Weatherford Daily News looks back at Custer County Conflict

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  • Cameron Gossen catches a pass from Cal Hankins as Clinton defenders try to tackle him during the 1992 4A State Championship. File Photo
  • Weatherford seniors hoist the Class 4A State Runner-up trophy Friday in 1996 in Chickasha. File Photo
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1992: Eagles defeat Clinton for 4A crown, 21-6

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story first appeared in the Weatherford Daily News December 8, 1992. This story recaps the 1992 Class 4A State Championship Game, played at Milam Stadium on the campus of Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Due to a snowstorm, the game was moved from Stillwater to Weatherford and played on a Monday night.

Weatherford jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and as a result, Weatherford defeated Clinton 21-6 in the Class 4A State Championship Game Monday night in front of 8,600 fans at Milam Stadium on the Southwestern Oklahoma State University campus.

Weatherford concluded a 14-0 season, the Eagle’s first unbeaten season. Weatherford won 14 in a row to win the Class 3A State Championship last season, giving the Eagles a 28 game winning streak since losing at Clinton in the 1991 season opener, 28-14.

Weatherford scored on its first two possessions. The Eagles went 50 yards on its first drive and 36 yards on its second.

Cal Hankins broke up a pass from Brad Brittain to P.J. Kemp on third down to force the first of five Clinton punts. Kemp had 31 catches for 731 yards and 10 touchdowns versus Clinton’s other foes, two catches for 27 yards and no other scores versus Weatherford.

“P.J. is a great receiver,” Weatherford coach Woody Roof said. “We have great secondary people. All those kids can run. They did a good job. We were able to double team P.J. inside and take away the slant. We took the inside stuff away, but we could not double to the outside.”

Hankins threw to Tyson Hale for 16 yards and a first down on 3rd-and-9, then threw to Cameron Gossen for 22 yards and a touchdown 4:53 into the contest. The first of three Dusty Stoneman extra-point kicks gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

“I think it is very important we got on top early,” Roof said. “It was a big key in the ball game. We moved the ball the first game, but Clinton held us out of the end zone.”

Gossen got the first of three Weatherford interceptions on Clinton’s next possession, returning it 34 yards to the Clinton 36.

Clinton made a mistake, jumping offside on 4th-and-1, giving the Eagles a first down at the 22-yard-line. Fullback Kenneth Daniel went 17 yards to the 5-yard-line.

Two plays later, Eric Gossett went into the end zone from 3 yards out, giving Weatherford a 14-0 lead with 1:23 left in the first quarter.

“No doubt, in a big game, it is important to get out on top,” Roof said. “The defense gave us great field position, so we were able to get a couple of touchdowns in the first quarter.” Those touchdowns would be enough. Weatherford’s defense held Clinton to one first down in the half and held them to six first down’s all game.

“The offensive and defensive lines did a great job for us tonight,” Roof said. “We felt we had to win in the trenches. The guys came through for us tonight. Big games are won up front.”

Clinton concluded its season 11-3. Two of the Red Tornado’s losses were to Weatherford. The Eagles beat Clinton, 10-7 at Eagle Stadium in Weatherford, October 23, 1992.

“You have got to give credit to Clinton,” Roof said. “Clinton coach Mike Lee does an outstanding job. We knew we had to put more points on the board and control the football. We were able to play the game on their end of the field.”

Weatherford was able to control the ball, but put no points on the board in the second and third quarters.

The Eagle’s first possession of the second quarter began on the Clinton 6-yard-line. Daniel went 18 yards on the first play. Getting the Eagle’s out of their own shadow of their own goalpost. Weatherford drove to the 30 yard line before three consecutive incompletions halted the drive.

“We got the ball out of our end,” Roof said. “We were able to play on their end of the field.”

The first two Brent Antwine interceptions gave Weatherford the ball back at the Eagle’s 48-yard-line. Daniel went for 22 yards to the 30- yard-line. However Chad Brown’s interception on fourth down halted the drive. It was the first of two Clinton interceptions.

Neither side was able to seriously threaten in the third quarter. Antwine’s second interception gave the Eagles the ball on the Clinton 35- yard-line in the fourth quarter.

Gossett rambled 20 yards into the end zone for the clinching score with 6:17 in the game. Clinton scored late and tried an onside kick. Todd Franz recovered the onside kick, then Gossett and Daniel ran for first downs, resulting in the Eagle’s second straight state title and second overall.

1972: Weatherford and Clinton tie, 7-7

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story first appeared in the Weatherford Daily News October 29, 1972. This story recaps the 1972 Custer County Conflict. This game was the last tie in the series between the two schools. WDN Staff writer Josh Jennings spoke with Weatherford Mike Brown, who played in the 1972 game. That interview follows the game story.

The Weatherford Eagles flew into Red Tornado Alley Friday night and came out even.

The Eagles had not beaten or tied the Clinton Red Tornadoes in 15 years until Friday night.

It was a tense, exciting battle played to a 7-7 draw.

The Eagles kicked off and Clinton started with the ball on its own 36-yard-line. Clinton players Larry Jones and Tyrone Lewis made Clinton’s first first down for Clinton but because of a solid effort by the Weatherford defense, they were forced to punt.

Weatherford received the Clinton punt on their own 25-yard-line but failed to put together a scoring drive.

After a scoreless first quarter, Weatherford took possession deep in their own territory. Mike Brown took the ball for four short yards and Richard Neufeld carried the ball twice for a total of nine yards, for the Eagle first down. Neufeld ran for five more yards, Brown, three and Steve Smith for one, but they failed to convert for a second first down.

The Red Tornadoes took bottom’s punt on the Eagle 40 and scored on their first play from scrimmage. Clinton’s halfback Tyrone Lewis swept left end for a 40-yard touchdown and Clinton’s only score of the evening. The kick was good and the Red Tornadoes led 7-0.

The Eagles received the Clinton kickoff after a short kick on the Clinton 39-yard-line. Brown scrambled for 24 yards to the Red Tornado 15. Neufeld picked up four and Trey Minton got three more. Then Neufeld slashed off tackle for an eight yard touchdown run. Rolan Monigold’s kick was good to tie it up.

Clinton threatened to score in the third quarter as they drove to the Weatherford 14-yard-line but the fired up Eagle defense forced a fumble and recovered the football. The Clinton defense tightened up and forced the Eagles to punt.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Eagles threatened when Brown hit Minton on the Clinton 18-yard-line. However, Minton fumbled the football and the Red Tornadoes recovered the football. The Eagle defense held off Clinton’s last attempt with the ball and took possession with the short time left in the game and no chance to score.

Forty-eight years later, Brown, now mayor of Weatherford, spoke about that 1972 game.

Brown said he enjoyed tying Clinton, but he said it was a special experience beating Clinton the next season. Brown said they won 9-7 off a last second field goal as time expired.

“We did not beat Clinton very often and it felt great beating them my senior year.” Brown said. “It was a big win and it was a big deal. It was really special to beat them during my senior year.”

Brown said the Custer County conflict is always an intense rivalry, but it is even more intense when both teams are good. Weatherford is unbeaten and Clinton only has one loss so far this season.

“The rivalry has always been there,” Brown said. “Clinton has always been a good opponent and this year should be a great game. Both teams have great skill players and I am looking forward to it.”

Brown said during his sophomore season, he was the third -string quarterback going into the Clinton game. He said both quarterbacks got injured that game and he came into the game. After that game, he was the starter the rest of the season and into his junior and senior years.

1996: Clinton claims 4A crown with 28-0 win

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story first appeared in the Weatherford Daily News December 8, 1996. This story recaps the 1996 Class 4A State Championship Game, played at Memorial Stadium in Chickasha. Clinton won the game 28-0.

CHICKASHA — Clinton scored three touchdowns in the first 5:28 on their way to a 28-0 win against Weatherford in 1996 in the Class 4A State Championship Game at the Memorial Stadium in Chickasha.

“We hit 4 years of Clinton frustration,” Weatherford coach Tom Cobble said. “Clinton was awesome for 10-15 minutes. We got shell shocked.”

Clinton won the coin toss, but gave Weatherford its choice. Weatherford chose to play defense. Weatherford’s defense gave up both and made two touchdowns in its playoff games against Blackwell, Marlow and Idabel.

It took Clinton’s Jason Crawford 14 seconds to make Weatherford regret the decision. On the game’s first snap, Crawford cut back on a sweep right and ran 80 yards to the end zone. Clinton’s Tim Duncan kicked the first of his four extra point attempts to give the Red Tornadoes a 7-0 lead.

“I felt in a big game you have lots of emotion and your defense is charged up and you can get a turnover, force a punt and get good field position,” Cobble said.

Clinton’s Michael Harper made interceptions to end Weatherford’s first two possessions. Crawford made runs of 11, 10 and 6 yards as Clinton drove 34 yards in six plays to expand its lead to 14-0.

Clinton’s Darnell Hester ran 74 yards on the first play of Clinton’s third possession to put the Red Tornadoes up 21-0 with 5:32 remaining in the first quarter.

“Clinton came out in the first half and put on a great show,” Cobble said. “Jason and Darnell are second to none.”

Hester picked up 127 yards on nine carries and Crawford picked up 112 yards on six carries in the first half. Clinton had 254 of its 352 yards in the first half.

“We showed lots of class, character and determination in the second half,” Cobble said.

Clinton ended its season with a record of 14-0 and Weatherford ended its season with a record of 10-4. Clinton was State Runner-up in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995. Clinton won its first state championship since 1984. Clinton gave Weatherford two of its four losses this season.

“If you would have taken a poll at the first of the year, our name would not have come up when speaking of finalists,” Cobble said. “Our kids have achieved and overachieved. We have had lots of and downs. Through it all, we put together a great season. We wanted to carry on the tradition of Weatherford Eagle football and we did that in fine fashion.”

Weatherford drove to the Clinton 33-yard-line on its third possession before Clinton’s Lamont Randle fell on a fumble.

Hester made a 19-yard run to start a Clinton drive on its fourth possession which went to the Eagle 23-yardline. Tim Ray made his 11th interception of the season on a sideline pass and ran it back 40 yards to the Clinton 41. It was the first of three interceptions for the Eagles.

Weatherford could not capitalize as Trent Smith sacked Grant Corning on fourth down.

A J. D. Cleek’s fumble recovery gave the Eagles the ball back at their own 46-yardline. Weatherford lost 6 yards on three plays and punted the football back to Clinton.

Crawford ran it back 75 yards to put Clinton up 28-0 with 6:50 remaining in the first half. Eric Wright, a 3 year starter for Weatherford at tackle, hurt his thigh in a collision with Weatherford’s Corey Smith on the return and Wright did not return to the game.

A Tom Horton interception gave the Eagles the football at the Clinton 45-yard-line for its first possession of the second half. Jason Smith hit Clinton’s Reggie Weil as he threw to cause the third of four Clinton turnovers.