Football | 10/24/2025 10:36:00 PM
The Clinton High School Football team saw a 16-point lead slip away in the second half of Friday night's Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Region 2-7A matchup at Arrow Field.
Oxford's Demar Jamerson broke free for a 35-yard touchdown run with 9:21 remaining in the game, sealing a comeback in which the Chargers scored 26 unanswered points to defeat the Arrows, 33-23.
"I thought we really did a good job for 30 minutes," Clinton Head Football Coach Hamer Morgan said. "We executed and took care of the football. Five or six minutes left in the third quarter, we turn it over, they scoop and score, and they got some momentum. We just could never get back after that.
"Hats off to (Oxford), they're a great team," Morgan added. "All the teams in our region are great teams. We just got to do a better job of taking care of the football."
The loss drops Clinton (4-4, 1-2 Region 2-7A) to a fourth-place tie with Madison Central in the district standings. The Arrows must find wins in their remaining region games against Germantown (Friday, Oct. 31) and Madison Central (Thursday, Nov. 6) to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Turnovers proved costly for Clinton in the second half, as Oxford (7-1, 3-0 Region 2-7A) recovered two fumbles and intercepted a pass, converting those miscues into 15 points.
Clinton quarterback
Jayden Jones' 37-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter gave the Arrows a 23-7 advantage, but the Chargers mounted a furious rally sparked by quarterback Knox Kiffin, who connected with Christian Field for a 37-yard score and added his first of two 2-point conversions. Kaiden Dukes stripped and returned a fumble 26 yards to tie the game at 23-all with 13 ticks left in the third.
Jamerson's breakaway run put Oxford ahead for good, following the Arrows' second-straight fumble, and Micahel Thompson's 48-yard field goal extended the lead after Clinton failed a fourth-down conversion. The Arrows' final drive ended with an interception.
Jones led the Arrow offense with 21 carries for 126 yards and a 37-yard rushing touchdown. Jones also completed 10 of 24 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown.
Boskey Evans continued his strong surge in the season's second half, rushing for 97 yards and highlight run of 29 yards.
Defensively,
Cameron Cornelius led Clinton with seven tackles.
Christian Cavett added four tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss, while
Dallas Johnson recorded four tackles and one tackle for loss.
Davon Merchant added a sack, and Trevion Casnel intercepted a pass, returning it 29 yards.
Clinton opened the game with a 13-0 lead following Jones' 16-yard strike to
Dayson Scott in the corner of the end zone and a pair of Braylen Spann field goals from 41 and 26 yards. Spann added a 20-yard field goal as time expired in the first half, sending Clinton into the locker room with a 16-7 advantage.
UP NEXT
The Arrows aim to rebound as they close out their regular-season home slate against Germantown. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday, October 31, at Arrow Field.
"I think our kids will be fine," Morgan said. "Hopefully, we learn from it. We got a really great, well-coached team in Germantown (next week). We got to be ready to play."
