Clay-Battelle storms again to knock off Paden Metropolis, 40-28

BLACKSVILLE – For years, Paden Metropolis has walked into Clay-Battelle’s soccer stadium determined underdogs, and often headed dwelling just a few hours later with that prediction confirmed. However the Wildcats have flipped the script this season with a stellar file and a No. 14 Class A rating whereas the Cee-Bees have struggled. 

Nevertheless, a key variable for each groups has been well being, and whereas the Cee-Bees have appeared extra like a MASH unit at occasions, Paden Metropolis had remained principally injury-free. 

However Friday night time, the damage bug bit the Wildcats – laborious – whereas the Cee-Bees lastly acquired their most potent weapon again of their backfield, and when the bodily battles took their toll on Paden Metropolis, it was Clay-Battelle that received the warfare, as they scored 22 unanswered factors within the closing quarter to roar to a surprising upset victory, 40-28. 

After Paden Metropolis (7-2) pulled off an onside kick on the kickoff, they shortly drove deep into C-B (3-6) territory, however couldn’t convert on fourth and three on the C-B 10. Energized by the defensive stand, the Cee-Bees’ mercurial working again Zach Corridor zipped across the PC protection for 80 of the 90 yards within the C-B landing drive, the final 29 on a left sideline sweep. 

Trailing 6-0, Wildcats coach Robert Worth referred to as a timeout and despatched a message to his crew that was obtained, particularly the offense. Utilizing a exact and impressively misleading working sport, Paden Metropolis took simply 9 performs to attain three straight touchdowns on their subsequent three possessions.

Their first rating to take the lead got here on the finish of a four-play, 68-yard drive capped by Brayden Neff’s 25-yard run and Ashton Little’s two-point strive run. C-B responded with a stable 12-play, 74-yard drive, Corridor tiptoeing the sideline from the 25. Again got here PC, Little roaring up the center from the 50 to leap again on prime, 14-12, adopted by an interception and a 7-yard TD run from Little.

Down by 10 with 4 minutes left, CB manufactured a textbook late-half drive, completed off by a fourth down, 9-yard TD cross from JC Spears to Braden Ponceroff with 24 seconds remaining to sneak to inside 4 at 22-18.   

In a wild third quarter, two Wildcat turnovers on downs have been adopted by two Cee-Bee fumbles till, on the tail finish of the quarter, Neff once more swept left from the 20 to revive his crew’s 10-point benefit. However throughout the drive, Baker suffered a major ankle damage, and the Wildcats appeared to lose cohesion on offense, plus their quick bench appeared to meet up with a number of gamers who have been injured and cramping.         

And the Cee-Bees – particularly Corridor, who returned from damage after a four-game layoff to the tune of 315 yards and 5 touchdowns – seized the chance within the greatest manner possible, scoring on TD runs of 5, 9, and – following a key Maverick Gum interception, 22 yards to show a 28-18 deficit into an exhilarating 12-point victory. 

“It was a hard-hitting, hard-fought sport for positive,” mentioned C-B coach Ryan Wilson. “By the tip of the night time, they have been counting gamers to see if that they had sufficient – however we’ve been coping with that every one season. We felt like offensively, with Zach working so laborious and the road opening holes for him all night time, the one time we have been stopped was after we stopped ourselves. So we knew that if we may simply get some stops on protection, we had an opportunity. They usually actually stepped up within the second half, particularly within the fourth quarter. 

“I’m so happy with how they battled,” he continued, “and I really feel nice that this group earned a giant win in opposition to an excellent crew after so many shut losses this yr. They deserved it.” 

The Cee-Bees host Magnolia of their closing sport of the season this Friday night time at 7:00 p.m.    

BY MARK SCHRAF 

Paden Metropolis  (7-2)    8    14    6    0 –  28 
Clay-Battelle (3-6)  6   12    0   22  – 40 

CB – Zach Corridor 29 run (kick missed) 
PC – Brayden Neff 25 run (strive good Ashton Little run) 
CB – Corridor 25 run (strive failed) 
PC – Joseph Baker 50 run (strive failed) 
PC – Little 7 run (strive good Baker run) 
CB – Braden Ponceroff 9 cross from JC Spears (strive failed) 
PC – Neff 20 run (strive failed)  
CB – Corridor 9 run (strive good Corridor run) 
CB – Corridor 5 run (strive good Corridor run) 
CB – Corridor 22 run (strive failed) 

PASSING PC – Kayden Myers 1-3-1 3, Jessup Higgins 0-1-0. CB – Spears 6-12-1 62 TD, Corridor 0-1-0 0. 
RUSHING  PC – Neff 19-221 2TD, Little 10-35 TD, Baker 13-106 TD, Myers 3-8, Higgins 1-(-2)  Complete 46-368 4TD. CB- Spears 1-(-8), Zachary Corridor 30-315 5TD, Maverick Gum 10-61 Complete 41-368 5TD.
RECEIVING  PC – Neff 1-3. CB – Corridor 4-36, Ponceroff 2-26 TD