AMORY — Shannon’s last two wins had come down to the finish. Friday at Amory, the Red Raiders gave themselves room before the fourth quarter arrived.
After falling behind early, Shannon answered with 28 consecutive points and beat the Panthers 28–14 on October 16. Dashaun Clifton threw two touchdown passes to SirValad Montgomery and ran for another score, helping turn a game Amory had led into a 28–7 Shannon advantage by the end of the third quarter.
The Panthers scored again in the fourth. They could not erase the lead Shannon had built.
It was the Red Raiders’ fourth straight victory, lifting them to 6–2. Amory fell to 4–4. For Shannon, the road win followed a 38–35 homecoming finish against Pontotoc and a 26–21 decision over Houston, games that had left little margin at the end.
Shannon answers the early deficit
Amory had the first seven points. Shannon’s first touchdown brought the Red Raiders within 7–6 in the opening quarter, leaving the lead with the Panthers as the game moved toward the second.
Clifton and Montgomery changed that. Their second-quarter touchdown connection was the first of two scoring passes between the quarterback and No. 4, and Shannon carried a 14–7 lead into halftime.
Clifton contributed with his legs as well. A fourth-down run in the second quarter was part of a night in which the quarterback’s work extended beyond his two touchdown throws.
The decisive separation came after halftime. In the third quarter, No. 12 took the ball into the end zone himself. He then found Montgomery for another touchdown, extending the lead through the same two players who had supplied Shannon’s second-quarter touchdown.
By the end of the quarter, Amory needed three touchdowns to draw even.
More than the touchdown throws
Clifton finished with 119 passing yards, two touchdown passes and one interception, along with 39 rushing yards and a score. His three touchdowns accounted for most of Shannon’s scoring, but the Red Raiders had other players helping them move the ball.
Braylen Deans finished with 144 total yards. No. 2 was also on the receiving end of a third-quarter Clifton completion. In the fourth, Clifton connected with No. 17 Juan Perry on third down.
Amory’s late touchdown brought the final margin to 14 points. The Panthers had scored first and last, but Shannon’s response between those scores decided the game.
The Red Raiders’ winning streak began with a 38–0 victory at South Pontotoc on September 25. Wins over Pontotoc, Houston and now Amory have carried that run into the final weeks of the regular season.
Both teams return home Friday, October 23. Shannon hosts Itawamba Agricultural, and Amory welcomes Corinth. Both kickoffs are scheduled for 7 p.m. Central.
Watch Dashaun Clifton’s NMSN Player of the Week highlights from the win at Amory.
NMSN’s Game of the Week coverage is presented by Impact Health Clinics.
