Charlton County 16, Clinch County 13

Published 2:27 am Tuesday, December 6, 2005





FOLKSTON — After two weeks with games cut short, Clinch County just may have wanted another quick end to a football game Friday night.

It didn’t happen.

Charlton County, ranked No. 6 in Class AA, scored two touchdowns in the final 84 seconds to defeat Class A’s top-ranked Clinch County, 16-13.

The loss was Clinch’s first in 18 games, since the 2001 state playoffs. It was the 51st game between the two South Georgia rivals.

Clinch (2-1) led 13-3 with less than two minutes left before Charlton (1-1) worked its game-ending match.

First the Indians blocked a punt, recovering at the Clinch 23. Charlton’s first play was a pass to the Clinch 1, where Adrian Harper scored on the next play. The two-point run failed, and Clinch still led 13-9.

Needing a touchdown to win, Charlton turned to an onsides kick. Quarterback Jeremy Privett, also the kicker, recovered his kick at midfield.

Charlton moved down to a first-and-goal at the 3. Clinch’s defense stiffened on the next three plays, but on fourth down Privett hit tight end Justin Mincey on a 5-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left.

Privett had given Charlton a 3-0 lead in the second quarter with his 49-yard field goal with 3:32 left.

But Clinch responded, with Lorenzo Kelsaw (56 yards on 20 carries) scoring on a 1-yard run with 1:15 left before halftime. Stephon Hodges kicked the extra point.

In the third quarter, B.J. Richardson caught a 40-yard pass from Joe Louis Mingo (5-for-10, 111 yards) with 2:45 left. The extra-point kick failed.

Clinch outgained Charlton, 206-192. Privett was 12-for-22 for 149 yards and threw three interceptions.

Clinch goes to Worth County next Friday.

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