The feeling of euphoria around the Clarke Central football program still exists two weeks after the Gladiators beat No. 1-ranked Buford, a win that coach David Perno said may have been the best in school history.
That’s a mouthful, considered Clarke Central has won three state championships, finished second five times and claimed 17 region titles since it opened in 1970.
“I’m pretty sure we were never a 29-point underdog on any of the teams I played on,” Perno said. He is speaking from first-hand experience. He played on the 1985 state championship team, the last one claimed by legendary coach Billy Henderson.
The win over Buford in the final game of the season gave the Gladiators the No. 1 seed from Region 8 and ensured they would host at least two playoff games.
“I’m proud of our kids and winning the region championship was quite a task,” Perno said. “It gave us a chance to play two playoff games at home and that was a huge bonus. Now we’ve got to get ready for Wayne County. We’ve got to rise up one more time and show the tenacity and show the grit that we’ve played with.”
Clarke Central (8-3) will host Wayne county (8-2) on Friday at Death Valley in Athens.
Clarke Central has made the playoffs each year since Perno took the job in 2016. This is the third time the Gladiators have reached the second round. They advanced to the quarterfinals last year before losing to Warner Robins.
Perno gives a lot of credit to his coaching staff. Defensive coordinator Justin Jones has been there from the beginning, but former Clarke Central and University of Georgia great Damien Gary joined the team this year as offensive coordinator. Gary, whose son Jalen is on the team, had been an assistant coach at UNC-Charlotte and spent last season as head coach at Dougherty. Ricky Bustle, a former head coach at Louisiana-LaFayette and most recently an offensive coordinator at Prince Avenue Christian, also joined the team to work with quarterbacks.
The Gladiators are blessed with plenty of talent at the skill positions. Quarterback Isaac Ward has thrown for 2,158 yards and 27 touchdowns and was named the Region 8 Player of the Year. He threw for 198 yards and four touchdowns in the opening playoff win over Lithia Springs.
Running back O’Brien Barnett, who has an offer from Georgia State, has rushed for 1,350 yards and 17 touchdowns. Barnett is a workhorse who averages nearly 20 carries per game and has posted seven games of 100-plus yards.
The receivers are game-changers, too. Jairus “Nono” Mack has 54 catches for 1,041 yards and 16 touchdowns and Gary has 24 catches in seven games. Tight end Chris Johnson is starting to get college looks, too.
The most improved part has been the offensive line, which has gained confidence since the season opener, and the crew of young linebackers who have transitioned into an exciting group.
Clarke’s schedule has been tough, too. The losses came against Flowery Branch, which was ranked for most of the season, and Lanier, then the No. 7 team in Class AAAAAA. The Gladiators had impressive non-region wins over Oconee County and Thomson, who are both in the second round.
Here's how they match up for the second round: Cedar Shoals (8-3) at Jones County (10-1), Hiram (6-5) at Griffin (10-1), Buford (10-1) at Ware County (8-3), Veterans (9-2) at Carrollton (11-0), Wayne County (8-2) at Clarke Central (8-3), Rome (9-2) at Warner Robins (10-1), Dutchtown (10-1) at Riverwood (11-0), Kell (9-2) at Starr's Mill (8-3).
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