ELDRIDGE — The royal nickname stretching across their helmet decals said it all.
Kings.
Kings of the Mississippi Athletic Conference. The No. 3-ranked Clinton football team beat North Scott 61-14 on Friday at Lancer Stadium to clinch the outright MAC championship — the second such achievement in program history.
Clinton also won a solo MAC title in 1985 and shared the league pinnacle in 1978 and 1991.
“We don't want to share,” Clinton left guard Derek Thornton said. “We said, 'We've shared before, and we're not going to share this year.' And we came out and played hard.”
Kings.
Kings of eastern Iowa. Clinton (9-0) completed an undefeated regular season — its first since 1985 — to secure the No. 1 seed in the Iowa Class 4A eastern playoff bracket.
Clinton hosts Cedar Rapids Prairie (3-6) in a substate game at 7 Wednesday night at Coan Field.
The No. 1 seed “is big, especially for home-field advantage and all the stuff that comes with it,” quarterback/defensive back Jake Mangler said. “For the fans, they have a little more confidence in us. That's huge that we got that, and hopefully that'll carry us to the (UNI-Dome).”
The River Kings used three first-quarter takeaways to build a 19-0 lead, and a blocked punt set up another score early in the second. Twenty-eight third-quarter points left little doubt.
Clinton's defense forced five turnovers and held a high-scoring North Scott (5-4) offense to 150 total yards and five first downs.
Kings. They played like it.
“When we walked off the field a year ago after the playoff game, we were like, 'We're better,’ ” Clinton coach Lee Camp said. “All season we've been trying to convince them, 'You're better than you're playing.' And I think they really bought in and believed it.”
Mangler threw two touchdowns, rushed for 87 yards and a touchdown and returned an interception for a score.
Running back David Johnson rushed 22 times for 144 yards and two touchdowns, finishing as the MAC's scoring and rushing leader. Fellow back Ty Hatheway ran for 75 yards and two scores.
“I can't even explain this feeling right now,” Hatheway said. “It feels so good to be MAC champions right now.”
After defensive back Adam Young recovered an early fumble, Hatheway darted 27 yards to make it 7-0 Clinton midway through the first quarter.
Mangler connected with wideout Colin Sullivan from 9 yards out to make it 14-0. Linebacker Blake Pennock soared for an interception on North Scott's next snap from scrimmage, and seven plays later Mangler found receiver Evan Kenney for a 21-yard strike.
“The whole first half we had a short field,” Camp said. “...When we get a short field, our offense, their eyes get big and they come to life.”
On the Lancers’ next possession, defensive tackle Austin Krick swatted a North Scott punt high in the air, and Steve Ralston recovered the ball at the North Scott 13-yard line. Mangler followed with a 5-yard scamper to make it 26-0.
And the Kings were on their way to assuming the league throne.
All by themselves.
“We've had some success, but we've never really finished anything,” Mangler said. “This year we did it, and we have a whole new season the next five games.”
Scoring by quarters
Clinton 19 14 28 0 — 61
N. Scott 0 7 0 7 — 14
First quarter
C — Ty Hatheway 27 run (Ben Parker kick), 6:31
C — Colin Sullivan 9 pass from Jake Mangler (kick failed), 2:26
C — Evan Kenney 21 pass from Mangler (pass fail), :00
Second quarter
C —Mangler 5 run (Parker kick), 9:00
C — David Johnson 18 run (Parker kick) 2:46
NS — Aaron Huber 6 run (Austin Miller kick)
Third quarter
C — Hatheway 31 run (Parker kick), 9:56
C — Johnson 6 run (Ryan Judge kick) 4:06
C — Mangler 37 interception return (Parker kick), 1:48
C — Terran Ottens 28 fumble return (Judge kick), :57
Fourth quarter
NS — Cory Greenleaf 28 (Miller kick), 9:58
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING — Clinton, Johnson 22-144, Mangler 14-87, Hatheway 5-75, Aaron Brown 7-32, Damon Benson 4-13, Mo Walker 2-2, Matt Morrow 3-(-6). North Scott, Greenleaf 2-48, Huber 10-40, Dane Mikkelsen 2-16, Cody Manthe 10-(-18).
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