Clinton hadn't done well against West Boylston/Tahanto recently (they were 0-6 in their previous six matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Clinton Gaels took down the West Boylston/Tahanto Lions 29-13. The score was all tied up 7-7 at the break, but the Gaels were the (much) better team in the second half.
Connor Cox was a one-man wrecking crew for Clinton as he rushed for 174 yards and two touchdowns on only 12 carries. The dominant performance gave Cox a new career-high in rushing yards. Clinton also got a significant boost from Gavin Naughton, who ran away from the competition to the tune of 87 yards.
He was just one part of a punishing run game: Clinton was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 380 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.
On the defensive side of the ball, a lot of the credit has to go to Clinton's defense and their four sacks. The heavy lifting was done by Ethan Frisch and Alain Abaya, who racked up all four sacks between them.
Despite the loss, West Boylston/Tahanto still got an impressive performance from Dominic Renzoni, who picked up 101 receiving yards and a touchdown, and also rushed for 109 yards. That high mark didn't come from nowhere: Renzoni posted at least 100 rushing yards in the fourth games prior.
Clinton pushed their record up to 3-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. As for West Boylston/Tahanto, the defeat snapped their winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 3-2 record.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Clinton will venture away from home to take on Lunenburg at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. As for West Boylston/Tahanto, a feisty cat fight will be fought when Lions takes on Tyngsborough at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
