Clark County Holds Off Westran Surge for 32-20 Home Victory

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

Email

Submit

← Back

The Clark County Indians gave their home crowd plenty to cheer about on Friday night, combining explosive offense, timely defense, and special teams grit to secure a thrilling 32–20 victory over the Westran Hornets. Though the Indians built a sizable lead through three quarters, they had to withstand a furious Westran comeback bid in the final minutes to notch their second win of the season.

The tone was set early when Clark County, after winning the coin toss and deferring, immediately forced a Westran punt. The two teams traded field position in the opening drives, but the Indians began to gain traction midway through the first quarter. After a promising 64-yard drive ended in a lost fumble on the Westran 1-yard line, Clark County’s defense responded with another stop. The offense soon got another opportunity after taking over at the Westran 41.

Quarterback Bennett Plenge connected with Reid Sammons to move the ball to the 25, and running back Brennan Fuller finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run with 2:42 left in the first quarter. Though the two-point conversion attempt failed, the Indians had the lead — and they were just getting started.

Early in the second quarter, Clark’s Lukas Weaver stepped in front of a Westran pass for a key interception, energizing the sideline and flipping the field. The Indians methodically marched downfield, and on fourth-and-five, Plenge fired a strike to Weaver for a 26-yard touchdown. Another failed two-point try left the score at 12–0, but Clark County had seized control.

Following another Westran punt, Sammons dazzled the crowd with a spinning punt return to midfield. The drive was aided by a roughing-the-passer penalty and capped off by Sammons himself, who weaved through defenders for a 13-yard touchdown. It was Clark County’s third unanswered score, stretching the lead to 18–0.

Westran finally showed life late in the half, stringing together a drive that reached the Clark County 2-yard line. Quarterback Gage Adler powered into the end zone to put the Hornets on the board with 3:02 left before halftime.

But any momentum gained by Westran was short-lived. On the next possession, Plenge aired it out to Weaver for a long gain to the Westran 11. A few plays later, Fuller powered in from six yards out for his second touchdown of the game. Another two-point attempt came up short, but the Indians had reasserted control with a 24–6 lead going into halftime.

The third quarter began with a bit of chaos. Westran attempted an onside kick and, following an interception of Clark’s first play from scrimmage, looked poised to close the gap. But on third down, Weaver stepped up again with his second interception of the night, snuffing out the threat.

Clark County responded with a clinical 74-yard drive in six plays, ending in a 14-yard touchdown run from Fuller — his third of the night. This time, the Indians converted the two-point play on a pass to Weaver, making it 32–6 with 4:59 left in the third quarter.

To their credit, the Hornets never quit. Adler led an 11- play, 65-yard drive, finishing with a 12- yard touchdown run. Although the two-point try failed, the score tightened to 32–12. Westran recovered the ensuing onside kick, but a fourth-down sack by Tuff Pitford gave the ball back to Clark County, who was able to briefly shift the field before punting.

With the clock winding down, Westran put together a determined 50-yard drive in 13 plays, capped by a touchdown pass from Adler to Cruze Haynes with 2:46 left. A successful two-point conversion suddenly cut the lead to 32–20, and the Hornets made things even more tense by recovering a third onside kick.

However, the Clark County defense delivered one final stand. A Westran fumble was recovered by the Indians, and they ran out the clock to preserve the victory.

By the Numbers:

Brennan Fuller led the way on the ground with 98 yards and three touchdowns on 19 carries.

Lukas Weaver was a standout on both sides of the ball, hauling in 7 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown while also notching two key interceptions.

Bennett Plenge threw for 175 yards and a touchdown on 15- of-25 passing.