CLINTON - All summer long, the Clinton Maroons football team had been eyeing Maroa-Forsyth. They were out for revenge. Maroa had beaten the Maroons 42-7 in the 2009 season opener, John Hayden's first game as head coach of Clinton. At practice from June to August, Hayden would remind the players about 30-40 times per practice that the Trojans had easily handled them last year.
"I just want to run it in and see how they are going to respond," Hayden said a week before the rematch in Clinton in 2010.
Hayden would yell the phrase "42-7" over and over again each practice.
Then came August 27 - the rematch. Could Clinton respond after taking such a beating last year?
In a word, no.
It wasn't 42-7, it was worse. 49-7. Ouch.
Maroa dominated from the opening kickoff, scoring 23 points in the first quarter and holding a 36-0 lead just seconds before halftime.
On the last play of the first half, Clinton got on the board for the only time opening night. Byron Conner caught a 25-yard Aaron Ennis pass and used his speed and quickness to dash for a last second touchdown. It was a great play, but unfortunately for the Maroons, it was their only highlight.
Muffed punts, fumbles, big Maroa plays and dropped passed were the norm for Clinton on opening night.
Outside of Conner's big play, the stellar defensive output by Colton Nixon (sack, tackle for loss) was the only bright spot.
Now the Maroons must move on and put their focus elsewhere, on Central A&M. The Maroons visit Moweaqua for a homecoming of sorts for Hayden, who was an assistant coach on the 1997 state championship Central A&M team.
Photo: Clinton's Kadarius Sneed (28) was unable to get the ground game going against the always-tough Trojans defense.
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