No. 11 Cee-Bees run past Bridgeport (Ohio) on Senior Night
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BLACKSVILLE – Playing its final home game of the season on Friday, No. 11 Clay-Battelle continued its late-season surge by knocking off Bridgeport (Ohio), 40-12, on Senior Night.
The Cee-Bees (5-3) have now won three in a row heading into next week's game at Weirton Madonna.
Four Clay-Battelle seniors - Caleb Bragg, Cody Clovis, Corey Coen and Caleb Snodgrass - all contributed to the win, with Snodgrass rushing for 114 yards and two scores, while Coen threw two touchdown passes to Clovis and Bragg added a scoring run.
C-B (5-3) took advantage of a short punt and a long return from Cody Clovis for a quick 14-yard scoring drive capped by Coen's 3-yard plunge and a 7-0 early lead, then followed up with two more defensive stops and two more scores.
Both of those were of the splash play variety, as the speedy Clovis twice sprinted open behind the Bulldogs' defensive backfield for 43- and 59-yard TD rainbow connections from Coen. Then late in the half, Dominick Sakacsi's strip sack and fumble return gave the Cee-Bees first-and-goal from the 1 with 0.7 seconds on the clock, and Coen drove in for the score and a commanding 26-0 halftime lead.
In the second half, once Snodgrass plunged in from the 1-yard line late in the third quarter to make it 34-0, the only question left was whether all four C-B seniors would find paydirt. And Bragg answered in the affirmative in the final quarter, finishing off a 10-play, 85-yard drive with a satisfying two-yard TD run.
After the game, Cee-Bees head coach Aaron LaPoe admitted that the outcome was not what he was expecting.
"Watching film on them, we knew they had some really good athletes, that they had a dangerous passing attack," he explained. "They would beat a lot of teams on our schedule, that's for sure. They executed their short passing game really well and moved the ball on us at times (for example, an 18-play Bridgeport drive stalled on the CB 18 in the first half). But our offensive line has really gelled throughout the season, and we were able to run the ball effectively. With Corey 100% healthy at quarterback - he's essentially a fullback who can throw really well - I think we have established ourselves as a power running team who can hurt you with the deep shot, and it showed tonight.
"I can't say enough about our seniors," he continued. "They are all extraordinarily talented football players who had to step into their leadership roles very quickly. To see them stay together and accept the difficult challenge of helping this young team improve and keep the Cee-Bees program successful has been very gratifying and very fun to watch. I couldn't be prouder of them and this team."
Clovis finished with 121 yards receiving on just three catches, averaging 40.3 yards per catch.
BOX SCORE
Bridgeport 0 0 6 6-12
Clay-Battelle 20 6 8 6-40
SCORING SUMMARY
C-B-Corey Coen 3 run (Daman Coen kick)
C-B-Cody Clovis 43 pass from C. Coen (D. Coen kick)
C-B-Cody Clovis 59 pass from C. Coen (kick blocked)
C-B-C. Coen 1 run (try failed)
C-B-Caleb Snodgrass 1 run (Snodgrass run)
BHS-Colin Jones 24 pass from Aiden Kinsey (try failed)
C-B-Caleb Bragg 2 run (try failed)
BHS-Michael Shaw 22 pass from Kinsey (try failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Bridgeport- Kinsey 12-27, Isaac Benda, 10-60, Jones 1-6. Clay-Battelle-Snodgrass 14-114 TD, C. Coen 10-64 2TD, D. Coen 1-(-4), Clovis 1-0, Bragg 8-32 TD.
PASSING: Bridgeport-Kinsey 16-24 161 2TD, Jones 0-2-1 0. Clay-Battelle-C. Coen 3-8 121 2TD.
RECEIVING: Bridgeport-Jones 8-64 TD, Gavin Hartline 1-13, Reid Callarik 4-16, Coen Brinker 1-35, Ashton Smith 1-11, Shaw 1-22 TD. Clay-Battelle-Clovis 3-121 2TD.