BLACKSVILLE — Despite sitting on the outside looking in this week, Clay-Battelle took another step toward the playoffs with a convincing 40-6 win over Calhoun County at home Friday night.
While easing starting quarterback Carson Shriver back into the lineup following an injury, junior running back Zach Hall led the CeeBees with a massive rushing performance, amassing 308 yards and three touchdowns while adding an interception on defense for good measure.
“Awesome game from Zach,” C-B coach Ryan Wilson said. “On a couple of runs he was tip-toeing the sideline and that was awesome to watch. He did a really nice job running.”
It was not just Hall doing damage, as the CeeBees (6-2) ran for 496 yards and a half-dozen touchdowns as a team while keeping the ball exclusively on the ground the entire night.
In light work coming off of his injury, Shriver ran 11 times for 61 yards and a couple of scores.
“Carson came back tonight and he ran hard too,” Wilson said. “He was yelling at me to give him the ball (in the redzone).”
Maddox Shriver added 38 yards and another score while Maverick Gum ran for 74 yards in the fourth quarter.
The win will help out C-B in the playoff rankings after the team was slotted at No. 17 this week, one spot out of the postseason field.
“We’re wanting to finish out the year on a win streak and say wherever (the playoff ranking) falls, it falls,” Wilson said. “We’ll do everything we can do, but we took care of business tonight.”
C-B played perfect bend-don’t-break defense against the Red Devils (1-8). Calhoun running back Ian Persinger had several long plays on the night, but ultimately the visitors were only able to put six points on the board.
“We look at the scoreboard and we gave up six points, our defense kept stiffening up and making plays,” Wilson said. “That’s all you can ask from them.”
Persinger had runs of 38 and 35 yards, completed a 20-yard pass and had an 18-yard reception, but Calhoun only found the endzone when he ran 41 yards to the house in the second quarter. The Red Devils went three-and-out three times, turned the ball over on downs three times, lost a fumble and threw an interception to Hall.
For C-B, Hall ripped off eight runs of more than 15 yards and two over 40. He scored on runs of nine, 46 and 10 yards and also had a 43-yard jaunt mixed in. Carson Shriver scored twice from the goalline and Maddox Shriver punched one in from a yard out as well.
Clay-Battelle has won two games in a row since suffering a 42-0 loss to Cameron two weeks ago. Since then, the CeeBees have won two straight and will close the regular season out next week with a visit from the Hundred Hornets.
“Every week when we come in on Monday, our record is 0-0, whatever happened on Friday is over,” Wilson said. “It’ll be the same thing here, when we come in Monday, our record is 0-0.”
Clay-Battelle 40, Calhoun County 6
CC 0 6 0 0 — 6
CB 7 19 14 0 — 40
CB — C. Shriver run 1 (Mercer kick)
CB — Hall run 9 (Mercer kick)
CC — Persinger run 41 (kick miss)
CB — M. Shriver run 1 (pass failed)
CB — Hall run 46 (kick miss)
CB — C. Shriver run 1 (kick miss)
CB — Hall run 10 (Hall pass from C. Shriver)
RUSHING: Calhoun 34-221-td (Hughes 1-(-1); Gibson 8-22; Taylor 7-43; Persinger 18-157-td). Clay-Battelle 55-496-6td (Hall 24-308-3td; M. Shriver 7-38-td; C. Shriver 11-61-2td; Gum 7-74; Kolat 2-11; Nestor 3-2; Spears 1-2).
PASSING: Calhoun 2-17 38-int (Taylor 1-13 18; Persinger 1-4 20-int). Clay-Battelle (none).
RECEIVING: Calhoun 2-38 (Taylor 1-20; Persinger 1-18). Clay-Battelle (none).
FIRST DOWNS: Calhoun 11. Clay-Battelle 27.
PENALTIES: Calhoun 4-17. Clay-Battelle 7-49.
FUMBLES: Calhoun 1-1. Clay-Battelle 1-1.
TWEET — @CodyNespor
