By MONTE DUTTON

Do not worry about the Clinton Red Devils. They’re doing fine.

Do not worry that that Class 4A Daniel won, 41-33, on Friday night in front of about 3,400 at Wilder Stadium. Last year the Lions won, 37-12.

Don’t worry that the record is 2-3. Last year it was 3-2 at this point, and Clinton went on to win the Class 2A state football championship. The Red Devils play their first six games against higher-classified schools. Next week they visit 3A Union County. Then are there four Region 1-2A games to complete the regular season.

State championships are never easy. This one might be a little harder. But Clinton is a contender. The last two weeks it’s rushed for 680 yards. The schedule is doing what it is supposed to do.

Daniel (3-1) and Clinton are the pass against the run. The run amassed more yards, but the pass produced more points. Daniel’s depth caught up with the Red Devils, who once led, 27-17, in the second half.

“This was a great effort all the way around,” said Clinton head coach Corey Fountain. “It was a great crowd. This leads us into the next game and into the playoffs.

“We tell these guys to stay positive and control what they can control. We tried to do that all game long and give ourselves a chance. … We had a 10-point lead, and we’ve got to learn how to put teams away like that. … We’ve got to flip the page and move on to the next game.”

Clinton’s deep stable of runners is loosening up opposing defenses. Javen Cook has six touchdowns in the last two games. Cook – 21 carries, 156 yards – led a quartet of players with at least 33. Zy Butler added 66 yards, Angelo Cromer 46 and quarterback Owen Glenn 33.

Manny Major led Daniel with 81 yards overland. Quarterback Jace Grass completed 13/26 passes for 145 yards. The Lions passed for 145 yards and rushed for 191. The Red Devils passed for 56 (Glenn was 7/13) – and rushed for 301.

Clinton still led, 27-24, until Grass hit Trey Wimbley from 33 yards. Daniel scored three touchdowns and a field goal after Cook scored his third touchdown to give Clinton its 10-point lead.

The Red Devils played hard literally to the end. Glenn hit P.J. McGowan for a 20-yard touchdown on the game’s final play.

Clinton won time of possession by a wide margin, 28:21 to 19:39, and, for once, received fewer yards in penalty assessments, 61, to Daniel’s 85.

McGowan and Maison Tinsley each caught three passes for the Red Devils. Wimbley led the Lions with four.

“We’ve got some guys who are banged up, and we’ve got a lot of guys playing both ways,” Fountain said. “They gave great effort in this game. We had a chance to win, and a lot of people didn’t give us much of a chance.

“The schedule that we’ve played should prepare us for anything we’re going to see in the region and the playoffs.”

Clinton lost a game to a rain cancellation against Union County (1-4) last season. Chester defeated the Yellow Jackets, 55-36, last week. The Red Devils make the short ride to Union this Friday at the usual 7:30 p.m. Then the Region 1-2A schedule begins at home on Oct. 3 with Liberty visiting Wilder Stadium.

A battle of eight-man unbeatens went the other way in Batesburg, where King Academy (5-0) defeated Laurens Academy (4-1), 60-34.

The Crusaders are back on the road at Newberry Academy (0-4), which they already defeated, 30-14, the season opener. LA has won 12 straight games against the Eagles, dating back to a 50-22 victory in 2015.

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