McLean Holds Off Caldwell 15-7 in Class 2A Playoffs

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In a game of limited possessions, the McLean County Cougars made the most of theirs.

McLean (9-2) held the ball for 36:19 of the game’s 48 minutes and made two second-quarter touchdowns stand up in a 15-7 victory over Caldwell County in the first round of the Class 2A playoffs in Princeton.

The Tigers tried to rally from a 15-0 hole late, getting a 63-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field from Luke Parker to Logan Chambliss with 6:03 to go to make it a one-score game.

But by the time Caldwell could get the ball back again, only 21 seconds remained and 74 yards stood between the Tigers and the end zone.

A 10-yard run by Parker netted a first down, then a hook-and-lateral play from Parker to Zavy Bumphus to Jamus Carneyhan got the ball to the the McLean 41-yard line with just 2 seconds remaining.

An offside penalty gave Caldwell five more yards.

But Parker’s pass deep down the middle was picked off at the 5-yard line to end the contest.

McLean ran 64 plays to Caldwell’s 27 in the contest.

The Cougars had 19 first downs while the Tigers had eight.

McLean got 306 of its 333 total yards on the ground.

Caldwell had 201 yards with 112 of that in the air.

Zach Clayton ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns while also adding a two-point conversion run for the visitors.

Clayton scored on a 1-yard run at the 8:21 mark of the second period, then carried in the two-point try to put the Cougars up 8-0.

But the key drive of the night came on the last series of the first half. McLean used a 15-play march — converting a third-and-29 with a 30-yard run — to go 58 yards in the final 5:11 of the second period.

Clayton carried in from a yard out on the final play of the half to help send the Cougars to the locker room with a 15-0 edge.

Each team had just five offensive possessions in the contest.

Carneyhan led the Caldwell run game with 74 yards on eight carries.

Parker was 7 of 12 passing for 112 yards with the one TD and the one pick on the final play of the game, which was the only turnover of the contest.

It was the first meeting on the gridiron between the two schools since 2000 and the first playoff match since 1996.

McLean advances to the second round next week at Owensboro Catholic, which routed Fort Campbell 54-8 on Friday.

Caldwell finishes its season with a 5-6 mark.

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