the ball deep on the ensuing kickoff when it booted it to Taylor at the 30 only to watch him run past the defenders for a touchdown.
Clay County is home to Short Line Middle School while Calhoun goes on the road to play Wirt County Middle School. Both games are scheduled for Thursday at 6:30 p.m. | 
