Clay can't stop Jackson rushing attack

Friday's final:

Andrew Jackson 28, Clay 14

By Devon Jeffreys
Special to myclaysun.com

The Andrew Jackson Tigers and Clay Blue Devils waited through a 40-minute 
lightning delay before their game Friday night. After the delay, 
Jackson running back Antonio Lenton provided the thunder.

The bruising senior rushed 20 times for 117 yards and a touchdown, 
pounding the Clay defense and leading the Tigers to a 28-14 victory 
Friday night in Jacksonville.

“We had very good blocking from the linemen,” Lenton said. “Once we 
got through the line, we got to the secondary and that opened up real 
nice for us.”

Clay (1-1) jumped on the board first when Jackson’s Marquel Wade 
muffed a punt and the Blue Devils fell on the loose ball at the 
Jackson 3. Quarterback Stephon Herrons snuck into the end zone on 
fourth down to give Clay a 7-0 lead.

That was all the scoring the Blue Devils would do in the first half.

Late in the first quarter, Jackson’s Nigel Mitchell completed a 50-
yard swing pass to Wade, setting up a Chris Campbell 3-yard touchdown 
run. The Tigers took a 14-7 lead with 2:08 left in the second quarter 
with a 25-yard pass from Cory Addison to Dorian Guy.

“We threw the ball effectively at times,” Jackson coach Kevin 
Sullivan said. “To be able to throw the ball and to mix in the run is 
always good.”

Jackson (2-1) did more than mix in the run, handing it off 41 times 
for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tigers defense forced three turnovers — two interceptions by 
Hakeem Johnson and a fumble that Derek Owens brought back 20 yards 
for a touchdown.

“We simply just made more mistakes than they did,” Clay coach Jim 
Reape said. “We turned the ball over too many times.”

Clay running back Quinton Battle led the Blue Devils’ ground attack 
with 11 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown.

“We weren’t consistent and made too many fumbles,” Battle said. “We 
have to be consistent.”

Clay hosts Port Orange Atlantic next week.