CLINTON, S.C. — Clinton High School’s football season is over. The Red Devils fell 28-14 at Southside Christian on Friday night in a Class AA second-round playoff game played on the Sabres’ Simpsonville campus.
Seventh-seeded Clinton finishes the year at 7-5 and tied for second place in its region. Second-seeded Southside Christian moves on at 9-2.
The rematch followed a familiar script for most of the night. The Sabres had beaten Clinton 28-24 in an Oct. 2 region game, and they built a 21-0 cushion by halftime this time around. The Red Devils had earned the return trip by routing Liberty 63-30 in the opening round.
Clinton’s ground game, the engine of that first-round win, never got going. The Red Devils carried 26 times and netted just 12 rushing yards once tackles for loss were counted. Through the air, Clinton went 7 of 16 for 167 yards and two touchdowns.
Both scores came late. Quarterback Owen Glenn finally got Clinton on the board with about nine minutes remaining, hitting Graydon Watkins on a 33-yard strike. On the following series, Glenn found Mason Snider for a 79-yard scoring play, and the Red Devils tacked on a two-point conversion. Clinton then recovered an onside kick, but the drive ended when a fourth-down pass fell short.
Mistakes hurt both sides. Clinton lost two fumbles and drew seven flags for 52 yards. The Sabres were penalized 13 times for 100 yards, yet their offense still piled up 443 yards on 61 snaps.
Head coach Corey Fountain told his players at the break to stop watching the scoreboard and focus on one snap at a time. Afterward he praised a senior class of 13, most of whom had come up through the program since middle school, and credited Southside Christian’s players and coaches.
The Red Devils’ season had its swings. After a strong start, Clinton dropped three straight games before ripping off four wins in a row to reach the second round.
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