WARRENSBURG – Two weeks ago, even the most optimistic and loyal Maroon fans would have had trouble believing the football team would enter the Okaw Valley Black schedule with a .500 record. In games against Maroa-Forsyth and Central A&M, Clinton was outscored by a combined total of 97-7.
The last two weeks have gone much better. After a 15-12 win over Argenta-Oreana a week ago, the Maroons put together their first win streak since the 2008 season with a 21-14 triumph over the Cardinals in Warrensburg.
“It was an ugly win, but we’ll take it,” Clinton head coach John Hayden said. “Defensively we played well, but struggled to get the ball in the end zone on offense at times.”
Much of the action for both teams occurred during the second quarter after a scoreless first. The Cardinals had a touchdown run to open the game’s scoring early in the period, but Clinton responded with a long drive that resulted in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Aaron Ennis to Cory Collins.
But just when it looked like the Maroons had taken the momentum back after tying the contest, Warrensburg quarterback Craig Munson ran for a 76-yard touchdown on the Cardinals’ first play from scrimmage following the Clinton TD.
“We had some kids over pursuing on that play,” Hayden said. “They played it a little too much, but they didn’t panic. I was happy with the way we responded.”
Clinton responded less than a minute later when Kadarius Sneed found the end zone on a 45-yard run. Sneed rushed for a team-high 67 yards. But the extra point was blocked and Warrensburg held a 14-13 lead at halftime.
The Maroons looked to take the lead with two minutes remaining in the third quarter, but they were stopped on a fourth and goal situation from the Cardinal four-yard line.
Although the Maroons missed out on that opportunity, they cashed in at the 9:51 mark of the fourth quarter when Aaron Ennis rushed for a one-yard touchdown. An Ennis pass to Keiron Sneed for the two-point conversion put the Maroons up 21-14.
On the touchdown drive, receivers Jocelyn Hopkinson and Byron Conner came up with big plays, although one was brought back due to a questionable holding call.
Warrensburg had the ball on the Clinton 15 with 2 minutes, 43 seconds remaining and a fourth and five situation. The Maroons stopped the Cardinals and never let them have the ball back.
An 18-yard Ennis pass to Jocelyn Hopkinson on a third and long with 2:16 all but clinched the victory for the Maroons.
“Jocelyn had some key clutch catches for us,” Hayden said. “He had some big plays and kept the ball in bounds on that third down catch, which was huge.”
Clinton’s road win evened their record at 2-2, matched the team’s win total from last season and more importantly gave them momentum heading into the conference season.
The Maroons will visit Monticello Friday evening for the first game of the Okaw Valley Black schedule. With the Sages, St. Teresa and Tolono Unity among the Maroons’ next few games, the slate only gets tougher for Clinton.
“We want to keep the momentum going,” Hayden said. “I feel like we’ve been improving each game and moved the ball better offensively Friday night than we had all year.
“Monticello is a good program, so we need to bring more intensity when we play them. We are sticking with the same philosophy, just trying to clean up a few things offensively.”
The Maroons return home a week from Friday when they host Shelbyville in the team’s annual Homecoming Game.
Photo: Byron Conner returned to the Clinton lineup after missing the previous week due to a concussion.
