By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Oct. 16, 2004
Even a rare turnover can hurt, as Clarkdale learned on Friday against Philadelphia.
After two straight wins in which the Bulldogs committed no turnovers, a Clarkdale fumble early in the third quarter helped spur the Tornadoes to a 35-17 win after a competitive first half.
The Bulldogs' fateful fumble, which came in the first minute of the third quarter, began a Philadelphia drive that ended with Talmer Burnside's 22-yard touchdown run. That score nullified Clarkdale's halftime lead and put Philadelphia on top 21-17. The Tornadoes never trailed again.
That stacked formation helped Clarkdale (2-5) play to its strengths in the first half, as the Bulldogs opened up holes with misdirection plays against Philadelphia's daunting defense, which far outweighed Clarkdale's offense.
The Bulldogs used running plays almost entirely, including Chris Skinner's one-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter for a 7-0 Clarkdale lead.
But Tornadoes quarterback Porter Jordan answered for Philadelphia (7-1) less than a minute later with an eight-yard touchdown run, and the two-point conversion that followed gave the Rockets an 8-7 advantage.
Clarkdale regained the lead less than a minute into the second quarter on Kevin McKissack's 27-yard field goal, but Philadelphia went in front again on a long touchdown pass from Jordan to Jeremy Holmes for a 14-10 Tornadoes lead.
Clarkdale continued its devotion to the running game, which paid off 16 seconds before halftime on a five-yard touchdown run by Chris Sirven.
But Sirven's touchdown was the last score of the game for Clarkdale. The Tornadoes went ahead shortly after the second half began on Burnside's touchdown run, and two more second-half touchdowns including another by Jordan gave Philadelphia a commanding 35-17 lead.
The Tornadoes put the last nail in Clarkdale's coffin with Corie McCallum's interception late in the fourth quarter.
Despite the loss, Gartman was pleased with a handful of bright spots. The Bulldogs moved the ball in the first half against a much bigger, stronger opponent, and Clarkdale held a halftime lead for just the second time all season.