Clinch County defeats Holy Innocents'

By Michael Blum

For the AJC

For the second time in three years, Clinch County made the long trip from Homerville on the Florida border to the suburbs of north Fulton for a Class A quarterfinal playoff game, and for the second time returned home with a victory.

The Panthers outlasted Holy Innocents’ 35-27 at Riverwood’s stadium in Sandy Springs, scoring touchdowns on their last four possessions while their defense came up big late in the game.

Clinch County (10-3) will be in the semifinals for the seventh time since 2001, but Friday’s win was not nearly as easy as their victory over Fellowship Christian two years ago.

The Panthers trailed three times in the second half, taking the lead for good with 4:12 to play after their lone sustained drive of the second half. Quarterback Vintavious Cooper scored on a 3-yard run on fourth-and-goal to cap a 10-play, 58-yard march to put Clinch ahead 28-27.

The Golden Bears had gone ahead 27-21 on a 77-yard drive, but threw incomplete on the two-point conversion attempt.

Dalton Bennett’s straight-ahead PAT kick put Clinch ahead for the first time in the second half, and he contributed a key sack as the Panthers twice stopped the Golden Bears in the closing minutes.

Trey Dorsey’s 28-yard run with 2:27 to play made the score 35-27, but left Holy Innocents’ with enough time to tie the game. Bennett’s sack was one of three the Panthers recorded on that series, with an interception on fourth-and-22 clinching the win.

Holy Innocents’ (11-2) lost offensive standout Wills Aitkens to an injury late in the first period, but scored four touchdowns after his departure. The Golden Bears passed for 244 yards and three touchdowns, two by Will Allen and one by his backup John McKay, who tossed a 23-yard halfback pass to Jordan Miller to tie the game 7-7 at the half.

Allen threw for 221 yards and two scores, an 18-yarder to Miller and a 32-yard screen pass to Harrison Andros in the third period, and capped the Golden Bears’ final scoring drive with a 1-yard run.

On the first three scoring drives, he completed passes of 46 yards to Aitkens, 57 yards to his brother Peter Allen and 27 yards to Miller to set up the touchdowns.

While Holy Innocents did almost all its damage in the air, Clinch rushed for 300 yards and added 88 passing. The Panthers drove 81 yards on their second series to take a 7-0 lead, and responded with a series of big plays to rally three times in the second half.

Cooper accounted for four touchdowns, two each running and passing, and finished with 125 yards rushing. Dorsey added 140 yards rushing.