A few passing clouds. Low 54F. Winds light and variable..
A few passing clouds. Low 54F. Winds light and variable.
Clarke County quarterback Matthew Sipe pulls away from Skyline's Caden Thome (12), Garrett Mohr (52) and Cole Britton (right) during his 29-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter on Thursday. Sipe also threw for a touchdown in the Eagles' 27-16 victory.
Clarke County's Kyler Darlington (22) celebrates with teammate Carson Chinn after going 51 yards for a touchdown during the second quarter of Thursday's clash against Skyline. Darlington had two touchdowns in the Eagles' 27-16 win.
Clarke County's Kyler McKenzie brings down Skyline quarterback Aidan Vaught during the Eagles' 27-16 win on Thursday.
Clarke County's Sam Goode (4) celebrates with teammates including Matthew Tapscott (59) after returning a fumble on the opening kickoff for a touchdown during the Eagles' 27-16 win over Skyline.
Clarke County quarterback Matthew Sipe pulls away from Skyline's Caden Thome (12), Garrett Mohr (52) and Cole Britton (right) during his 29-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter on Thursday. Sipe also threw for a touchdown in the Eagles' 27-16 victory.
Clarke County quarterback Matthew Sipe pulls away from Skyline's Caden Thome (12), Garrett Mohr (52) and Cole Britton (right) during his 29-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter on Thursday. Sipe also threw for a touchdown in the Eagles' 27-16 victory.
Clarke County's Kyler Darlington (22) celebrates with teammate Carson Chinn after going 51 yards for a touchdown during the second quarter of Thursday's clash against Skyline. Darlington had two touchdowns in the Eagles' 27-16 win.
Clarke County's Kyler McKenzie brings down Skyline quarterback Aidan Vaught during the Eagles' 27-16 win on Thursday.
Clarke County's Sam Goode (4) celebrates with teammates including Matthew Tapscott (59) after returning a fumble on the opening kickoff for a touchdown during the Eagles' 27-16 win over Skyline.
Clarke County quarterback Matthew Sipe pulls away from Skyline's Caden Thome (12), Garrett Mohr (52) and Cole Britton (right) during his 29-yard touchdown run at the end of the first quarter on Thursday. Sipe also threw for a touchdown in the Eagles' 27-16 victory.
BERRYVILLE — At 5-foot-10, 175 pounds, Clarke County quarterback Matthew Sipe isn’t the typical size for a bruising runner.
But Sipe, a three year-starter, has made a career habit of running over defenders and on Thursday against Skyline, the senior may have turned in the best highlight of his career.
Sipe’s twisting, turning, tackle-breaking 29-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter gave the Eagles the lead for good and changed the momentum in a 27-16 triumph against the Hawks at Wilbur M. Feltner Stadium.
On an evening where ball carriers on both sides suffered many bone-jarring hits, Sipe delivered his dose of punishment after the Eagles had fallen behind 8-7.
“He’s one of those guys that’s sneaky,” Clarke County coach Casey Childs said of Sipe, who also tossed a 51-yard TD pass to Kyler Darlington on a screen. “He has great feet. He doesn’t go down on first contact. He’s got a lot of wiggle to him and he’s a good complement for us. You have Kyler who is that hammer for us and you have Matthew who can make guys miss in space.”
The Eagles, who weathered a long touchdown run and a 100-yard kickoff return by Aidan Vaught, got off to a fantastic start.
On the opening kickoff, Skyline’s Tyson Funk fumbled and the ball bounced right into the hands of the Eagles’ Sam Goode. The sophomore rumbled up the left sidelines for a 30-yard return. Chris LeBlanc’s extra point gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead after just 17 seconds.
“It didn’t even feel real,” said Goode. “I just took it and picked it up after Will [Booker] stripped it and I got excited and took it in.”
But for the second straight game, Clarke County’s defense struggled in the opening series as Skyline tore off huge chunks of yardage. The Hawks went 80 yards on just four plays, with Vaught rolling around the right end for a 38-yard score. On the PAT, holder Funk tossed a conversion pass to Zadin Jenkins to give Skyline an 8-7 lead.
“Here’s the thing that got me, we lined up wrong a couple of times,” said Childs, who let his defense know how disappointed he was after the first series. “We weren’t getting set and ready to play. It wasn’t anything we weren’t ready for. There was probably a little bit of youth involved in that.”
The score stayed that way until the Eagles benefited from another special teams miscue and Sipe’s miraculous run.
On fourth-and-6 from the Skyline 30, Hawks punter Jenkins got a low snap and attempted to run for the first down. Darlington stopped him three yards short.
Three plays later, the Eagles faced fourth-and-6 from the 29. Sipe took the snap and rolled left, but finding no one open he tucked the ball and took off. At least six different Skyline players had a shot at him as he spun and crashed into the would-be tacklers. Finally, he broke loose and raced down the left sidelines for the score with 42 seconds left in the quarter.
“Their corners had us locked up pretty well,” said Sipe. “Maybe I could have slipped it in, but I decided to take a chance and run the ball. That was my best option.
“I ran the ball and tried a little spin move and they kind of knocked off me. I saw an open lane and took it.”
Darlington said the momentum shift was huge.
“Of course man, it was a fourth-down play,” he said. “It was a fourth-down conversion for a touchdown. He broke two tackles and he spun away from a guy and just ran it in. It was a great run. That’s just what he does.”
It’s was Darlington’s turn on the Eagles’ next possession. Bottled up by the Hawks’ defensive line early, Darlington took the screen pass up the middle and was gone. He split two defensive backs downfield and waltzed into the end zone from 51 yards out.
“It was a screen pass and they didn’t see it coming because we pound the run game,” Darlington said. “… I slipped in and caught the pass right up the middle. A corner and a safety converged on me and I kind of ran through it. They missed my feet and I was gone.”
For the second consecutive week, the Eagles defense was able to hold their opponent after the initial drive. On Thursday, that was a monumental task given the elusiveness of Vaught and the strength of the Hawks’ line.
After their first series, the Hawks’ offense was never able to crack the Eagles’ 40 for the rest of the game. In the second half, Skyline had just two first downs.
“We were just more aggressive than they were,” Goode said.
The Eagles’ defensive prowess enabled Childs to make a big decision in the final quarter that paid off.
Taking control after a one-yard punt at the Hawks’ 39 with 10:19 to go, Clarke County put together its most sustained drive of the night, while chewing up the clock.
Darlington rushed for 34 of the 36 yards on seven carries, but the Eagles faced a fourth-and-3 with 4:53 left.
At that point, Childs decided against going for a field goal and Darlington delivered. The reigning Bull Run Offensive Player of the Year took the snap, faked right and cut back left for a score that made it 27-8 with 4:49 to go.
“I’d rather have them have to drive 98 yards, so that’s why we went for it,” said Childs, who was wary the special teams miscue could make it a one-score game. “Our kids did a pretty good job blocking up front and Kyler went in basically untouched.
“That last drive when we scored, that was textbook Clarke County football,” Childs added. “Taking the ball and scoring with five minutes to go, that was really good. We were getting first downs and really chewing it up, chewing it up.”
Vaught, who scored the game-winning TD in a 21-20 win over James Wood, wouldn’t let the Eagles rest easy. He caught LeBlanc’s booming kickoff with one foot in the end zone and one out, burst through a hole in the middle and then cut to the right sidelines for a 100-yard kickoff return. His two-point conversion run made it 27-16 with 4:33 left.
“He’s a player, man,” Childs said of Vaught, who rushed for 144 yards on 22 carries. “We can’t kick to him and we kicked to him.”
Tanner Sipe recovered the ensuing onside kick and the Eagles ran out the final 4:31.
Matthew Sipe had 13 carries for 67 yards and was 5 of 5 for 78 yards passing. Darlington finished with 23 carries for 62 yards.
Linebackers Carson Chinn and Darlington, along with defensive end Kyler McKenzie and defensive back Booker paced the Eagles’ defense. Wilson Taylor picked off a pass.
Childs was pleased with his young offensive and defensive lines. “Skyline is really good up front,” he said. “Our kids did a good enough job with those guys. We were able to make enough plays on both sides of the ball.”
The Eagles open Bull Run District play next week at Central, whose only league loss last year came against Clarke County. Skyline hosts Handley next Friday.
“I think this gives us a lot of confidence going into our first district game,” said Darlington, with blood on the front of his jersey after the contest. “Skyline just beat a great James Wood team and coming out and beating them is just huge for us.”
“It proves a lot,” Matthew Sipe added. “We came out and beat a [Class] 3 team. I think we can come out and beat anybody if we play the way we play and do what we do.”
— Contact Walt Moody at
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