Hopkinsville Head Coach Craig Clayton is no stranger to slow starts by his football teams, but based on his team’s play Friday, it wouldn’t bother him if that trend stopped. Hopkinsville never led in their 35-14 season opening loss Friday at South Warren.
The Tigers were playing without last year’s leading rusher JaTorion Dillard, who Clayton said will miss an extended period of time with a leg injury suffered in last week’s scrimmage.
Sophomore quarterback Jay Bland threw for two touchdowns – one to Mitchell Degenhart and one to Gavin Marschand. But the lack of a productive ground game limited the Tigers early.
South Warren quarterback Gavin Spurrier, the grandson of former Florida coaching great and Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier, threw for a pair of scores, while running back Christian Winn topped 100 yards and found the end zone once.
It doesn’t get any easier for Hopkinsville next week as they host Class 2A power Mayfield at the Stadium of Champions. The Cardinals buried perennial west Tennessee power Union City 41-0 Friday.
Watch Tiger Head Coach Craig Clayton talk about Friday’s outcome.
