LEMAY – On their practice shirts, McCluer football players wear the words “Faith and Hard Work.”
And during a season that included lopsided losses to some of the best teams in Missouri, it would have been easy for the Comets to lose their faith in the process and stop working hard.
“We definitely faced adversity, but we pulled together,” senior quarterback Andre Bobo said.
That unity through adversity was on display Friday as junior Na’Mari McKinnie gained 132 yards rushing and scored twice, and the Comets’ defense shut the door in the final minutes to earn a hard-fought 20-18 victory over Mehlville at Jack Jordan Stadium.
McCluer (1-6) won for the first time since defeating McCluer North in a district quarterfinal last Oct. 29. The Comets’ first six opponents this season included Cardinal Ritter, Summit, Parkway North and Hazelwood East which were a combined 22-2 entering Week 7.
“With the schedule we have, you better have faith,” McCluer coach Howard Brown said.
On Friday, McCluer faced its first swell of adversity early in the third quarter. Leading 8-6, the Comets took two successive 15-yard penalties, and Mehlville knocked on the door for the go-ahead touchdown.
Brown called a defensive timeout.
“Turn the page and continue to fight,” Brown said of his message to the defense. “We had a goal line stand against Cardinal Ritter, and if you can make a goal line stand against the No. 1 team, you can make a goal line stand against anyone.”
Two plays later, senior Detroit Walker made a diving interception at the one-yard line to prevent Mehlville from scoring.
Standing with their heels on the goal line, the Comets inched even closer to their own end zone due to a false start penalty, but McKinnie and the McCluer offense did not allow the adversity of terrible field position affect them.
On the first play of a nine-play, 99-and-a-half-yard drive, McKinnie escaped around right end for a 30-yard run.
“It was everybody, the defense getting the stops, the O-line blocking, this is a big moment for me. I couldn’t have done it without them,” said McKinnie, who carried the ball 25 times.
He added a 14-yard run on a third-and-7 play. Then, he burst through a crease up the middle and scored from five yards away to put the Comets ahead 14-6.
While his teammates wanted to celebrate a second half lead with him, the Comets’ first of the season, McKinnie calmly handed the ball to the official in the back of the end zone and tempered the enthusiasm.
“We’ve been there before, so just chill,” McKinnie said.
McKinnie may have sensed that any celebration would be premature with Mehlville junior quarterback Colin Clark and the Panthers’ passing game heating up.
After a roughing the punter penalty kept the ensuing Mehlville drive alive, Clark found sophomore Jordan Hannam-Lewis on a 30-yard bomb along the right sideline. On the next play, Clark connected again with Hannam-Lewis, who made a terrific adjustment in front of a McCluer defender for a 28-yard touchdown to slice the deficit to 14-12.
McCluer continued to keep the faith and respond to adversity.
Aided by a Mehlville personal foul on fourth down that allowed the Comets to retain possession, McCluer polished off an eight-play, 50-yard drive when senior Randle Bills darted around left tackle for a seven-yard touchdown run.
But it only took Mehville 42 seconds and three plays to answer. Three consecutive strikes from Clark to junior Jo’van Randle covered 16, 25 and 25 yards, including a backpedaling grab near the front right pylon to slice the deficit to 20-18.
Clark, who excelled at throwing on the run during designed sprint-outs both to his left and right, went 16-of-33 for 239 yards with three touchdowns.
Randle caught six passes for 72 yards and Hannam-Lewis grabbed five for 100 yards, but it was a matter of inches that kept Mehlville from tying the score.
A two-point attempt from Clark to Hannam-Lewis came up just short despite a gallant effort by Hannam-Lewis to extend the ball to the front left pylon.
Mehlville (0-7) was humming offensively, having scored touchdowns on its previous two drives and having produced several big plays. The Panthers quickly forced a McCluer three-and-out and looked to continue their offensive rhythm, but the Comets’ defense knew adversity and understood the task at hand.
“We pushed those (big) plays to the side. We didn’t get mad, and we didn’t give up,” sophomore Tereze Williams said.
A sack by senior Chris Adkins forced a punt on the next Mehlville drive and a diving interception by Williams gave the ball back to the McCluer offense with just over two minutes remaining.
Bobo saw the finish line. The senior quarterback kept the ball on four consecutive carries, and his powerful 13-yard bulldoze up the middle provided the final piece to McCluer’s first victory of the season.
“It means the world,” Bobo said. “I take pride in leading the team into the fire. I’m just blessed to be in the situation to lead us to the ‘W.’”
It was a ‘W’ that, despite an average margin of defeat of 34 points prior to Friday, the Comets had faith would eventually come through hard work.
“Never did I feel like our guys stopped swinging, stopped fighting, stopped competing. These young men show up every day and work hard every day. They are great representations of Ferguson-Florissant,” Brown said.