Saints demolish Patriots

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JOHNSTON – Clarendon Hall defeated Wardlaw Academy 72-28 Friday night. The Saints bounced back from last week’s loss to beat region rival Wardlaw and improve to 3-1 in conference play. The Patriots drove right down the field to score on their opening drive, but the Saints responded with a score of their own with an eight-yard TOUCHDOWN run by Dustin Way to cut the lead to 8-6. After a Patriot fumble, the Saints then drove to the 5 yard line before a fumbled snap gave the ball right back. Two plays later, Wardlaw scored on a 93-yard TOUCHDOWN run to take an early 16-6 lead. Early in the second quarter, the Saints scored again, this time on a two-yard Daniel Pappas run to cut the lead to 16-14. Again, the Patriots looked to be in control, moving to the Saints’ 11 yard line, but their second fumble of the game proved costly. Matthew Corbett picked up the loose ball at the 14 and rambled 86 yards for the score to put the Saints up 22-16. Wardlaw came right back to tie the score 22-22 on a 17-yard TOUCHDOWN pass. But with 1:37 to go in the half, the Saints gained the momentum. A Gavin Allan three-yard TOUCHDOWN run gave the Saints a lead they would not give back. After the defense held the Patriots to 3-and-out, the Saints’ Trey Thomas blocked the punt which was returned by Mac Davis to the Wardlaw 41. Three plays later, Way hit Allan for a 26-yard TOUCHDOWN pass and the Saints led 36-22 at the half. Clarendon Hall opened the second half with a 65-yard touchdown run by Allan on the first play. The Patriots responded with long TOUCHDOWN run and the score was then 42-28. But from there, it was all Saints. Way scored on the next drive, then Corbett intercepted a Patriot pass at the 15 and returned it 85 yards for a pick six and the Saints led 56-28. Early in the fourth, the Saints scored again on an Allan run. Then after a Davis fumble recovery, Cody Armstrong, breaking multiple tackles, turned a short run up the middle into a 66-yard touchdown run to make the final score 72-28. The Saints totaled 481 yards rushing and 543 total yards for the game, scoring on every drive except one. Dustin Way rushed 21 times for 168 yards, two touchdowns, and two two-point conversions. He also went 2-7, passing for 55 yards and a TOUCHDOWN. Gavin Allan rushed nine times for 143 yards and three touchdowns. He added a two-point conversion run and passed for another. He went 2-2 passing for seven yards. Daniel Pappas added 53 yards and a TOUCHDOWN on nine carries. Cody Armstrong had 97 yards rushing and a TOUCHDOWN on four carries. On defense, the Saints were led by Cody Armstrong with 13 tackles, Trey Thomas with 12, Mac Davis with 11 and Daniel Pappas with 10. Matthew Corbett had both a fumble return – 86 yards – and an interception return – 85 yards – for touchdowns. He also recovered another fumble as did Mac Davis. Thomas had a blocked punt, a forced fumble, and three quarterback pressures.