Football | 8/30/2025 6:14:00 AM

Running back Braylon Lowery did not realize he had crossed the goal line on the Clinton Arrows' opening drive against the Warren Central Vikings.

It was an unfamiliar feeling. The sophomore, converted linebacker had powered his way into the end zone from six yards out to cap the drive, which shredded through the Warren Central defense.

"I didn't realize I had score," Lowery said after the game. "I have never been a running back; so it was my first touchdown."

It was Lowery's first career touchdown and the opener of a three-score night as the Arrows battered the Vikings 45-13 on Friday at Arrow Field.

"It felt great. I wanted to get in (the end zone) on the first drive," Lowery said. "We set the tone early, pounding the ball. We felt like we could run the ball every snap, and we told the coaches to let us keep going with the ground game."

The win was a satisfying for new Head Football Coach Hamer Morgan, a long-time assistant, after he was named the program's leader back in the spring. The Arrows showed exactly the mentality that Morgan hopes to instill in his team.

"I think our offense set the tone for us," Morgan, who was doused with a post-game Gatorade bath, said. "That first drive, we got the ball and set the tone by being physical.

"We just go out here, and we know what we got," Morgan added. "These kids believe in each other and, you know, that's all it really matters at the end of the day."

What a start!

Clinton followed its opening possession with an impressive second. Starting on their 4-yard line the Arrows marched 96 yards down the field for a 14-0 advantage.

On that drive, Jayden Jones, the Arrows' quarterback, converted a third-and-8 with a 12-yard scramble and connected with Dayson Scott the following first down to move the ball to the Clinton 47-yard line.

The next play, Cayden Albert added a punishing 11-yard run and added three more positive carries to get Clinton to the Warren Central 32-yard line. Albert turned receiver when he caught Jones' screen pass and got down to the 1-yard line.

Lowery finished the drive with a 1-yard plunge into the end zone.

In the second period, the Arrows scored two more times. Lowery and Albert capped those drives on the ground with runs of 30 and two yards into the end zone, helping the Arrows to a 28-0 lead.

Lights out defense

Clinton did not make it an easy night for the Vikings on the other side of the ball. The red and black constantly swarmed to the football and set the tone early. They forced three punts on Warren Central's first three possessions.

"It felt good to have won against Warren Central in back-to-back seasons — a really good team," Robsen Neblett said. "We shut them down early in the first half, and (our unit) was playing really well."

For the game, the Arrow defense stopped the Vikings nine times on third-down conversions and held them to only 216 total yards.

Jaiden King added an interception in the second half, returning the pick for three yards.

"We told our defense to not blink against Warren Central," Morgan said. "We didn't worry about the doubters and made it happen on that side of the football."

The stats

Lowery, a sophomore carried the ball 26 times for 144 yards. Albert added 12 runs for 71 yards. Clinton totaled 269 yards on the ground.

"I have to thank the offensive line for each drive," Lowery said. "We were going back and forth, motivating each other to keep pushing and continue getting the yards on the ground."

Jones heated up in the second half. The sophomore signal caller tossed a pair of touchdowns, including a 10-yard strike to Jaden Jefferson in the third. Jones finished 12-of-17 passing for 184 yards.

Jefferson led the Arrows with six receptions for 91 yards. Albert added two catches for 46, and Dayson Scott added two receptions for 28 yards.

Jaiden Jefferson made nine solo tackles. King caged five solo tackles and an assist. Donovan Shaifer had five tackles, a sack for a 13-yard loss, and two more tackles for losses.

Neblett had four tackles.

Braylon Spann was perfect with his five, extra-point field goals. Spann added the final points of the night with his fourth-quarter field goal of 33 yards.

Up next

The Arrows look to continue momentum into the second week of the season when they host Northwest Rankin High School at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, at Arrow Field.