ADRIAN – After a tough first week on the gridiron, the Clinton Redwolves used a dominant rushing attack and some key turnovers to pull away from the high-powered Adrian Madison Trojans Friday night, taking the 49-27 win.
“We had to get back to the identity of Clinton football, we had to get back to who we are and running the football and being dominant in the trenches both offensively and defensively is who we are,” Clinton coach Casey Randolph said. “I think we did that well tonight, obviously we had some breakdowns as the game progressed with some things but what drove us was our offensive line who took charge tonight. When you are able to do that, when you are able to run the rock, that opens up a whole lot of new things for us later on down the line.”
What Happened?
Clinton came out and highlighted that identity they were looking for right from the opening kickoff, taking the first drive down the field in a drive that took up nearly eight minutes of time off the clock. A 4-yard touchdown run by quarterback Gradyn Whelan capped off the drive and set the tone for the game, a game that saw the Redwolves rush for 279 yards on the ground en route to the win.
Clinton managed to build a 22-0 lead before Adrian Madison found the scoreboard just before the half on a kick return for a touchdown, finding the halftime score of 22-6.
Clinton continued to control the ground and the clock, outscoring Adrian Madison 15-7 in the third quarter to build a 37-13 lead after three.
The Trojans of Adrian Madison made things interesting thanks to some big plays down the stretch, but in the end the Clinton ground game was just too much, putting the win away with a 3-yard touchdown run by Clifford Jones, one of two on the day, to find the final score of 49-27.
Adrian Madison stays close thanks to explosive offense
The Trojans refused to quit on the day and used a number of big plays to keep themselves in the contest. Adrian Madison got on the board first with a 65-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Derrell Tillman just before the half, closing the score to 22-6 at the break.
After Clinton was able to extend their lead to 37-6 with a controlled third quarter it was Adrian Madison’s turn to get back on the board on a drive paced by a 66-yard run by quarterback Brian Dopp, getting the Trojans all the way down to the 1-yard line. One play later Dopp scored, closing the score to within 37-13 after three quarters.
Dopp went on to add another touchdown run, this time from 2-yards out, after another long run put the ball at the 2-yard line with 9:21 left in the game.
Madison’s final score of the game came on the long ball as Dopp found Junior Tillman for a 28-yard touchdown pass with 7:32 left in the game, cutting the lead to 43-27 before Clinton added a late touchdown to find the final score of 49-27.
Top Performers
Clifford Jones, RB, Clinton – Jones notched 16 carries for 64 yards and two touchdowns in the Redwolves victory. Jones also had one catch for 13 yards and a score while also adding four tackles and a pass deflection on defense.
Gradyn Whelan, QB, Clinton – Whelan finished the night with nine carries for 63 yards and one touchdown while also completing 4 of 6 passes for 108 yards and one touchdown. On defense Whelan also had a big day, adding three tackles, a quarterback pressure, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
Braxton Randolph, RB, Clinton – Randolph had a big night for the Redwolves, rushing the ball nine times for 80 yards and one touchdown. Randolph also led the Clinton defense, notching five tackles and a sack.
Isaac Keibler and Jake Halchishak, RB, Clinton – Keibler finished the night with 22 yards and a touchdown on the ground while Halchishak added 40 yards and a touchdown. On defense Keibler finished with four tackles while Halchishak added two tackles.
Dacari Garrison, WR, Clinton – Garrison had one catch, but it was a big one, hauling in a 51-yard bomb that set up another Clinton rushing touchdown. Garrison also added an interception on the defensive side of the ball.
Brian Dopp, QB, Adrian Madison – Stats to be added when they are reported
Junior Tillman, WR, Adrian Madison – Stats will be added when they are reported
They Said That
“Turnovers really hurt us tonight, any time you turn the ball over it really puts you behind. In the end though it was not being able to sustain drives, we had some big plays and some scrambles, but nothing really where we were able to put a long drive together to possess the ball. Against a team like Clinton, you have to be able to possess the football to keep it away from them.” – Scott Gallagher, Adrian Madison football coach
What Is Next?
Clinton improves to 1-1 on the season with the victory and will return to the gridiron next Friday when they host Blissfield at Wegner Field beginning at 7 p.m.
Adrian Madison falls to 1-1 on the season with the loss and will look to get back on the winning track next Friday with a trip to Dundee.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Clinton uses dominant ground game to grind out win over Adrian Madison
Reporting by Troy Tennyson, The Daily Telegram / The Daily Telegram
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
