It was the best possible scenario for Fairfield Central – a chance to avenge their only defeat of the season, knock off their third consecutive number one seed on the road and earn a spot in next week’s championship rumble.

But it was the worst possible outcome.

The Stallions of South Pointe, playing at the height of their football powers, scored on their first touch of the game – a 61-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Devin Pearson to JaRyan Jennings – to rock the Griffins back on their heels 17 seconds into Friday night’s Upper State Championship bout.

From that moment forward, it was pure highlight reel material for the Championship-bound Stallions as they snuffed out the Griffins’ season 53-8.

The highly recruited football machine, Jadeveon Clowney, had a superlative performance, mashing the Griffin offense and scoring three touchdowns on the night.

The first came after Clowney smothered Griffin quarterback Danny Miller on the Fairfield Central 9-yard line and popped the ball from Miller’s grasp. Clowney then scooped up the fumble and bounded into the end zone to make it 13-0.

The 2-point conversion by the Stallions put them ahead 15-0 even before many of the Griffin faithful could take their seats.

Clowney added another score on a 2-yard carry with 10:15 remaining in the nightmare first quarter. The score was set up by a Miller interception, picked off by Albert Neely at the Griffin 24-yard line.

The Stallions had rolled up a 36-0 lead in the first before the Griffins were able to mount any semblance of a threat, and even that threat was quickly laid to rest.

The Griffins’ late first quarter drive began on their own 20. They had propelled themselves to the South Pointe 43 when Clowney struck again, picking off another Miller pass and taking it all the way back for a touchdown, making it 43-0.

The Griffins managed to break the shutout late in the fourth quarter when Miller hit Shaquille Young with a 57-yard rocket down the middle of the field. Young added the 2-point conversion on the option pitch from Miller to give the Griffins their only points of the ball game with 7 minutes remaining.

The Stallions will face off against Myrtle Beach in the State Title game next week. Myrtle Beach bounced Bluffton 47-0 in the Lower State bracket.