SHELBINA, Mo. - South Shelby built a 14-point lead with a strong first half on its homecoming night Friday, but Clark County answered with two touchdowns before the break to turn the Clarence Cannon Conference matchup into a one-point game. The Cardinals responded with a long scoring drive to open the second half and held on for a 20-13 victory.
Clark County moved the ball on its opening possession, reaching the South Shelby 22-yard line before the Cardinals stopped the Indians on fourth down. South Shelby then put together a scoring drive of its own, capped by Logan Hubbard’s two-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. The missed extra point left the Cardinals ahead 6-0.
The game took an unusual turn early in the second quarter. South Shelby’s Hudson Gill broke a 65-yard run but fumbled near the Clark County goal line, where the Indians recovered. The Cardinals’ defense immediately made the stop count, tackling Clark County in its own end zone for a safety. Noah Sanders followed with a 40-yard touchdown run on South Shelby’s next possession, pushing the lead to 14-0.
Clark County had to adjust when starting quarterback Bennett Plenge left with an injury, and sophomore Treyvin Hamner gave the Indians an immediate lift. Hammer broke free for a 40-yard touchdown run with 3:45 left in the half, and Luke Scott added the extra point. South Shelby still held a 14-7 lead, but Clark County had found a way back into the game.
A poor punt snap gave the Indians another opening before halftime. Taking over with a short field, Hamner connected with Lukas Weaver for a 29-yard touchdown pass with 54 seconds remaining. The extra point failed, leaving South Shelby ahead 14-13 after a first half in which both teams had produced big plays and momentum swings.
The Cardinals’ answer came through a sustained drive rather than another quick strike. South Shelby received the second-half kickoff and kept possession for nearly eight minutes, working downfield before Hubbard scored on a one-yard quarterback sneak. Although the two-point try failed, the drive restored a 20-13 lead and shortened the half for a Clark County offense that had scored twice in the final minutes before intermission.
South Shelby’s defense protected that margin, while Clark County’s defense kept giving its offense chances to draw even. The Indians stopped the Cardinals on fourth down at their own 20-yard line in the fourth quarter, and Hamner later found Reed Sammons for a 25-yard gain as Clark County pushed into South Shelby territory. Sanders ended that threat with an interception in the end zone with under four minutes to play.
Clark County forced a punt to get the ball back once more, but could not produce the tying touchdown. South Shelby then turned to Jace McWilliams on its final possession. His pair of first downs allowed the Cardinals to run out the clock and finish off the homecoming win.
Hamner passed for 115 yards and accounted for both Clark County touchdowns. Sammons caught six passes for 102 yards, while Weaver finished with three catches for 58 yards and a score. For South Shelby, Hubbard ran for two touchdowns, Sanders rushed for 97 yards and a score, and McWilliams added two first-half interceptions.
South Shelby improved to 4-1. Clark County fell to 1-4 after a game in which it overcame a two-touchdown deficit and remained within one score until the final minutes.
Photo courtesy for this story provided by Mark Requet, Shelby County Herald
(This game recap is presented based upon the coverage of the Hometown Radio Sports Network. Any statistics given should be deemed as unofficial.)
