WHAT WE SAW: Hoover, Clover Erase Halftime Deficit to Defeat York

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>YORK </strong>| The 2022 edition of the York - Clover rivalry was a story of two halves. York won the first half but it was Clover who won the second half, overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the Cougars, 28-24 on Friday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>York wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as <strong>Javarus Gutherie </strong>took the opening kickoff back 85 yards for a touchdown to take a 7-0 lead, just 13 seconds into the ball game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>York cashed in on a <strong>Jonathan Tobias </strong>interception as <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='208367' first='Ayden' last='Davis'] </strong>connected with <strong>Michael McConnell </strong>on a designed rollout where McConnell ran the route fully and sprinted into the end zone to make it 14-0 with 4:33 to play in the opening quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clover QB <strong>Jaylon Hoover</strong> would get the Blue Eagles back in it with a 1-yard keeper for a touchdown to cut York's lead to 14-7 with 1:37 to play in the first.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I didn't feel any pressure because I knew at the end of the day what our team is made of and what we've been working for. We knew we were going to have to fight,” Hoover said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The fireworks started in the second quarter as Clover's <strong>Peyton Root </strong>scored on a 1-yard TD run thanks to a 29-yard run from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1012627' first='Landon' last='Stone'] </strong>to tie the game at 14. York answered almost immediately with a 70-yard TD on the QB keeper from <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='208367' first='Ayden' last='Davis'] </strong>right up the middle to re-take the lead at 21-14 with 9:48 to play before the half. <strong>Zane Beardsly </strong>connected on a 30-yard field goal to make it 24-14 at the half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Our kids fought back. That's why I'm so proud of them. We've been in every game that we've played and now our guys are learning to overcome those things and win in the fourth quarter so I'm very proud of my group,” Clover coach Brian Lane said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Where the game changed</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clover received the ball to begin the second half – and their plan was to continue to run the ball inside. They used a stable of running backs with <strong>DeMarco Evans </strong>and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='202768' first='Ron' last='Johnson'] </strong>on swing passes as well. The Blue Eagles received the ball and put together a 10 play, 52-yard drive, culminating with an Evans touchdown to cut York's lead to 24-21 with 6:59 to play in the third quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From there, the pressure was on the Cougars and they wanted to continue to run Davis on the quarterback power but Clover's defensive line started to get penetration into the backfield, like when <strong>Omari Davis </strong>made a TFL in the backfield.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>York was shut out offensively in the second half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“In the second half, they kept somebody on (Davis). We kept trying to push the envelope. We kept trying to stay with the run and hopeful we'll break another one but we just never could. And we played behind the chains. In a game like this, you can't play behind the chains. You've got to win first downs and you can't play behind the chains and we kept doing that,” York coach Dean Boyd said.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clover's <strong>Harley Lail </strong>recovered a York fumble with 7:41 to play in the contest before Evans scored the game winning 12-yard touchdown run as the defense held off York one more time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Clover standouts</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>River Joye, </strong>who was a former quarterback, made the switch to wide receiver and he was a nice slot option who made plays in the quick passing game.</li><li><strong>Cooper Zohner </strong>was in the backfield on the quarterback keepers throughout the evening and one toss play in particular right before the half.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>York standouts</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><li><strong>Bryson Steele's </strong>timing on a pass breakup on a quick throw was excellent on 3rd down in the second quarter and he nearly had an interception on a 4th down that may have been a pick six.</li><li><strong>Javarus Gutherie </strong>made an incredible 31-yard reception on 3rd and 16 in the second quarter, beating some outstanding one-on-one coverage.</li></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->