Clarkdale falls to Hinds AHS

By By Austin Bishop / EMG regional sports director
Nov. 6, 2004
Five turnovers were too much for the homestanding Clarkdale Bulldogs to overcome on Friday night, as Hinds AHS took a 46-23 first round MHSAA Class 2A football playoff win.
Hinds turned three of those turnovers into touchdowns.
Despite falling behind early, Clarkdale fought back to cut the Hinds AHS lead to 19-10 on a 23-yard run around the left end by Jack Norton with 1:39 left in the first half.
But Hinds AHS used a big pass play to set up a 2-yard scoring run by Jamarius Jones with 30 seconds left to go up 25-10 at the half.
The visiting Bulldogs then scored the first two touchdowns of the second half to go up 39-10 and put the game away.
That they did.
While quarterback Austin Divinity got a lot of the pregame attention, he was far from the only weapon in Hinds AHS' arsenal.
Diminutive running back Marcus McDonald powered his way to 136 yards rushing, including a 68-yard scoring jaunt on his team's second offensive play of the game, on 14 carries. Divinity had 119 yards and two touchdowns on 14 attempts, while Anthony Mays rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown on just eight attempts.
In all, Hinds AHS picked up 443 rushing yards and 59 passing yards for 502 yards in total offense.
Clarkdale's Cedric Burns also had a big night running the ball, banging out 134 yards on 15 carries. Clarkdale had 281 yards rushing and 104 passing for 385 yards of total offense.
After Hinds AHS took the early 7-0 lead on McDonald's big run with 8:18 left in the first quarter, Clarkdale fumbled the ball away at midfield three plays later.
It took HAHS just four plays to score on a 2-yard run by Divinity to go up 13-0 with 6:06 left in the the first quarter.
Clarkdale drove down the field and apparently scored on a short run around the left end, but it was called back due to holding.
The Bulldogs had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Chris Sirven to cut it to 13-3 with 1:49 left in the first quarter.
The game stayed even for the next few possessions until a Hinds AHS punt was mishandled and the visitors recovered the fumble at the Clarkdale 31-yard line.
Six plays later Dave Pollard scored on a 12-yard run on fourth-and-two. The kick failed, but Hinds AHS led 19-3 with 2:59 left in the half.
Cedric Burns had a big kick return and three plays later Norton raced around the left end for the first of his two scores on the night. The kick by Sirven made it 19-10 with 1:39 left.
Hinds AHS wouldn't go away, as Divinity hit Jason Grigsby with a 41-yard pass play to set up the 2-yard scoring run by Jones to make it 25-10 at the half.
Hinds AHS got second-half touchdowns on 2-yard runs from Divinity and Jones and a 30-yard run by Mays. Clarkdale scored on a 31-yard run by Burns and a 70-yard pass play from Blake Johnson to Norton.
Hinds AHS is now 8-3 on the season.