GameSetter: Week 4 at Clinton Red Tornadoes

When and Where:
4A #3 Heritage Hall (3-0) at 4A #7 Clinton (1-2)
September 22 (FRI) 7:00 PM
Tornado Bowl

Most Recent Matchup:
Heritage Hall hosted the 4A #7 Clinton Red Tornadoes in week four of the 2016 season, looking to extend their record win streak to 31 games. It was a physical and defensive battle, as has been the norm when playing the Red Tornadoes, but the Chargers were able to prevail in the end. Blake Adams got the scoring started in the early first quarter, scampering through the Clinton defense for a 58 yard touchdown. However, the Red Tornadoes defense responded quickly, falling on a Charger fumble in their own end zone to tie the game at seven. Clinton then executed a short drive and nailed a 36 yard field goal to capture the lead in the second quarter, but the Chargers fired back immediately, finding the end zone after a long kick return into Red Tornado territory to take a 14-10 lead into the half. Clinton struck first in the middle of the third period, hitting their second field goal. The Chargers followed the Red Tornado strike with two end zone runs of their own, including Blake Adams' second score of the day to stretch the lead to 15 points heading into the final fifteen minutes. The Heritage Hall defense held their ground from that point forward and the Chargers went on to win the game 28-13, improving to 4-0 on the year.

Player Spotlight:
Although the Chargers defeated the Red Tornadoes in last year's matchup, Clinton senior quarterback Conor Wyer was efficient with ball, completing 60 percent of his passes for 152 yards. Wyer will be back on the field for the Red Tornadoes in 2017 after starting all of last season, looking to lead his team to another state title. The senior's veteran leadership will be even more important this season because Clinton has switched their offensive scheme from last year's pro style to the triple option. The flexbone offense is extremely deceiving for defenses, as it includes numerous motions before the snap and difficult reads or pitches throughout the play. However, this offensive scheme can also be detrimental for a team who does not execute it correctly. The motions are liable to cause false starts or illegal formations, and pitching the football during the play can always go awry. Conor Wyer's ability to run the offense well and avoid penalties or turnovers will be key in the Red Tornadoes' attempt to take down Heritage Hall.

Outlook:
The Chargers are 3-0 on the season with three consecutive dominating performances on both sides of the ball. Last week against the Davis Wolves, Billy Ross, Jr. starred again with 116 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just seven carries. Morgan Dinwiddie added 55 yards on the ground and another score as well. Blake Adams threw the ball well all night, finding tight end Carson Orton three times for 67 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Grayson Wilson and Seth Meacham led the way with 11 and nine total tackles in the game, respectively. Preston Taylor was great on both sides of the ball too, catching a touchdown on offense and picking off a Davis pass on defense. The Chargers will need another physical performance to handle the Red Tornadoes this Friday, as Clinton has always been an extraordinarily gritty football team. The Red Tornadoes have seven state titles since 2000 and will look to continue their winning ways against the Chargers this weekend. With both teams favored to finish at the top of the District, the winner of this game will be in the driver's seat for the title as the rest of the season unfolds.

Article by Jake LeForce '19

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