Oct 19, 2018 4 min read

CLAYSVILLE – After his team gave up 46 points last week in a loss to Charleroi, McGuffey coach Ed Dalton was hopeful the Highlanders’ defense would fare better at home against an equally explosive Avonworth squad.

Although they gave up another 40-plus points Friday night, the defense made enough plays and they were supported by an offense that simply went ballistic in a 57-42 shootout victory in a nonconference game.

The win sets McGuffey (8-1, 5-1) up for a showdown at Washington next week for the Interstate Conference crown.

McGuffey showed their championship mettle early in the third quarter with the hosts down 11 points to start the half when Christian Clutter scored his second touchdown in the game with a 12-yard sweep. The two-point run attempt failed, leaving the Highlanders’ deficit at 28-23. Brendan Crowe’s 54-yard run on the drive’s first play set up the score.

Clutter finished with 194 yards rushing on 16 carries. He also scored six touchdowns. McGuffey’s powerful ground game churned out 427 yards as the Highlanders finished with 519 total yards at nearly 10 yards per play.

“He’s awesome, just awesome,” Dalton noted. “The schools that need to recruit him, like a Robert Morris, are just starting to now. It’s good to see.”

Quarterback Marshall Whipkey chipped in with 90 yards on the ground and kept the chains moving all evening.

Avonworth (7-2, 4-2), as they did much of the night, responded as they found the end zone for the fifth time in as many possessions. Jax Miller garnered his fourth rushing touchdown, this one from two yards, extending the Antelope’s lead to 35-23 midway through the third.

Miller finished with 150 yards rushing on 19 carries. He too finished the evening with six scores.

But the Highlanders refused to quit and moved to within 35-30 when Clutter snuck into the end zone from the one.

McGuffey’s defense made a big play late in the third when Bryton Johnson sacked Derek Johncour (17 of 28 for 224 yards) causing a fumble that Aidan Brookman recovered at the Antelopes’ 37. Clutter then swept into the end zone from five yards out as the Highlanders moved in front at 36-35 early in the fourth.

If the Highlanders’ defense enjoyed making a stop once, they were absolutely ecstatic when they came up with another game-changing play on Avonworth’s next possession. Dalton McCuen intercepted Johncour and returned the ball to the Antelopes’ 23.

“That was film study from earlier in the week,” Dalton said. “He read screen and dropped back and made the play. Just awesome.”

McCuen agreed with his coach on the inner workings of the biggest play of the game.

“We worked on that all week,” McCuen added. “Whenever he dropped back and squared up, I just knew it was going to be a screen and I had to make the play.”

Brendan Crowe made this turnover count as well when he scored from five yards. Crowe also contributed on the two-point play when he gathered in Clutter’s halfback pass, extending the Highlanders’ advantage to 44-35.

Avonworth stabilized on its next possession with two fourth-down conversions. Miller capped the drive with an eight-yard scoring run, cutting the McGuffey lead to 44-42 with 7:45 left.

Seeing Miller score again clearly inspired Clutter to do the same. On the next play from scrimmage, Clutter went 80 yards untouched, giving the hosts an incredible 51-42 lead.

After forcing a turnover on downs, McGuffey closed out the scoring courtesy of Clutter’s second six-yard run.

The Antelopes offense was in high gear from the opening kickoff. Driving 54 yards in eight plays, Avonworth scored first when Miller caught a swing pass on third-and-19 from Johncour and rumbled 35 yards for the game’s initial touchdown. Jason Novesel’s kick was true and the first half scoring frenzy was on.

McGuffey countered on their initial possession as the Highlanders methodically moved 65 yards to knot the score at seven. Clutter climaxed the march with a slick six yard run on fourth-and-three. John O’Connell booted home the extra point to tie the ballgame at seven.

Avonworth appeared to have gained control of the contest with back to back scoring drives that bridged the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second with two Miller touchdown runs of seven and 12 yards.

Undaunted, McGuffey pulled to within seven on their next drive. Marshall Whipkey uncorked a 37 yard completion to CJ Cole to the Antelopes 32. McKinley Whipkey scored on the next play with a 32 yard rumble up the middle.

Miller again struck gold for Avonworth. His 41 yard weaving run through the Highlanders made it 28-14 late in the second.

McGuffey drove to the Antelopes 10 on their final first half possession where on fourth down, O’Connell booted home a 27 yard field goal to end the half.