Swinney, Moore share Monday night spotlight in Clayton’s victory over Affton – STLtoday.com

The Clayton running back duo combined for more than 400 yards rushing and five touchdowns in the Greyhounds’ 33-12 win over Affton in a Suburban Conference Blue Pool game at Gay Field that was postponed from its original date last Friday.

Swinney rushed for 209 yards and three scores in the victory, while Moore went for 207 yards and two TDs on the ground.

“It was a little competition tonight, but it was friendly competition. I loved it,” Swinney said. “This gives the team a big confidence boost heading into next week and the next couple weeks. It feels really good when people come out to the games and cheer us on.”

The win was a rare one in recent times for Clayton (1-3 overall, 1-1 league). The Greyhounds had lost 15 of their previous 16 games dating back to an opening week victory in 2019. Their only win in that span also came against Affton during last year’s pandemic-shortened season.

“It just feels good to get a win going into homecoming (against Principia on Saturday),” Clayton coach Ray Barnes said. “We finally got most of our guys back healthy and we’re just trying to get better each game.”

Clayton took the opening kickoff and marched 69 yards in just five plays, capped off by Swinney’s 29-yard run that included a couple of dazzling spin moves.

“I was very tired come second half, but I just decided that I had to help the team and get more touchdowns and more yards,” Swinney said.

Moore then had an eventful few minutes of action on the field.

He came down with an interception at midfield. Not long after, he had a big 34-yard run, but it was wiped out by a penalty. Two plays later, he took a handoff and heaved a 42-yard halfback-option completion to Ben Brown. Moore then took the next handoff and ran it into the end zone from 8 yards out to increase the Clayton lead to 14-0.

“It was a crazy drive,” Moore said.

After fumbling the ball away on the previous drive, Swinney darted 14 yards up the middle just 26 seconds into the second quarter to give Clayton a three-score lead.

The Greyhounds made it four TDs on five possessions when Moore capped a nine-play, 65-yard drive with a 1-yard burst and Clayton would lead 27-0 at halftime.

“This is Calvin’s second game back, so having those two guys we can bounce off and have them both play makes a big difference,” Barnes said. “And they challenge each other in a good way. It’s good for us.”

Affton (0-4, 0-2), which has dropped nine straight games since closing a 9-2 season in 2019 with a loss, finally got on the scoreboard when Jaelyn Duncan rumbled up the middle and shed some tackles on his way to a 40-yard scoring run to make it 27-6 five minutes into the third quarter.

Swinney added his third scoring run, a 7-yard scamper, midway through the fourth quarter and the Cougars’ Terran Mitchell closed out the scoring by returning the ensuing kickoff for a TD, but the Greyhounds hung on and will get to celebrate a rare day in school after a game.

“It was different,” Moore said of playing on a Monday night. “We needed this win. We can go to school tomorrow happy. It’s kind of trash, though, because we’ve got to school tomorrow. But we got the win.”