In a matchup featured on live television, the Apalachee High School football team hosted Clarke Central in a Region 8-AAAAA contest at R. Harold Harrison Stadium.
While the game was competitive throughout the first half, the visiting Gladiators would emerge with a 35-12 victory causing the Wildcats to slip to 0-2 in region play. AHS will look to get on track in the region this week when it hosts Flowery Branch, yet another quality region foe.
The Clarke Central running back tandem of Jalani Payne and Rodney Willingham both rushed for more than 100 yards and quarterback Cameron Johnson ran for a 40-yard score and threw a 36-yard scoring strike to teammate Amir Williams.
Zay Henry helped lead the Wildcat offense with 103 yards including a 62-yard run for a touchdown. The combination of quarterback Clint Ashe and wide receiver Jermaine Smith were in tune to seven plays for 154 yards, including a 67-yard scoring strike.
“We moved the football well,” said AHS coach Shane Davis after the game. “However, we left some scoring opportunities out there.”
After the Wildcats punted on their initial series of the game, Clarke Central got on the board for a 7-0 lead with 7:30 remaining in the first quarter.
AHS answered, however, with a 78-yard drive on five plays, capped on Henry’s run. The point after attempt failed to leave the Gladiators in front 7-6 with 5:41 left in the opening quarter.
The Gladiators would add another score with 4:03 still on the first quarter clock on Johnson’s touchdown pass.
Perhaps the turning point of the game came on the Wildcat’s five offensive series of the first half. Ashe had directed the offense deep into Clarke Central territory and had a second and less than a yard at the Gladiator 6-yard line.
However, a fumble would push AHS into an eventual fourth and long and the Wildcats would turn the football over on down.
“That series was big,” Davis said. “We were driving for what could have been a tying score and suddenly it turned the other way. Who knows what might have happened in terms of momentum had we pushed that score in.”
In the second half, the Wildcats would get with 21-12 with 2:48 left in the third quarter on the pass by from Ashe to Smith, but AHS would not be able to get any closer.
Payne finished with 123 yards for Clarke Central with Willingham adding 120.
“We will go back to work,” Davis said. “Our team didn’t quit tonight. We are a better team now than we were last week. Next Friday night we will be better than we are right now. I do know our kids will continue to work and do everything they can to get better. You have to in this tough region.”
