By Chris Yow
For The Tribune
MONTGOMERY — An early lead quickly dissipated for Clay-Chalkville on Friday night as Park Crossing flexed its muscle behind a strong performance from Louisville commit Malik Cunningham en route to a 56-17 win over the visiting Cougars.
Clay-Chalkville jumped out to an early 10-0 lead behind an early touchdown pass from quarterback Tyrese Sewell — filling in for the injured Willie Miller — to Terrill Cole and a Drennon Mayhew field goal. Sewell ended his night 7-of-12 for 134 yards — all of which came in the first half.
From that point on, however, it was all Park Crossing.
The Thunderbirds cut the lead to 10-7 with a Cunningham touchdown pass to Doron Mitchell. Cunningham would throw another touchdown pass and run for one as well in the first half.
Clay-Chalkville did threaten to tie the game in the second quarter with a 12-play drive, but Park Crossing stopped Tony Gurley on 4th-and-2 from the 3-yard-line.
Cunningham’s two scores, coupled with a pair of field goals from Jake Lane, gave Park Crossing a 26-10 halftime lead.
Cunningham had touchdown runs of 89 and eight yards in the game. He tossed a total of four touchdowns in the game, and finished with 243 yards through the air.
The Cougars offense never found its rhythm after posting 153 total yards in the first quarter. In fact, the Cougars managed just two first downs in the second half. If not for a fumble recovery and 51-yard return, the Cougars would’ve been shut out for three quarters. Derrick Bean did, however, recover a fumble and scored the lone Cougars touchdown of the final three quarters.
The fumble recovery was stopped a streak of eight consecutive drives that ended in Thunderbird points.
The Cougars fall to 6-4 on the season, and will be off next week before traveling to Ramsay in the first round of the playoffs in two weeks.