The Clinch County Panthers won their sixth state football championship on Friday, Dec. 11, at the Georgia Dome by defeating the region rival Irwin County Indians 24-7. The Panthers finished the season 13-1; their one loss came on Sept. 18 against Irwin County in Ocilla.
The two schools, which are 56 miles apart via Highways 90 and 441, made the long trip up I-75 to Atlanta to see which team was the best in Georgia’s Class A Public classification. Irwin, the Region 2-A champion and playing in its second-straight state title game, fought valiantly against Clinch. The Panthers, however, were just too big and too fast for the Indians.
Operating out of an archaic single-wing offense, the Panthers steamrolled Irwin all afternoon long. They kept the ball on the ground, controlled the clock, and made timely plays on defense to frustrate the region champs. Clinch struck first when South Georgia’s top-ranked player, defensive lineman Chuancey Manac, blocked an Irwin punt early in the first quarter. Clinch recovered on the Irwin 29 and moved steadily toward the end zone. Shannon Young capped the drive with a one-yard run for a touchdown. Clinch’s two-point conversion was unsuccessful. However, with 7:12 left in the first quarter, the Panthers were up 6-0.
Irwin responded two possessions later when Ziaire Andrews broke loose and ran 93 yards for an Indians touchdown. The point-after sailed through the uprights and with just seconds left in the first period, Irwin had taken a 7-6 lead.
The Panthers answered with another Shannon Young touchdown, this time from two yards out. After another unsuccessful two-point conversion attempt. Clinch had a 12-7 lead. On Irwin’s next possession, the Indians pushed the Panthers back and had a first and goal situation. Twice the Clinch defense held the Indians. On third and goal, quarterback Zach Tolar attempted to throw to tight end Cully Jones, who was wide open in the end zone. Clinch defensive back Jervonta Johnson read the play and jumped in front of Tolar’s pass before it crossed the goal line. It was his fifth interception of the year and it set up a long and methodical drive that wiped out the second quarter but yielded no Clinch County points. At the half, the Panthers led 12-7.
Clinch opened the third quarter with a 68-yard drive that ended when freshman sensation Trezman Marshall scampered five yards into the end zone. Another two-point conversion came up short; however, the Panthers had what was becoming a very comfortable 18-7 advantage.
Clinch added another touchdown with 7:41 left in the fourth quarter when quarterback Charles McClelland ran 36 yards for a score. For the fourth time in the game, Clinch went for two. And for the fourth time in the game, the attempt didn’t work. Still, Clinch led 24-7. Irwin and Clinch would both turn the ball over on downs on their ensuing possessions. Finally, with time running down, Irwin began moving the ball again and made it inside the red zone one more time. The Panther defense simply proved to be too much for the Irwin offense. The Indians turned it over on downs and Clinch took over with 46 seconds left. The Panthers ran out the clock and claimed the program’s sixth state title and the third of Jim Dickerson’s head coaching career.
“I’d like to congratulate the Irwin County Indians. They had a great year and I think we both represented Region 2 well today. I want to thank all the people who made the long ride up here. We love you and thank you for giving us this opportunity. There are gonna be a lot of smiles in little places like Fargo, Cogdell, Pea Ridge, and Homerville today! We’re gonna celebrate this one!” exclaimed Coach Dickerson following the game.
Special Feature/South Georgia/January 2016
Clinch Overpowers Irwin for Class A Public State Title
Robert Preston Jr.
Photography by Sheena Hill, the Clinch County News, and Cady Studios
