By Christian Malone
The Valdosta Daily Times
HOMERVILLE — Miller County won a low-scoring battle with Clinch County, 7-0 Friday night at Donald Tison Field.
The Pirates (4-1) scored on their opening possession, then shut down Clinch’s offense the rest of the way. Miller limited the Panthers (2-3) to just 126 yards of total offense.
Clinch’s defense did its job, holding Miller’s high-scoring wing-T offense to just seven points. The Pirates gained just 99 yards on 38 carries. But the Panthers’ offense struggled, and was shut out for the second time this season.
The game’s only touchdown was scored barely three minutes into the game. On the opening possession, the Pirates drove 55 yards for a touchdown.
Miller ran the ball on all eight plays of its scoring drive. Shawndre Sheffield, the Pirates’ All-Region back, did most of the damage, carrying four times on the drive for 48 yards. On second-and-5 from the Clinch 27, Sheffield took a handoff going left on a sweep, ran over a defender and dashed 25 yards before being hauled down at the Panther 2. Two plays later, Pirates fullback Cosby Salter plowed in behind right tackle from the 1 for the touchdown. Josh Broxton’s extra point gave Miller a 7-0 lead.
That would wind up being the only score of the game.
Both teams had scoring chances, but neither could manage a big play. Clinch moved the ball inside the Miller 20 twice, but came away empty both times. Miller had the ball in Clinch territory on all six of its possessions in the second half — thanks to its defense, which won the field position battle throughout the final two quarters — but couldn’t add to its lead.
Late in the first quarter, Clinch drove the ball down to the Miller 14. But the Pirates recovered a fumble, ending the drive.
Clinch missed out on a golden opportunity at the end of the first half, after a fumble recovery at the Miller 23. Quarterback Vintavious Cooper found tight end Callan Windham for 13 yards, down to the Miller 8, on fourth down. But with eight seconds left in the half and the ball still at the Pirate 8, Cooper rolled out, and when he couldn’t see an open receiver, he took off running. He was tackled at the 5, and the clock ran out.
Miller had a good scoring opportunity on its first possession of the second half, after Sheffield returned a punt to the Clinch 28. But Clinch’s Daniel Spivey recovered a fumble at the 31.
Early in the fourth quarter, Miller looked poised to add to its lead.. Sheffield returned a punt to the Panthers’ 21, then on third-and-13 from the 24, Miller’s Juwan Jones hauled in a pass at the 1-foot line. But a false start wiped out a touchdown, and two plays later, the Pirates were penalized for aiding Salter as he went into the end zone. Then the Panthers’ defense rose up, stuffing Miller on the next three plays, and forcing the Pirates to turn the ball over on downs at the 2.
But that left Clinch pinned deep in its own end, and the Pirates never let the Panthers escape their side of the field the rest of the night.
Clinch’s defense kept the game close all night. The Panthers limited Salter to just 30 yards rushing on 21 carries. Sheffield gained 73 yards, but was held to 12 yards on four carries in the second half.
But the Clinch offense never could get going. The Pirates’ defense frustrated Cooper, who completed just 3-of-15 passes for 49 yards and was held to 29 yards rushing on 22 carries. Anthony McNeil, who ran for 149 yards in a 40-0 win over Calhoun County last week, was held to 24 yards on nine carries Friday, and was hampered by a bad ankle most of the game. The Panthers only gained 77 yards on 39 carries.
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