5A-SOUTH

Camden Fairview puts end to football at LR McClellan

Little Rock McClellan's dreams of a storybook finish didn't come to fruition on a cold Friday night as the Lions played the school's final football game.

Camden Fairview's Javien Clemmer picked up a fumble by McClellan running back Jeremiah Aikins and ran it back 30 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter, giving the Cardinals a 13-12 victory.

Camden Fairview (6-4, 5-2 5A-South) earned the No. 4 seed in the 5A-South for the playoffs that start next week.

[HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: Scores, photos, stories, rankings + more » arkansasonline.com/arpreps/]

"I knew it was going to be like this," Fairview Coach Jeremiah Monden said of the low-scoring duel. "McClellan's six losses were by 10 points. They've got to be disappointed."

The touchdown by Clemmer was his second return of a fumble for a touchdown in the past two games.

"That was a great play by him," Monden said.

Camden Fairview took advantage of a short McClellan punt and started its second possession on the McClellan 36.

Running back Ja'coriae Brown was stopped for no gain on the first play, but Gates scrambled on second down, and avoided several tackle attempts to score with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter for a 6-0 lead. The extra point failed.

After a short kickoff, the Lions began on their own 31.

Brandon Williams was stopped for no gain, but McClellan quarterback Joshua Brown gave his team a lift with a 69-yard touchdown run less than a minute later to tie the game at 6-6 after the first quarter.

McClellan's first possession of the second quarter started at its own 24 after Gates was sacked on a fourth-down pass attempt. Brown picked up 45 yards on a second-down keeper.

A face-mask penalty four plays later on Camden Fairview gave the Lions a first down at the 3. Aikins scored on a run two plays later to put McClellan (4-6, 2-5) ahead 12-6 at halftime.

The Lions turned the ball over on downs on their first possession of the second half. On their next possession, Brown fumbled on fourth down to give the ball to the Cardinals at their own 30.

Camden Fairview couldn't move the ball and punted again, putting the Lions in business at their own 34.

Aikins fumbled on first down, and Clemmer scooped up the ball to score the touchdown. Michael Suell's extra point put Camden Fairview up by a point with 2:33 left in the third quarter.

"We're disappointed," McClellan Coach Maurice Moody said. "We lost six games by 11 points."

Sports on 11/09/2019

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