Dragons season ends with loss at Halls
Clinton quarterback and holder Mason Eckerson (3) congratulates kicker Manny Ortiz (37) after a successful extra point during the Dragons’ game against Halls on Friday night. (photo:Dwane Wilder )
The win improved Halls’ record to 5-4 overall and 5-2 in Region 2-5A. Clinton ended the season 2-7, 1-6, after committing a season-high five turnovers.
Senior receiver Bryson Maddox capped a stellar Dragon career with 204 all-purpose yards against the Red Devils, catching six passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, returning four kickoffs for 93 yards and bringing back a punt for another 7 yards.
Cameron Anderson posted a Clinton team season-high 145 rushing yards on nine carries with one TD, going 66 yards on one run in another team best for 2025.
Austyn Phillips caught four passes for 78 yards and a TD for the Dragons.
Clinton quarterback Mason Eckerson went 18-for-31 passing for 231 yards and two TDs but had three throws picked off.
Dragon kicker Emmanuel Ortiz was perfect on three extra points and booted one touchback.
Jaxon Herrell posted a Clinton season-high 20 tackles, seven solo, with 1.5 sacks and four tackles for loss overall in a game where the Dragon defense forced six punts.
Anderson and Konner Baylis added eight tackles each for the visitors. Davontae Fortson and Charlie Turbyville made seven stops apiece.
The Dragons made five sacks, with Hayden Atkins, Baylis, Maddox, and Noah Whitt also dropping the quarterback or assisting on a sack.
Halls receiver and defensive back Brody Rogers caught eight passes for 129 yards and two TDs, ran for another score, and intercepted two passes. McKylus Daniel paced the Red Devil running game with 15 carries for 69 yards and two first-half TDs. Halls quarterback Amari Lethgo finished 20-for-33 passing for 278 yards and three scores.
Gavin Cantrell sacked Eckerson to force a punt on the opening series of the game, and Halls soon scored on a 5-yard run by Daniel. Kevin Pendergrass added the first of his five extra points to give the Red Devils a 7-0 lead.
Phillips then caught an Eckerson pass at the Halls 33 and tiptoed down the left sideline to the end zone for a 49-yard TD reception to even the game at 7-7.
The Red Devils answered as Eddy Soto caught a 32-yard Lethgo pass and Daniel finished the series with another 5-yard TD run. Halls went up 14-7 with 63 seconds to play in the opening period.
The Dragons tied the score again as Maddox reeled in a 15-yard pass for a first down, and an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on Halls after a scuffle set up Clinton with a first down at the Red Devil 45.
On the next snap, Maddox came open in the right side of the end zone with two defenders closing in and caught a TD pass from Eckerson. The score was 14-14 with 11 minutes left in the first half.
The teams traded punts, and Halls punted again after receiving two unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties on the same play.
Clinton started at its own 15-yard line, and on the third play Anderson took a pitch and broke four tackles on his way to the Halls 1-yard line to complete a 66-yard run.
The Dragons, however, could not capitalize after three running plays, losing the ball on a fumble recovered by Carson Pearce at the 5.
The Red Devils drove 95 yards in seven plays to take the lead for good. Rogers caught a 27-yard pass before Cooper Faust hauled in a 45-yard TD toss with 57.1 seconds to play in the half.
Eckerson was intercepted by Rogers on the next Dragon play, and the 34-yard return put Halls at the Clinton 18. Rogers caught a 17-yard pass and ran 1 yard for the TD and a 28-14 lead with 19.8 seconds remaining.
The teams punted on their second-half opening possessions, and Clinton turned it over on downs at its own 49. Halls scored five plays later on a 33-yard pass from Lethgo to Rogers.
Daniel intercepted Eckerson at the Clinton 39, and Rogers tallied six plays afterward on a 19-yard pass. The extra point sailed wide, but Halls led 41-14.
Rogers made another interception and Cooper Blanton recovered a Dragon fumble. Anderson capped the scoring with runs of 48 yards and 22 for a TD to complete a two-play drive with 5:06 remaining in the game.