By By Ryan Satcher/staff writer
October 5, 2002
The Clarkdale Bulldogs used great defense and big plays to take a big 24-0 Region 5-2A win over South Leake on Friday night.
The Bulldog offense had troubles in the first half, but finally got going in the second half as Clarkdale rolled off 24-second half points to take the homecoming win.
Kevin Matthews rushed for 165 yards on just 12 carries to lead the Clarkdale offense. Quinn Moffite rushed for 59 yards on the night and Cedric Burns added in 49 for the Bulldogs.
Both teams played a very sloppy first half. Clarkdale opened the game with an onside kick that was recovered by the Wildcats. South Leake was able to move to the Bulldog 27 before penalties and strong Bulldog defense pushed the visitors back.
Clarkdale was able to move the ball some on its second possession of the game because of South Leake penalties. The Bulldogs took over the ball at the South Leake 35-yard line after a four-yard punt. On a fourth-down play, South Leake interfered with a Clarkdale receiver to give the Bulldogs a first down. Another pass interference call gave the Bulldogs a first down on a third-and-16 play to move the ball to the South Leake seven-yard line. A penalty and moved the ball back and the Bulldogs missed a 27-yard field goal.
The Clarkdale defense was able to control the Wildcat offense, but the Bulldog offense continued to struggle. The Bulldogs took over the ball on South Leake's 49-yard line on its final possession of the half. Clarkdale moved to the 30-yard line and just missed a 47-yard field goal on the final play of the half.
The Bulldogs finally put the first points of the game on the board in the third quarter. Clarkdale took over the ball on the South Leake 40-yard line on its second possession of the half. After a five-yard run by Moffite, Matthews broke loose on the right sideline. He broke a tackle and went 35 yards for the touchdown. The PAT by David Prewitt gave Clarkdale a 7-0 lead.
The Bulldogs struck again on their next possession. Clarkdale took over on its own 46-yard line. After an eight-yard run but Jake Gray and a two-yard run by Matthews, Burns broke loose on the right side of the field. He found a seam behind good blocking and went 44 yards for the touchdown. Prewitt's kick gave Clarkdale a 14-0 lead with 3:40 left in third quarter.
The defense forced another three-and-out on South Leake's next possession and Clarkdale took over at the Wildcat 47-yard line. Matthews broke off a 25-yard run to move deep into South Leake territory. The Bulldogs moved all the way to the Wildcat 17-yard line before settling for a 34-yard field goal by Prewitt to make the score 17-0 with 10:03 left in the game.
The defense gave up a couple of big runs on South Leake's next possession to allow the Wildcats reach the Bulldog 10-yard line. The Clarkdale defense held strong and forced South Leake to turn the ball over on downs.
The Bulldog offense then came down and finished off the scoring with another touchdown. Matthews broke loose for 55 yards on the Bulldogs first play to move the ball to the South Leake 33. The Bulldogs drove the ball deeper into Wildcat territory and Matthews scored with 1:45 left in the game from seven yards out. The PAT from Prewitt was good and Clarkdale took the 24-0 win.
The Bulldogs improve to 4-2 on the season and move to 1-0 in district play. Clarkdale will host Newton High in another district contest on Friday night.