By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
October 13, 2001
NEWTON For Clarkdale, the hope for a successful football program lies somewhere in the future.
For the Newton Tigers, that future is now.
That's not a good combination.
Newton scored seven touchdowns in the first 22 minutes en route to a 48-12 Region 5-2A victory Friday night at E.L. Morgan Field.
The win was Newton's second straight blowout as the Tigers ripped Williams-Sullivan 46-0 last week in a contest that was stopped before halftime.
Newton rolled up 361 total yards in the first half with 316 coming on just 16 rushes. Marquis Poole and Travaone Evans both had 100 yards by halftime. Poole had 150 yards and four touchdowns on six carries, while Evans had 101 yards on just three rushes.
Poole got the scoring under way with a 30-yard run up the middle with 8:20 left in the first quarter. Zack Logan kicked the first of his six successful extra points.
Clarkdale's Quinn Moffite fumbled the ensuing kickoff with Newton recovering at the Bulldog 18. Three plays later, Poole ran up the gut again for an 18-yard touchdown. Logan's PAT made it 14-0.
Evans found the end zone on a 60-yard gallop with 5:43 remaining in the first quarter.
Clarkdale drove to the Newton 26, but a fumble on fourth down and return by Keon Johnson gave the Tigers the ball at the Clarkdale 36. Evans jogged the final 22 yards as Newton led 28-0 with 1:25 still showing in the opening period.
Poole added a 57-yard scoring romp in the first 30 seconds of the second quarter.
Poole came back to get his fourth touchdown on a 28-yard burst up the middle with 6:59 left in the second quarter as Newton led 41-0.
Laderrian Blaylock got Newton's final touchdown on a 61-yard run with 2:21 to go before halftime.
With Poole, Evans, and Co. taking the rest of the night off, Clarkdale ran 23 plays to Newton's eight in the second half. The Bulldogs outgained Newton 143-5 in the second half which was played with a running clock except for timeouts.
Clarkdale put together an 11-play, 68-yard drive with Michael Matthews' 35-yard run putting the Bulldogs in the end zone with 1:16 to go in the third quarter. A two-point run failed.
Clarkdale had a 12-play scoring drive that covered 89 yards to end the game. Moffite scored from 12 yards out with a few seconds left in regulation. A two-point try failed and time ran out.
Matthews led Clarkdale with 117 yards on 14 carries with Alvin Moffite picking up 56 yards on 12 rushes.
Newton improved to 2-0 in Region 5-2A and 5-2 overall. Clarkdale fell to 0-2 and 2-5.
Newton hosts South Leake, while Clarkdale hosts Kemper County in next Friday's games.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com or call him at 693-1551, ext. 3234.