Kyle Clinkingbeard ran for four touchdowns and Ben Loge kicked four extra points as the Ava Bears defeated Willow Springs in conference action here last Friday night.
This week the Bears will travel to Cabool to continue the SCA schedule. The Bulldogs are 1-1 on the season and in the SCA, having defeated Houston in Week 1 and losing to Mtn. Grove last week. The Bears are 2-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
In the first home game of the season Friday night, Ava jumped on top quickly and never looked back, although Willow Springs gave them a scare in the fourth quarter.
Ava took an early lead when junior Kyle Clinkingbeard ran the first play from scrimmage 68 yards for the score. Ben Loge, who was perfect on PATs, booted the point-after to give the Bears a 7-0 lead with 11:42 still showing on the clock.
Ava would score twice more in the second quarter to take a 21-0 halftime lead.
Clinkingbeard, who carried 24 times for 193 yards, scored on the first play of the second period, running three yards for the touchdown. Ava’s second score of the quarter and Clinkingbeard’s third of the night, came with 1:13 remaining in the first half on a one-yard plunge.
Willow Springs finally put points on the board at 7:17 in the third period on a one-yard run by Phillip Collins. The extra-point attempt by Simon Self hit the crossbar and fell back no good.
Willow Springs would score twice more in the fourth quarter to trim the Ava lead to 27-20. Willow Springs’ second score of the game came with 8:21 remaining on a five-yard pass to Jordan Capeder. Willow Springs ran for the 2-point conversion to make it 27-14.
With 2:30 left, Willow Springs spoiled a potential Ava scoring drive and pulled within one touchdown when Pat Kelley picked up a fumbled Ava pitch and returned it 85 yards to score. Self’s kick was no good, but Willow Springs had visions of being the spoilers for the second year in a row, shaving the Ava lead to 27-20.
Ava received a short Willow Springs on-side kick to begin the ensuing possession at the Willow Springs 48-yard line. On the first play, Clinkingbeard outran the Willow Springs defense and scampered 48 yards to score; Loge’s kick gave the Bears a two-touchdown lead which would be the final score, 34-20.
With Caleb Miles sidelined due to illness and Chase Willis out with an injury, the Bears had freshman Colton Akers in the offensive backfield with Clinkingbeard. Akers carried five times for 16 yards.
Quarterback Ben Loge carried six times for 33 yards and completed three of six passes for 100 yards.
Sophomore Chance Boyd caught two passes for 72 yards and one touchdown. Kevin Philpott had one catch for 28 yards.
Defensively, Chance Deal and Dillon Adams each had 13 tackles, and Deal had one tackle for a loss.
Philpott had two tackles for lost yardage and Kolton Davis had a tackle for loss.
Looking to this week’s action, Ava Head Coach Dan Swofford says Cabool is big up front and has a good runningback who picked up good yardage against Houston in the first week.
Ava football games are being broadcast on the Internet on citylinktv.com.
