BREAKING NEWS
ANDY AVERY'S KID A.J. IN THE OHIO STATE FINALS
Clinton-Massie win as big as all Clinton Co.
No. 54, A.J. Avery, a right guard just like the old man. Junior rep on the homecoming court, too.
CLAYTON, Ohio – The Clinton-Massie football team earned the biggest win in program history and set the state single-season scoring record Friday night in a comeback 45-21 win over Columbus Bishop Hartley in a Division IV state semifinal at Northmont High School.
The Falcons (14-0) will face St. Clairsville (14-0) for the state title next Friday at 3 p.m. at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium. It’s the first time a school from Clinton County will play for a state football title.
“It means the world,” junior running back Bayle Wolf said. “The whole community has wanted this since I moved here in like seventh grade. I’ve been playing with these guys my whole life. It just means everything to everybody in this community.”
Wolf scored five touchdowns and Clinton Massie turned five turnovers into 31 points to bounce back from an early 14-0 hole. Hartley was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press Division IV state poll. The Falcons were No. 4.
Clinton-Massie’s 776 points thus far have bested the Marion Pleasant mark of 731 in 15 games in 2001. The Falcons also had 731 entering Friday’s game.
“It’s nice,” Clinton-Massie coach Dan McSurley said. “We’re close to 800 points in 14 games. You don’t look to set no state scoring record. It just happens. Obviously we put up 45 against the No.1 team in the state, so it’s no fluke.”
The scoring record may be nice, but the Falcons can achieve a bigger goal next week with a state title.
“It’s an incredible feeling, but at the same time, we still have another game,” McSurley said. “You can’t be satisfied. You can’t be happy about it. You have to stay disciplined. The preparation has to be perfect. We’re going to go into this game like we have every other game. We want to win this thing.”
Hartley took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and looked ready to cruise into the state final. But an epic 24-point second-quarter vaulted the Falcons. Hartley was only able to run two offensive plays in the quarter – an incomplete pass and a fumble on a running play that the Falcons turned into a late field goal.
That was the first time all year we were down two scores and we were able to come back from it,” McSurley said. “We just stayed poised, we stuck with the game plan and we didn’t deviate. That was the difference in the game. We came up on the defensive end, the special teams end and the offense scored.”
Wolf started the madness when he went around the right side for a 1-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-goal play for the Falcons first score. Clinton-Massie then turned two muffed squib kicks into two more touchdowns. Wolf followed the second turnover with a 2-yard touchdown run and Clinton-Massie had the lead for good at 21-14 with 2:32 to play in the second quarter.
“It’s a cold night,” McSurley said. “We weren’t going to kick the ball up in the air and have them set up any kind of return. Obviously those are big plays, but more than anything it was just the poise our guys had when those guys went up 14-0. That’s an outstanding ball club – the No. 1 ranked team all year.”
Hartley was finally able to handle the squib kick on its third try, but ran only two plays before Clinton-Massie picked up another fumble at the Hartley 29 that resulted in a Hartley looked like it was going to cruise into the state final behind senior running back Marcellus Calhoun, who scored two first-quarter touchdowns as the Hawks took an early two-score lead.
Calhoun went around the right side for a 45-yard touchdown on the Hawks’ second possession for the first points of the game. After forcing Clinton-Massie into its second straight three and out, Calhoun went through the middle for a 59-yard touchdown and gave the Hawks a 14-0 lead with 48 seconds to play in the first quarter.
The Hartley offense would not touch the ball again until it trailed 21-14.
The Falcons (14-0) will face St. Clairsville (14-0) for the state title next Friday at 3 p.m. at Canton’s Fawcett Stadium. It’s the first time a school from Clinton County will play for a state football title.
“It means the world,” junior running back Bayle Wolf said. “The whole community has wanted this since I moved here in like seventh grade. I’ve been playing with these guys my whole life. It just means everything to everybody in this community.”
Wolf scored five touchdowns and Clinton Massie turned five turnovers into 31 points to bounce back from an early 14-0 hole. Hartley was ranked No. 1 in the final Associated Press Division IV state poll. The Falcons were No. 4.
Clinton-Massie’s 776 points thus far have bested the Marion Pleasant mark of 731 in 15 games in 2001. The Falcons also had 731 entering Friday’s game.
“It’s nice,” Clinton-Massie coach Dan McSurley said. “We’re close to 800 points in 14 games. You don’t look to set no state scoring record. It just happens. Obviously we put up 45 against the No.1 team in the state, so it’s no fluke.”
The scoring record may be nice, but the Falcons can achieve a bigger goal next week with a state title.
“It’s an incredible feeling, but at the same time, we still have another game,” McSurley said. “You can’t be satisfied. You can’t be happy about it. You have to stay disciplined. The preparation has to be perfect. We’re going to go into this game like we have every other game. We want to win this thing.”
Hartley took a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and looked ready to cruise into the state final. But an epic 24-point second-quarter vaulted the Falcons. Hartley was only able to run two offensive plays in the quarter – an incomplete pass and a fumble on a running play that the Falcons turned into a late field goal.
That was the first time all year we were down two scores and we were able to come back from it,” McSurley said. “We just stayed poised, we stuck with the game plan and we didn’t deviate. That was the difference in the game. We came up on the defensive end, the special teams end and the offense scored.”
Wolf started the madness when he went around the right side for a 1-yard touchdown on a 4th-and-goal play for the Falcons first score. Clinton-Massie then turned two muffed squib kicks into two more touchdowns. Wolf followed the second turnover with a 2-yard touchdown run and Clinton-Massie had the lead for good at 21-14 with 2:32 to play in the second quarter.
“It’s a cold night,” McSurley said. “We weren’t going to kick the ball up in the air and have them set up any kind of return. Obviously those are big plays, but more than anything it was just the poise our guys had when those guys went up 14-0. That’s an outstanding ball club – the No. 1 ranked team all year.”
Hartley was finally able to handle the squib kick on its third try, but ran only two plays before Clinton-Massie picked up another fumble at the Hartley 29 that resulted in a Hartley looked like it was going to cruise into the state final behind senior running back Marcellus Calhoun, who scored two first-quarter touchdowns as the Hawks took an early two-score lead.
Calhoun went around the right side for a 45-yard touchdown on the Hawks’ second possession for the first points of the game. After forcing Clinton-Massie into its second straight three and out, Calhoun went through the middle for a 59-yard touchdown and gave the Hawks a 14-0 lead with 48 seconds to play in the first quarter.
The Hartley offense would not touch the ball again until it trailed 21-14.
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