For a while it looked like Mark Twain was actually going to pull off the upset.
Taking on the defending Class 2 State Champion Clark County Indians, Mark Twain just couldn’t muster enough at the end to pull off a victory. Despite trailing early, Clark County extended its winning streak to 26 games and will advance onto the second round of the State playoffs with a 41-26 win.
“It was an extremely hard fought ball game,” Mark Twain head coach Matt Hudson said. “You have got to hand it to the defending State Champs.”
Early on in the game, it looked like it would be all Clark County. Mark Twain couldn’t have asked for a worse start to the game. On just the second play of the game, quarterback Skyler Jameson dropped back to pass. Clark County busted through the line and a defender leveled Jameson, sending the ball tumbling to the ground. The Tigers alertly fell on the ball to save possession, but Jameson had to leave the game to catch his breath. The Tigers were stopped on the next play and were forced to punt deep inside its own territory. Smelling blood in the water, Clark County sent the house on the punt and was able to block the kick and take over on the Tigers’ 10-yard line. Two plays later, the Indians’ Justin Alderton carried the ball wide and to his right for the score to put Clark County up 7-0.
The Tigers refused to back down. The intensity picked up on both sides of the ball and Mark Twain found itself trailing just 7-0 after one.
“They won’t give up,” Hudson said. “No matter what, they would not give up.”
It didn’t take long in the second quarter for the Tigers to finally get on the board.
On a drive that started in the first quarter, Mark Twain took the ball to the Indians’ 15-yard line. Jameson dropped back to pass and found a wide-open Jared Runyon in the end zone for the score at the 11:53 mark of the second.
Mark Twain would strike again just more than a minute later. After the Indians got the ball back on the kickoff, Colin Sizemore took on two Indians and forced a fumble on Clark County’s first play of its drive. The Tigers scooped up the fumble at the Clark County 15. After a 14-yard pass to Austin Leake brought the Tigers just one yard out, it was Runyon again who scored. Jameson fired a pass to Leake that he tipped into the air into the waiting arms of Runyon to put Mark Twain up 12-7.
Runyon seemed like he was trying to win the game all by himself. The senior caught eight passes on the night and found the end zone four times. He also caught a pass to convert a two-point conversion and blocked a Clark County extra point.
“Jared will give you beyond what he has,” Hudson said. “You never question his desire and competitiveness. I can’t say enough about that kid. He is absolutely a winner.”
Clark County wasn’t finished. Alderton scored again on a 12-yard run at 9:44 to make the score 13-12.
Alderton would score again to make the score 21-12 at the midway point. In the second half, Runyon and the Tigers scored again to cut the lead to 21-20.
Jameson had four touchdown passes on the night as the Tigers went to the air more than usual.
“I’m the type of coach that will do whatever it takes to give us a chance to succeed,” Hudson said.
That was as close as the Tigers would get. The Indians simply had too much depth, too many chances and too many long drives. Clark County would add 20-second half points to pick up the win.
The loss ends the Tigers season at 6-5.
