Football Game Preview: Clinton Dark Horses vs. East Duplin Panthers + How To Watch

The Clinton Dark Horses will face off against the East Duplin Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.

Clinton took a loss when they played away from home last Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They claimed a resounding 42-14 victory over South Lenoir. That looming 42-14 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Dark Horses yet this season.

Gavin Miller

Rushing Touchdowns

08/22/25 @ Lakewood	1
09/05/25 vs Wallace-Rose Hill	1
09/12/25 @ East Bladen	1
09/19/25 @ Whiteville	1
10/03/25 @ Pender	1

Clinton found their leader in sophomore Gavin Miller, who rushed for 76 yards and three TDs on only nine carries. Those three rushing touchdowns set a new season-high mark for Miller. Another player making a difference was Miles McCallop, who threw for 152 yards and one touchdown.

Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter and that's exactly how it played out for East Duplin on Friday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that they blew Heide Trask out of the water with a 38-6 final score. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by 21 points or more this season.

Clinton better keep an eye on Aaron Hall. He was instrumental in East Duplin's win, rushing for 101 yards and three scores on only eight carries. Those three rushing touchdowns gave Hall a new career-high. East Duplin also got a significant boost from Shawn Davis, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 93 yards.

East Duplin didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Dwayne Davis and Maddox Weis.

The win made it two in a row for East Duplin and bumps their season record up to 5-2. The victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 18 points in those games. As for Clinton, the win was their first at home , bumping their record up to 3-4.

Clinton and East Duplin were neck-and-neck when the teams last played back in November of 2022, but Clinton came up empty-handed after a 28-27 defeat. Thankfully for the Dark Horses, Nizaya Hall (who rushed for 111 yards and one TD on only five carries) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.