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All they do at Ashland is win championships. Clay County won four titles over the past eight season in Class 2A and now they would compete in Class 1A in 2002. Last season the Panthers finished with a 5-5 record losing in the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 1989.           Seven starters return on defense including leading tackler J.R. Hess who collected more than 100 last season. He will be surrounded by enough talent to help the Panthers return to the state championship game.           The wishbone attack will be led by quarterback Kevin Pitts and halfbacks Dewayne Duncan and Hess. Travis Zackery will handle the fullback position as five starters from 2001 will be returning to the offensive side of the football. Brain Glenn was considered an all around athlete capable of playing any skilled position on offense. He would also be counted on in the return game.

Bowden GA 0   0   0   0   0     Clay County             14

The Clay County Panthers opened the 2002 season with a 14-0 win over Bowden, GA. Bowden had finished as the Class 1A runner up last season in Georgia. The Panthers entered the game as the number nine ranked team in Class 2A

Clay County 14   9   13   7   40     Winterboro 0   7   0   6   13

The Panthers wore down Winterboro for a 40-13 win in week two. Dewayne Duncan scored three touchdowns on runs of 4, 5 and 5 yards and finished the night with 108 yards rushing on nine carries. J.R. Hess, Travis Zachery and Corey McLemore added touchdowns.            The defense tacked on a safety as the Panthers moved to 2-0 on the season.

Loachapoka 0   0   0   0   0     Clay County 20   10   14   0   44

Loachapoka proved to be little trouble as Clay County rolled to a 44-0 win. Five different players scored touchdowns for the Panthers including Brian Glenn, Kevin Pitts, J.R. Hess with two, Dewayne Duncan and Corey McLemore.            The Panthers built a 30-0 halftime lead and cruised to their third win of the season. Jose Bermudez kicked a 30-yard field goal in the first half and made five of six extra points in the game. Coach Horn gave the reserves much of the playing time in the second half.

Clay County 10   10   14   0   34     Donoho 0   0   0   0   0

Quarterback Kevin Pitts dashed 71 yards on a keeper and Brian Glenn raced 50 yards on a punt return as the Panthers outmanned Donoho 34-0 in week four of the season. The offense rolled up 365 yards on the ground and 400 total as they were unstoppable in the rain at Lentz Field.           The defense limited Donoho to just 59 yards of offense as Clay County built a 20-0 halftime lead. Jose Bermudez booted field goals of 41 and 37 yards. Duncan rushed for 154 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns.

Clay County 14   3   6   0   23     Randolph County 0   0   6   0   6

Clay County jumped out to a 17-0 halftime lead and coasted to a 23-6 win over Randolph County in Wedowee. Brian Glenn got things going on a 57-yard run on the Panthers' first possession. He added another first quarter touchdown on a 40-yard pass play.           Dewayne Duncan added a third period touchdown on a 42-yard run to wrap up the scoring for the evening. Travis Zachery led all runners with 129 yards on the ground.

Talladega County Central 0   0   0   0   0     Clay County             42

The Panthers rolled over Talladega County Central 42-0 the next week to improve to 6-0 on the season. The win also gave them a 4-0 record in region play. The Panthers had moved up to the number two spot in the weekly rankings behind undefeated Courtland.

Clay County             71     Victory Christian 0   0   0   0   0

The Clay County Panthers trounced an outmanned Victory Christian team 71-0 to push their record to run their record to 7-0. Victory Christian was winless on the season and only dressed out 16 players. After Courtland lost, the Panthers ascended to the top spot in the polls.

Notasulga 0   0   0   12   12     Clay County 0   14   21   0   35

The Panthers got off to a slow start but after a scoreless first quarter, J.R. Hess scored on a 6-yard run and Kevin Pitts tossed a 27-yard scoring pass as Clay County built a 14-0 halftime lead. They added three touchdowns in the third period to extend the lead to 35-0 and held on for a 35-12 win over Notasulga.           Brian Glenn returned a punt 45 yards for a score and followed it up with another touchdown on a 34-yarder. Kevin Pitts scored on a 42-yard run and tossed a 27-yard touchdown to Tommy Hunter. Notasulga did not get on the scoreboard until the game was well in hand.

Wadley 7   0   0   7   14     Clay County 13   10   14   13   50

The top-ranked Panthers destroyed undefeated and No. 3 Wadley in week nine by a score of 50-14. The win also gave the Panthers the Region 5 championship and a first round home game in the playoffs. The defense limited Wadley to just 45 yards in the first half as Clay County built a 23-7 lead.           Clay County rolled up over 500 yards of offense led by 148 yards rushing for Dewayne Duncan. Glenn added a 53-yard touchdown and Duncan ran one in from 59 yards out.

Clay County 7   7   7   0   21     Lineville 0   0   0   7   7

Clay County defeated rival Lineville 21-7 to cap off a perfect 10-0 regular season. The 2002 team was the fifth to accomplish this feat in the school's history. The defense set the tone by holding Lineville to just 41 yards in the first half as the Panthers led 14-0 at the break.           Dewayne Duncan scored on 3-yard run, Travis Zackery added a 1-yard plunge and J.R. Hess wrapped up the scoring with a 5-yard run in the third period. Lineville's lone score came with just over five minutes to play in the game. Brian Glenn led all runners with 97 yards on 11 carries.

Spring Garden 0   0   0   0   0     Clay County 14   20   14   7   55

Clay County improved to 11-0 on the season with a convincing 55-0 win over Spring Garden in the opening round of the Class 1A state playoffs. The defense kept giving the offense the football in good field position all night and they turned the short fields into touchdowns.           The Panthers led 34-0 at the half and 40-0 early in the third when Coach Horn gave the starters the rest of the evening off. Dewayne Duncan rushed for 117 yards on just six carries and scored two touchdowns to lead the way for the offense. J.R. Hess also scored two touchdowns for the Panthers.

Clay County 14   6   7   6   33     Addison 0   0   0   0   0

Clay County used a big play offense to build a 20-0 halftime lead and eventually shutout Addison 33-0 in round two of the playoffs. J.R. Hess got things going with a 68-yard touchdown run on the first play from scrimmage. On their next offensive play following a Eric Thomas interception, Brian Glenn dashed 53 yards for the second score in as many plays.           Dewayne Duncan capped off the first half scoring with a 63-yard run in the second quarter as the Panthers led 20-0 at the intermission. Zackery added touchdown runs of one and two yards to cap off the scoring. Hess rushed for 130 yards on eight carries, Glenn added 103 on seven attempts and Duncan finished with 99 yards on 13 carries. The shutout was the seventh of the season for the defense.

Cedar Bluff 0   8   6   0   14     Clay County 14   6   3   7   30

Head coach Danny Horn won his 150th game as the coach of Clay County as his Panthers beat Cedar Bluff 30-14 in the quarter-finals of the playoffs. J.R. Hess ran for 156 yards on 13 carries and scored two touchdowns.           Leading 23-14, the Panthers put together a 19-play, 83-yard drive to seal the win as Kevin Pitts scored on a two-yard run on fourth down. The win gave Clay County a 13-0 record as they advanced to the semi-finals of the playoffs.

Parrish 0   0   0   0   0     Clay County 7   0   0   7   14

The Clay County defense registered their eighth shutout of the season as they rolled past Parrish 14-0 and back to a Class 1A state championship game in Birmingham. The defense held Parrish to just 36 yards rushing on 25 carries which was by far a season low for the Tornados.           The Panthers drove 73 yards in 10 plays with the opening kickoff to take a 7-0 lead. They made it stand up most of the game until Dewayne Duncan scored his second touchdown on a one-yard run in the fourth quarter for all the scoring in the contest.

Autaugaville 0   0   0   0   0     Clay County 8   7   0   14   29

Clay County won their second state championship in three years and fifth overall by defeating Autaugaville 29-0. The Panthers' defense registered its ninth shutout of the year, including four in five playoff games.           The Panthers did not dominate the offensive statistics in the first half, but they used good field position to grab a 15-0 halftime lead. The defense held up in the second half and the Panthers were crowned champions again with another stingy defensive effort. The championship was the fifth for the Panthers overall.           The perfect 15-0 record and another title gave the 2002 team something to remember. They upheld the defensive tradition that so many other Panther fans had become accustomed to over the past decade.           Dewayne Duncan and J.R. Hess were named to the ASWA all-state team. Michael Bass was selected to the honorable mention team. Clay County 2002 8/29 14 Bowden GA . . . . . . . . . 0 9/6 40 Winterboro . . . . . . . . 13 9/13 44 Loachapoka . . . . . . . . 0 9/20 34 Donoho . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 9/27 23 Randolph County . . . . 6 10/4 42 Talladega County Central . 0 10/11 71 Victory Christian . . . 0 10/18 35 Notasulga . . . . . . . . . 12 10/25 50 Wadley . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 11/1 21 Lineville . . . . . . . . . 7 11/8 55 Spring Garden * . . . . 0 11/15 33 Addison * . . . . . . . . . 0 11/22 30 Cedar Bluff * . . . . . 14 11/29 14 Parrish * . . . . . . . . . 0 12/5 29 Autaugaville # . . . . . 0 535 15-0 66 * Playoff game # State championship game

Amazing Seasons, a series on the greatest seasons in high school football history


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