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Friday, Oct. 23, 2009

Henry Clay breezes past Tates Creek 41-6

Henry Clay clinches No. 2 spot in District

When a breezy, rain-soaked day gave way to a calm, dry evening, Henry Clay football coach Sam Simpson had to be a happy man.

His Devils have had problems playing in inclement weather this fall, but they had no trouble under Friday night's clear sky as they beat host Tates Creek 41-6.

Was Simpson glad to see the rain stop 90 minutes before kickoff?

"Sure I was," he said with a laugh.

The victory secured Henry Clay second place in the district and a first-round home playoff game in two weeks.

The No. 17-rated Devils looked like a team getting in tune for the post-season. They racked up 357 yards on offense, and their defense pitched a shutout until the closing minutes.

"I feel we were in a little lull a few weeks ago, but we're starting to pick things back up," said Simpson, whose team finishes the regular season against Paul Laurence Dunbar next week.

Junior quarterback Jerry Williams keyed Henry Clay's attack. He ran 16 times for 157 yards, and hit on seven of 11 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns — a 23-yarder to Blake Green and an 8-yarder to Branden Johnson.

"Jerry had a good game," Simpson said. "When he takes care of the ball, we can go a long way.

"Sometimes our biggest struggle is getting the ball to everybody. We've got a lot of guys who when they touch it, good things happen."

Besides Williams, that group includes Green, Johnson, Vinny Miller, Bo Brooks and Shannon Coofer.

Henry Clay's defense did its job against Tates Creek, snagging four interceptions and allowing only 139 yards through three quarters as the Devils built a 34-0 lead.

The game's turning point came in the first quarter. After Henry Clay had taken a 6-0 lead, Tates Creek drove to the Devils' 2-yard line.

But Dee Christopher's fade pass was intercepted in the end zone by Matt Cox, his fifth pick of the year.

Later in the first half, when Tates Creek trailed 13-0, it drove to the Henry Clay 7. A penalty and sack pushed the ball back to the 21.

On the last play of the half, Martrell Berry threw to Jonathan Diliberto, who appeared to make a diving catch at the goal line. But officials ruled that the ball skimmed the turf. Tates Creek Coach Mike Harmon protested to no avail.

Henry Clay delivered a knockout blow in the opening minutes of the third quarter when Cy Curnutte intercepted a pass that slipped through Diliberto's hands and returned it 14 yards for a TD.

Devils defenders Tyrell Johnson, Ryan Smith, Aaron Akidil and Weston Johnson helped to make it a long night for the Commodores. Anthony Mealy had two interceptions.

Mike Harmon saw his team miss several chances to make it a close game.

"We've got to learn to make plays when we have an opportunity," he said. "We've got to get more confidence. Our kids don't realize how good they can be."

Henry Clay seems to realize how good it can be, especially on a dry field.

"Actually, we wanted to play in the rain tonight so we could show we could do it," Williams said.

But was he sorry to see the wet weather pass by before kickoff? "Not at all," he said with a smile.

Henry Clay 6 7 14 14—41

Tates Creek 0 0 0 6—6

HC—Tyrell Johnson 2 run (kick failed). HC—Blake Green 23 pass from Jerry Williams. (A.J. Yewell kick). HC—Cy Curnutte 14 interception return (Yewell kick). HC—Branden Johnson 8 pass from Jerry Williams (Yewell kick). HC—Vinny Miller 1 run (Yewell kick). TC—Dee Christopher 6 run (pass failed). HC—Green 23 pass from Christian Todd (Yewell kick).

Records—Henry Clay 7-2; Tates Creek 4-5.