It's not how he expected it. Coach Jim Sparks 50th career win at Clawson High School included a third and 30, a tipped pass TD and a second half defensive turnaround. The Trojans downed Bishop Foley at home in the season opener 14-10.
"The funny thing is I've got to quit reading the papers," Sparks said. "We had a great scrimmage, a great practice, we've got their (Bishop Foley) film and then I see people picking us to lose by 13, by 20, and I'm like 'wait a second. Did I miss something?'"
Bishop Foley took the opening kick and 12 plays and 70 yards later found the end zone for a 7-0 lead. Clawson couldn't move the ball at all in the first half but opened the third quarter with a nine play drive covering 71 yards to even the score at 7-7. Junior quarterback Blake Blue ran it in from the 11-yard line.
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The teams traded possessions until Bishop Foley put together a 16-play drive that ate the third quarter and left 6:40 on the clock in the fourth when Foley connected on a 38-yard field goal to take the lead again at 10-7.
But it was time for some karma and a wide receiver with "game fast" speed.
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Starting from their own 30-yard line, the Trojans went backwards. Two back-to-back penalties followed by two sacks and they were looking at third down and 30 yards to go for a first down. But senior wide out DeShawn Gilbert was ready and told his quarterback to "throw it far."
"Wow, I thought I overthrew him," Blue explained. "My heart was just pumping but he told me if I threw it up, he'll go get it."
Gilbert knew what he had to do.
"When it came out of his hand I thought it was overthrown but I just got on my horse and focused on the ball and caught it," Gilbert explained.
The diving catch by Gilbert totaled 35 yards and kept the drive alive. Hard running by Blue and senior Deonte Hill put the ball at the five-yard line with just under three minutes left in the game.
"We've lost a league championship on a tipped pass," Sparks said.
Blue stepped back to pass found a wide open senior Tavonte Bezue but the ball went through his hands, a Foley defenders hands and into sophomore Marquian Johnson's hands for the go ahead TD and 14-10 lead. The 12-play drive covered 70 yards in 12 plays.
"I threw it, thought I threw a good pass, tipped, I'm thinking he's going to pick it off and then catch. I'm just glad somebody caught it," Blue said.
Clawson's defense stepped up as they pressured Foley including a first down incompletion, a second down sack by senior Jalen Harrison and then a third down interception by Bezue. Clawson ran out the clock for its first victory of the season. Foley falls to 0-1. Clawson travels to Lincoln next Thursday.
