Clover senior kicker nails game-winning field goal, helps team top archrival York

It seemed appropriate that the 2020 season would end on Friday the 13th for the Clover and York football teams.

The game itself went right along with the season — and for a moment, thankfully a brief one, the score was 20-20. That was until the Cougars kicked the extra point and did what we all wish we could do, and quickly changed it to 20-21.

That was with 8:41 left in the game, when York took its first, and only, lead of the game. But the Blue Eagles would drive right back down the field and senior kicker J.B. Potts would hit a 25-yard field goal with 4:22 remaining for what ended up being the game-winning score as Clover defeated its archrival of 100-plus years, 23-21, in York in the season finale for 2020.

Notable: The plays that defined the game

▪ On the play before the game-winning kick, York’s Zy Brown thought he had a huge interception at the goal-line but it was ruled incomplete, making way for Potts’ heroics.

▪ The play that allowed the Cougars to take their brief lead was so 2020: York ran a reverse to Javon Long on 4th and 3. Long twisted and turned his way to the one-yard-line, where he fumbled. There was a scrum and quarterback Weston Hance had hustled and followed the play and came out of the pileup holding the ball high above his head for the Cougar touchdown.

▪ Potts had missed an extra point wide left after the Blue Eagles had went up 20-14 on a 78-yard scoring pass from Joe Boyd to Darius Bowser.

▪ Clover seemed to dominate the first half but the score was tied at 14 at the intermission: The Blue Eagles led 14-0 in the second quarter before a 62-yard catch-and-run score by Long. Right before the half, Boyd threw up an ill-advised pass that was picked off by Zy Brown, who returned it 40 yards. Clover was called for a late hit on that play, and York had the ball at the Blue Eagles’ 11, where Hance hit Long for the touchdown with 12 seconds left to tie the score.

▪ After Potts’ game-winning field goal for Clover, the Cougars got the ball back but went three-and-out. York jumped offsides on a Clover third-and-four and the Blue Eagles ran out the clock on 2020.

▪ Key leaders for Clover: BJ Tims notched 30 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown in his senior finale, and Darius Bowser had two receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Joe Boyd also added 176 yards passing and a touchdown.

▪ Key leaders for York: Long had five receptions for 120 yards and two touchdowns; quarterback Weston Hance had two touchdowns passing and one rushing touchdown (on the aforementioned fumble recovery).

Quotable: ‘There was no hesitation at all’

Potts on game winning field goal: “I was hoping I wouldn’t get sent out there. I was hoping we’d get the touchdown. I knew I missed the extra point and I had to make the field goal to win the game. I just blocked everything out and it happened.”

Clover coach Brian Lane: “There was no hesitation at all. I told him (Potts) in the pregame, ‘you gonna win one for us.’ He said ‘coach I hope it don’t come down to that.’ His final play as a senior, he makes the game-winning kick.”

This story was originally published November 13, 2020 at 11:51 PM.