1985 Clarke Central Gladiators football team

The 1985 Clarke Central Gladiators football team represented Clarke Central High School during the 1985 GHSA Class AAAA football season. It was the school’s 16th campaign and the 13th under head coach Billy Henderson.

Clarke Central won the GHSA Class AAAA state championship by virtue of their 21-7 victory over Warner Robins in the title game. This was the third football state title for Clarke Central and the third for Billy Henderson.

The team's 15-0-0 record was the program's third undefeated season since its inception in 1970.

Game summaries and statistics

Preseason

Clarke Central lost three First Team All-State players (QB Chris Morocco, LB Barry Glenn, and L Derrick Little), future NFL player Willie Green, and ten starters on defense from the previous season's state runner-up team[1][2].

Regular season

The Gladiators completed their third 10-0 regular season in the past four years, outscoring opponents 340-80. The Gladiators, which graduated almost its entire defensive unit[3], still shut out three teams and held eleven total to single digit scores.

Game 1: at Fulton Redbirds

  • Location:
  • Date: August 30, 1985
  • Game Time:
  • Game Weather:

The newly rebuilt Clarke Central defense forced Fulton into five fumbles [4] while tight end Derek Dooley caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Robbie Kamerschen in the second quarter[5].

Top Clarke Central Performers

  • Passing:
  • Rushing:
  • Receiving:

Game 2: Tift County

Game 3: at Jeff Davis (Montgomery) (AL)

Before the game, Jeff Davis, 0-1, was ranked No. 9 in the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 6A poll[6].

Game 4: Lowndes

The No. 3 Gladiators avenged last season's 31-6 loss to Lowndes with a 29-20 victory over the No. 5 Vikings[7] in a game featuring two First-Team All-State Class AAAA quarterbacks.

Gladiator kicker John Kasay was just short on a 60-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter but connected on a 27-yarder in the second to give the Gladiators a 3-0 lead. A 35-yard touchdown pass from QB Robbie Kamerschen to Tommy Stewart extended the lead to 10-0 before halftime. Both second-quarter scores followed Viking fumbles near midfield.

Lowndes took a 14-13 lead in the third on a 10-yard pass from QB Bobby Eason to Mark Jones and then tied the game at 20 on another Eason to Jones pass, this time for 25 yards, with 4:28 left in the fourth. Joey Parker missed the extra point for the go ahead score.

Late in the fourth Jimmy Gay picked up another Viking fumble and returned it 17 yards and Kenneth Brown punched in a touchdown from the 3-yard line with 39 seconds left. Kasay kicked the extra point and Clarke Central added a safety on the ensuing kickoff to complete the scoring.

Eason completed 21 of 33 passes for 274 yards[8].

Game 5: Newton

Game 6: at Cedar Shoals

Due to the opening of their own 5,000-seat stadium, Cedar Shoals played Clarke Central in the first game in the series not held in Clarke Central's Death Valley stadium[9].

Game 7: at Norcross

Game 8: at Parkview

Parkview, riding a six-game winning streak, jumped to an early lead in the first quarter but then fell apart as Clarke Central scored six straight touchdowns to roll over the Panthers, 42-6.

On the game's first series, the Panthers kept Clarke Central deep in their own territory to force a punt. As Adrian Jarrell prepared to kick the ball, Parkview's Mark Thomas stripped the ball out of his hands. Six plays later, Matt Justice plunged into the end zone from a yard out, giving the Panthers an early 6-0 lead.

The Gladiators came back with a three-yard touchdown by Kenneth Brown to go ahead 7-6 at the end of the first quarter and then broke the game open with 21 points in the second quarter. Fullback David Perno charged through the Parkview defense for a 30-yard touchdown, quarterback Robbie Kamerschen threw a 5-yard scoring pass to Tommy Stewart, and on Parkview's next drive Roger Copeland intercepted a Vince Massey pass and ran 45 yards for a touchdown.

After stopping Parkview cold on the first series of the second half, Kamerschen threw a 51-yard pass to Carl Platt to set up Brown's second touchdown, a 2-yard run. Later in the third, Richard Jewel scored from 3 yards out before the Gladiators sent in their second string to finish up[10].

Game 9: Berkmar

Game 10: Johnson (Gainesville)

Playoffs

GHSA Region 8-AAAA semifinals: Central Gwinnett

GHSA Region 8-AAAA championship: Brookwood

Clarke Central won it's fourth straight region title, and it's sixth in the last eight years, with a 28-13 victory over the Brookwood Broncos.

Brookwood scored first when quarterback Jeff Finch broke free for a 79-yard TD run at 10:26 of the first period, but Clarke Central countered with a a 2-yard run by Kenneth Brown to tie with 4:34 left in the period. On the final play of the first quarter, Gladiators quarterback Robbie Kamerschen threw a 50-yard scoring pass to tailback Richard Jewel.

After a scoreless second period, Jewel scored on a 49-yard run at 10:55 of the third. The Broncos then drove from their 15 to the Clarke 4 in 17 plays, but the Gladiator defense stiffened and stopped them on downs. However Brookwood's Scott Stewart claimed a Gladiator fumble moments later on the 8, from where Steve Erickson ran it in for a score to make it 21-13.

But shortly afterward Brown broke away for a 47-yard score that made it 27-13. John Kasay's fourth extra-point kick made it 28-13.

Brookwood used 12 plays to move deep into Clarke territory again, but Machon Smith intercepted Finch to stop the drive.[11]

Jewel carried 12 time for 112 yards and a touchdown and caught a pass for another touchdown while Brown rushed ten times for 92 yards and two touchdowns[12].

GHSA Class AAAA quarterfinals: Douglas County

After exchanging fumbles deep in Douglas County territory, Gladiator quarterback Robbie Kamerschen found Derek Dooley all alone in the endzone for a 32 yard score and a 6-0 lead[13] after a bad snap marred the conversion attempt with 3:41 left in the first[14].

Early in the second, Douglas County recovered a David Perno fumble at Clarke Central's 43 and marched ten plays to fourth-and-goal on the Gladiator 2 behind eventual First Team All-State tailback Stacey Danley and fullback Thomas Sosby. Tiger coach Jimmy Johnson opted to run Danley wide right on the sweep, but Clarke Central's Roger Copeland and Clint Bennett caught Danley at the one to end the threat. A 37-yard field goal attempt by John Kasay at the close of the half went wide to the right[15].

Rather than retreat to the locker rooms, a frustrated Billy Henderson kept the team behind the south goal posts in the driving rainstorm at halftime and opened the third quarter with a no-nonsense double-tight end offense. The Gladiators responded by moving 68 yards in 11 plays - all on the ground behind tight ends Derek Dooley and Pat Hodgson - to score its second touchdown on a 2-yard run by Kenneth Brown with 4:45 left in the quarter[16]. The try for two-point conversion bogged down in the mud[17].

Late in the fourth Clarke Central tried a quick quick on third down. It was blocked but the Gladiators recovered on their own 4-yard line. Rather than risk another block, punter Adrian Jarrell stepped out of the end zone to give Douglas County a safety with 3:27 left in the game[18]. Although the Tigers marched from their own 27 to the Gladiator 25, a fourth down pass by quarterback Kevin Hilton was intercepted in the end zone by Machon Sims[19].

In total Douglas County fumbled eight times and lost two[20] while Clarke Central fumbled six times and losing three in a contest plagued by rain[21].

Statistics[22] Clarke Central Douglas County
First downs 11 11
Rushing 146 131
Passing 59 61
Pass attempts 4 12
Completions 2 5
Interceptions 0 2
Fumbles / lost 5 / 3 8 / 2
Penalties / yards 6 / 70 5 / 32
Punts / average 3 / 39.0 6 / 21.5
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Clarke Central 6 0 6 0 12
Douglas County 0 0 0 2 2
Team Play
Clarke Central Derek Dooley 32 pass from Robbie Kamerschen, kick failed
Clarke Central Kenneth Brown 2 run, run failed
Douglas County Safety, Clarke punter Adrian Jarrell stepped out of end zone

GHSA Class AAAA semifinals: LaGrange

Clarke Central won the Class AAAA North Georgia championship with a 13-7 win over LaGrange to advance to the GHSA Class AAAA state championship game.

On the first drive of the game at Callaway Stadium, Gladiator QB Robbie Kamerschen led the Gladiators 84 yards for a touchdown with 5:20 left in the first. Kamerschen was 5-for-5 on the drive including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Stewart. Later John Kasay followed with a 38-yard field goal on a drive that ate up the latter part of the second quarter to give Clarke Central a 10-0 halftime lead.

Midway through the third quarter with fourth-and-goal from the six, Granger QB DeChane Cameron completed a pass to First Team All-State player Tim Wilkerson, but Wilkerson was tackled at the two to turn the ball over to Clarke Central on downs.

The Gladiators followed with Kasay's second field goal, a 22-yarder, to make the score 13-0 with 11:58 remaining.

The Grangers then put together a complete drive, consisting entirely of rushing plays, culminating with a 10-yard touchdown run by Roy Lee Moss with 8:41 left. Julan Blackmon kicked the extra point for a 13-7 score.

LaGrange also got the ball back on their own 42 with 6:13 left, but stalled again at the 32. On a another fourth-and-six play, a sprint-out with the option to run or pass, Cameron's pass was broken up. Clarke Central took over with 2:44 left and ran out the clock[23].

Robbie Kamerschen finished 11-of-18 for 118 yards with a passing touchdown [24] while surrendering his only interception of the season to LaGrange defensive back Kenzil Jackson[25].

Roger Copeland (6-1, 170-pound Sr DB) intercepted a pass and made key tackles that stopped two LaGrange drives as Clarke Central defeated the Grangers 13-7[26].

GHSA Class AAAA championship game: Warner Robins

Clarke Central topped Warner Robins 21-7 for the GHSA Class AAAA state title. Along with Central's game against Lowndes earlier in the season, it was the second game of the season featuring five eventual First Team All-State players, including Warner Robin's 6-foot-4, 230-pound end Richy Popkin and defensive back Ben Smith (5-11, 175). Richard Jewel for the Gladiators and Dominko Anderson (6-1, 185) for the Demons would both be All-State honorable mentions.

Although the game was statistically close, Clarke Central recovered three Warner Robins fumbles, turning the first two into a pair of field goals (31 and 41 yards) by John Kasay, who also put four of five kickoffs deep into the end zone to help keep the Warner Robins offense bottled. Additionally both Gladiator touchdowns were big plays, the first a 53-yard pass from Robbie Kamerschen to Tommy Stewart on the Gladiators' first possession of the second quarter and the second a 54-yard run by tailback Richard Jewel on Clarke's first possession of the third period.

In comparison, the Gladiators committed only one turnover, a fumble at their own 42 late in the second quarter. After recovering, the Demons moved to a first down on the 4-yard line, but the Clarke Central defense held on three straight running plays inside the 2 and took over on downs, preserving a 13-7 halftime lead.

Kamerschen and Jewel accounted for the majority of Clarke's 291 yards total offense, as the senior quarterback completed four of eight passes for 122 yards while the senior tailback rushed 14 times for 108 yards.

Warner Robins, which totaled 245 yards offense and led 14-13 in first downs, got 101 rushing yards on 16 carries from junior Jeff Thompson. But 98 of those came in the first half. Warner Robins totaled just 53 yards and two first downs after intermission.

The victory brought head coach Billy Henderson his third state title in ten years and a 10-year record of 115-15-0. Warner Robins' Robert Davis finished the same period with two state titles and a record of 115-13-1 while Valdosta's Nick Hyder had three titles and a mark of 115-15-1[27].

Personnel

Coaching staff

Roster

  • Robbie Kamerschen, QB, 6'1", 185 lbs, Sr
  • Richard Jewel, TB, 5'7", 150 lbs, Sr
  • Kenny Brown, TB, 5'11", 180 lbs, So
  • Derek Dooley, TE, 6'1", 185 lbs, Sr (son of Georgia coach Vince Dooley)

Season statistics

QB Robbie Kamerschen threw only one interception all season[28].

Awards and honors

Billy Henderson was recognized as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Class AAAA Coach of the Year[29].

References

  1. ↑ Smith, Tim. "Clarke Central can avenge '84 loss to Lowndes." The Atlanta Journal, September 17, 1985, p. SPORTS E/6
  2. ↑ Figueroa, Steve. "Record-setting year for four honorees." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, December 22, 1985, p. SPORTS B/17
  3. ↑ Figueroa, Steve. "Clarke Central new No. 1." The Atlanta Constitution, November 12, 1985, p. SPORTS C/6
  4. ↑ Smith, Tim. "Clarke Central can avenge '84 loss to Lowndes." The Atlanta Journal, September 17, 1985, p. SPORTS E/6
  5. ↑ Smith, Tim. "This Dooley doesn't mind a few passes." September 3, 1985, The Atlanta Constitution, p. SPORTS D/8
  6. ↑ "Johnson still No. 2 in poll." Huntsville Times, September 11, 1985 p. 47
  7. ↑ Smith, Tim. "Clarke Central can avenge '84 loss to Lowndes." The Atlanta Journal, September 17, 1985, p. SPORTS E/6
  8. ↑ "Clarke Central edges Lowndes 29-20." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, September 22, 1985, p. SPORTS C/35
  9. ↑ Smith, Tim. "Cedar Shoals plays Clarke at new home; First clash for Athens rivals in new facility." The Atlanta Constitution, October 3, 1985, p. SPORTS D/10
  10. ↑ Blount, Rachel. "No. 2 Clarke Central pummels quick-starting Parkview 42-6." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, October 26, 1985, p. SPORTS D/4
  11. ↑ "Clarke gets late scores, wins region." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 23, 1985, p. SPORTS D/4
  12. ↑ "High school football Honor Roll." The Atlanta Constitution, November 26, 1985, p. SPORTS C/4
  13. ↑ Lasky, Steve. "Clarke Central wears down stubborn Douglas Co. 12-2." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 30, 1985, p. SPORTS D/4
  14. ↑ Bolan, Patrick. "Clarke Central downs DC." Marietta Journal, November 30, 1985, p. 17
  15. ↑ Bolan, Patrick. "Clarke Central downs DC." Marietta Journal, November 30, 1985, p. 17
  16. ↑ Bolan, Patrick. "Clarke Central downs DC." Marietta Journal, November 30, 1985, p. 17
  17. ↑ Lasky, Steve. "Clarke Central wears down stubborn Douglas Co. 12-2." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 30, 1985, p. SPORTS D/4
  18. ↑ Bolan, Patrick. "Clarke Central downs DC." Marietta Journal, November 30, 1985, p. 17
  19. ↑ Bolan, Patrick. "Clarke Central downs DC." Marietta Journal, November 30, 1985, p. 17
  20. ↑ Lasky, Steve. "Clarke Central wears down stubborn Douglas Co. 12-2." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, November 30, 1985, p. SPORTS D/4
  21. ↑ Bolan, Patrick. "Clarke Central downs DC." Marietta Journal, November 30, 1985, p. 17
  22. ↑ Bolan, Patrick. "Clarke Central downs DC." Marietta Journal, November 30, 1985, p. 17
  23. ↑ Rosen, Karen. "Clarke Central unveils passes, tops LaGrange." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, December 7, 1985, p. SPORTS D/1
  24. ↑ "High School Football Honor Roll, Top Playoff Performances." The Atlanta Constitution, December 10, 1985, p. SPORTS F/6
  25. ↑ Rosen, Karen. "Clarke Central unveils passes, tops LaGrange." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, December 7, 1985, p. SPORTS D/1
  26. ↑ "High School Football Honor Roll, Top Playoff Performances." The Atlanta Constitution, December 10, 1985, p. SPORTS F/6
  27. ↑ Figueroa, Steve. "Big plays Clarke Central key in win over Warner Robins." The Atlanta Constitution, December 16, 1985, p. SPORTS C/8
  28. ↑ Smith, Tim. "State high school football titles on the line Saturday." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, December 14, 1985, p. SPORTS D/3
  29. ↑ Figueroa, Steve. "Record-setting year for four honorees." The Atlanta Journal Constitution, December 22, 1985, p. SPORTS B/17
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