Clarke puts up 322 yards of offense; Richards scores twice for Page
By Randy Arrington
SHENANDOAH, Oct. 16 — The Page County Panthers scored on their opening play from scrimmage, as junior Logan Richards broke loose for a 68-yard sprint to the end zone. After that, the Panthers’ homecoming proved to be an uphill battle as they didn’t score again until their final possession. Meanwhile, visiting Clarke County put up 21 points in each half for a 42-12 homecoming spoiler Friday night at Buddy Comer Stadium.
Clarke’s Owen Mooney had a huge night as the freshman running back scored two touchdowns in each half and rushed for 153 yards on 21 carries (7.3 ypc). The Eagles ran the ball 50 times on Friday night and amassed 267 yards on the ground (5.3 ypc). Junior quarterback Mason Jarvis went 2-for-4 through the air for 55 yards, including one touchdown pass to Mooney, and he scored one rushing touchdown. Clarke totaled 322 yards of offense and forced three turnovers on defense. Junior Grady Ferrell returned an interception 40 yards for a “pick six” in the second quarter.
Richards lead Page County with 180 yards of rushing, carrying the ball 21 of the team’s 31 rushes on the night. The junior averaged 8.6 yards per carry and scored both of the Panther’s homecoming touchdowns. Due to sacks and penalties, Richards totaled more yards than the offense as a whole. The Panthers went 0-for-4 through the air, giving up an interception, while also losing two fumbles.
It should be noted…Mooney and Richards combined for 333 yards and six touchdowns on the night. Both runners surpassed 100 yards in the first half, with similar marks of 12 carries for 119 yards (Richards) and 14 carries for 115 yards (Mooney).
Clarke was penalized two more times than Page during the game (seven flags, compared to five), but the Eagles picked up twice as many first downs (seven for Page, 16 for Clarke).
Clarke also got tough yards from senior Eidyn Mina-Hamerman, who carried the ball nine times for 70 yards (7.8 ypc). In addition to his interception, Ferrell rushed for 52 yards on 10 carries (5.2 ypc).
The game started like a great homecoming night for Page County, as they forced a three-and-out and Richards went 68 yards in one play to go up 6-0 with 9:22 left in the first quarter. After turning the ball over on downs on their second possession and forcing their own three-and-out, Clarke then put together a four-play drive covering 25 yards and ending with a one-yard dive across the goal line by Mooney. The Eagles went up 7-6 with 1:45 left in the first quarter.
Clarke then followed a second Page punt with a three-play drive and score early in the second quarter. Mooney carried the ball all three times, including a 52-yard break-away run and a 17-yard scamper into the end zone. The Eagles lead 13-6 with 10:40 left in the first half. Despite a great kick return for Page by senior Jordan Roberts, six plays later, Ferrell ran back his interception with 6:37 left in the half to make it 21-6 in favor of Clarke. Page posted another three-and-out, and Clarke ran out of time during a nine-play drive that ended the half.
The Panthers would only have four offensive possessions in the second half — the first two ended with a punt, and the third never got going after a fumble on the first play midway through the fourth quarter. A fumble on a kickoff earlier in the fourth allowed the Eagles to steal an extra possession. On Page’s last possession, the Panthers drove 70 yards after a solid kick return by junior Brayden Morrison. Richards carried the ball on five of six plays, including an 11-yard ramble into the end zone with :49 seconds left in the game.
Clarke scored on their first three possessions of the second half. The first by way of Jarvis’ legs from five yards out, ending an eight-play, 61-yard drive with 4:19 left in the third quarter. The second by Jarvis’ arm, ending a 10-play, 59-yard drive with a five-yard pass to Mooney with 9:57 left in the game. The last came when Mooney crossed the goal line from two yards out, ending a five-play, 41-yard drive with 7:24 left in the game. Up 42-6, Clarke substituted freely and a running clock ensued.
Each team has three games remaining in the regular season. After starting out 0-3, Page County had won two of its last three heading into homecoming. Now, the Panthers (2-5) end up the season on the road in two of three games as they travel to Madison on Oct. 23, host Central on Oct. 30, and head to Luray on Nov. 6.
Prior to Friday night, Clarke County had not scored more than 14 points in a single game. After hanging 42 points on Page and picking up their first win of the season, the Eagles will now host defending VHSL Class 2 state champions Strasburg on Oct. 23. Clarke wraps up the regular season by hosting Luray on Oct. 30 and traveling to Madison County on Nov. 6.
For the Page County Panthers’ full 2026 schedule,
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