Clinton is preparing for their first conference matchup of the season on Friday. They will take on the Pender Patriots at 7:00 p.m. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Clinton took a 35-point loss the last time they faced off against Whiteville, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Dark Horses pulled ahead with a 37-36 photo finish over the Wolfpack last Friday. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Dark Horses as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Aaran Landrum
| 09/19/25 @ Whiteville | 115 |
| 08/29/25 vs Midway | 67 |
| 09/05/25 vs Wallace-Rose Hill | 49 |
| 09/12/25 @ East Bladen | 38 |
Miles McCallop had another great game (as he tends to do), rushing for 62 yards and a pair of TDs, while also throwing for 226 yards and two touchdowns. He showed off some serious burst, turning on the afterburners on one carry for 55 yards. 115 of McCallop's passing yards were hauled in by Aaran Landrum.
Meanwhile, Pender strolled past Anson with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 46-28.
Pender's win came from a few key players Clinton will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Austin Deal, who rushed for 155 yards and a pair of scores on only 14 carries. Those 155 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of ZyQuan Murphy, who rushed for 90 yards and two TDs on only six carries.
They were just one part of a punishing run game: Pender was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 448 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 317 rushing yards in four consecutive games.
Clinton's record now sits at 2-3. As for Pender, their record is now 5-0.
Everything came up roses for Clinton against Pender when the teams last played back in September of 2016, as the team secured a 50-6 victory. In that contest, the Dark Horses amassed a halftime lead of 35-6, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
