Clarendon downs Shamrock 23-20 in District 2-2A Div. II high school football showdown
SHAMROCK — The Clarendon football team needed to get on the board.
There was four seconds remaining in the first half when the Broncos found themselves on the Shamrock 2-yard line trailing the Irish 6-0. Through 24 minutes of action, it had been a defensive battle between two hard-nosed programs fighting for a crucial District 2-2A Division II win.
As the scoreboard horn sounded to end the first half, Clarendon senior running back and Texas Tech verbal commit Jmaury Davis found the end zone for the first time. The Broncos never trailed Shamrock again on the way to a 23-20 victory that sets up a district title matchup against Wellington next Friday night.
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"I knew it would be a good game," Clarendon coach Clint Conkin said. "I knew they were going to play hard against us and our kids fought and battled. We made some mistakes tonight that we have to clean up, but I'm proud of the effort we showed on both sides of the ball. I'm just thrilled to be in a position to go battle for it all against state-ranked Wellington next week."
Davis would finish the game with 226 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries. He also had one crucial 22-yard reception on a fourth-and-long in the fourth quarter and was a huge factor on the defensive end with several pass deflections from his safety spot.
The senior had eight runs of over 10 yards and knows he will need to come up big for his team next week against No. 3 Wellington.
"I think I could've played better overall, but they're a good team and it feels good to win this one," Davis said. "I knew we were going to have to step up and it would come down to our defense. We stepped up and got the job done."
Neither passing game could get much going as the two squads combined for 64 yards on five completions through the air. Clarendon junior defensive back Quay Brown intercepted Shamrock quarterback Kit Macina's first pass attempt of the night on a deep ball down the sideline. The Broncos bright spot through the air came on a 19-yard touchdown on a halfback pass from Lyric Smith to Quay Brown late in the third quarter.
Macina was a threat all-night long with his legs as he broke off runs of 47 and 56 yards. The senior finished the night with a team-high 117 yards on the ground, but just one completion while teaming up with senior Caden Peevey.
Peevey was a big factor in all three phases of the game on Friday night as he had 76 yards rushing to go along with double-digit tackles from his linebacker spot. The talented all-around player also had one long kickoff return that set the Irish up deep in Clarendon territory.
"Caden's a dude. He plays his butt off for the green and white. The kid is a man amongst children and he's probably the best kid that I've ever coached," Shamrock coach Jeff Caffey said. "That was a hard-fought game and it got us ready for the playoffs,"
The last two meetings between these District 2-2A Division II programs have ended with Clarendon winning both by a combined four points.
CLARENDON 23, SHAMROCK 20
Clarendon 0 7 8 8 -- 23
Shamrock 6 0 0 14 -- 20
Scoring summary
First Quarter
SHA – Kit Macina 1 rush (two-point failed); 1:19
Second Quarter
CLA – Jmaury Davis 2 rush (Wilson Ward kick); 0:00
Third Quarter
CLA – Lyric Smith 19 pass to Quay Brown (two-point conversion); 2:38
Fourth Quarter
SHA – Hunter Stroope 2 rush (Phillip Cook kick); 11:11
CLA – Jmaury Davis 21 rush (two-point conversion); 9:26
SHA – Kit Macina 56 rush (Cook kick); 8:02
Individual Statistics
Rushing – Clarendon: Jmaury Davis 34-226, Lyric Smith 10-47, Quay Brown 1-3, Wilson Ward 1-1, Harrison Howard 4-(-21). Shamrock: Kit Macina 16-117, Caden Peevey 14-76, Hunter Stroope 2-7, Terry Menefield 1-2.
Passing – Clarendon: Harrison Howard 3-8-0-32, Lyric Smith 1-1-0-19, Jmaury Davis 0-1-0-0. Shamrock: Kit Macina 1-6-1-13, Caden Peevey 0-1-0-0.
Receiving – Clarendon: Jmaury Davis 1-22, Lyric Smith 1-19, Mason Sims 1-0. Shamrock: Braxton Allen 1-13.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Texas Tech commit Jmaury Davis helps Clarendon down Shamrock in 2-2A Div. II thriller
