Clark Atlanta topples rival Morehouse
The new motto for the Clark Atlanta football team is “Trust. Believe. Succeed.”
On Saturday night at rival Morehouse College, the Panthers trusted in their wing-T offense, which had mustered only 21 points in the first three games of the season — all losses. They believed they could overcome three turnovers, two of which led directly to 10 Tigers points. And Clark Atlanta (1-3, 1-2) succeeded in breaking their four-game losing streak to Morehouse with a 21-17 win at a packed B.T. Harvey Stadium.
Clark Atlanta first-year coach Kevin Weston, a longtime defensive coordinator at Tusculum, brought the new motto with him, along with the wing-T. In the Panthers’ first three games of the season the offense hadn’t produced much. But things came together Saturday night, as the Panthers shredded the Morehouse defense for 445 yards, 288 on the ground. Freshman slotback Montavious Taylor (Carver-Atlanta) led the charge with 166 yards on 33 carries, including touchdown runs of 35 and 9 yards, while South Florida transfer Bradley Battles, a graduate student, added 95 yards on 25 carries, and a 5-yard touchdown run.
Meanwhile, the Clark Atlanta passing game, which had been nearly nonexistent, came alive as well, as freshman quarterback Trenton Earl (Stockbridge) completed 12 of 16 passes for 157 yards. Clark Atlanta held the Maroon Tigers’ high-octane spread offense, which had averaged 30 points during Morehouse’s two-game winning streak, to only 177 yards.
“Our motto is trust, believe, succeed, and these young men trust us and believe in us,” Weston said afterward, in between hugs and handshakes from grateful Clark Atlanta alums and former players. He said he and his staff used the bye week after a tough 12-9 loss in overtime to Fort Valley State two weeks ago, to reinforce the lessons they have been instilling all summer.
“We didn’t change what we were doing,” Weston said. “We just knew that we needed to get better at what we’re doing.”
The proceedings got off to a rocky start for the Panthers as a fumble by Taylor was picked up by Morehouse cornerback Joshua Thurston, who returned it 52 yards to the Clark Atlanta 8-yard line, setting up a 19-yard field goal by Hector Solis to put the Maroon Tigers up 3-0.
Clark Atlanta’s offense then went back to work. Battles capped an 11-play, 60-yard drive when he bulldozed in from 5 yards out to give the Panthers a 7-3 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Morehouse capitalized on another Panthers miscue to retake the lead. After a Clark Atlanta fumble, Morehouse started at the Clark Atlanta 9. On the next play, running back Thomas Williams scooted into the end zone to put the Maroon Tigers back on top, 10-7, which was the score at halftime.
Midway through the third quarter, Morehouse freshman quarterback Monquavious Johnson was sacked and fumbled at the Panthers 34-yard line. Clark Atlanta marched 66 yards in six plays, as Taylor capped the drive with a 35-yard touchdown run on fly sweep, breaking two tackles — one in the backfield — to put the Panthers back on top 14-10.
But Morehouse responded right away, aided by a 47-yard kickoff return by Thurston and an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on the Panthers. Junior running back Shelton Hamilton scored from 12 yards out to give Morehouse the lead again, 17-14 heading into the fourth quarter.
Clark Atlanta then went on its most impressive march of the night. The Panthers’ offensive line mauled Morehouse up front, providing creases for Taylor, while Earl and 5-foot-5 receiver Demetrius Cain took advantage of soft coverage in the secondary. The result was a 10-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 9-yard touchdown run by Taylor around the left end to put the Panthers up for good.
