CLINTON — Quarterback Wesley Mounger and his 15 seniorteammates had been waiting impatiently for their Friday night debuton the new Arrow Field. Mounger made sure the celebration had ahappy conclusion as he directed the Arrows to a 35-18 triumph overthe Brookhaven Panthers. The slender 5-foot-9, 149-pound seniordodged and darted through Ole Brook’s defense, passing for onetouchdown and rushing for another.

Any plans Brookhaven had of spoiling Clinton’s celebration werecrushed by two electric kickoff returns for touchdowns by DeAngeloBuckner. A huge crowd, estimated at 6,500 witnessed Buckner’s 92and 97-yard returns.

“Special teams won the game,” said Mounger. “We wanted to comeout and play hard and win.”

Asked about playing on the new artificial turf, Mounger said, “Idon’t like it right now because it’s slippery. Hopefully, I’ll getused to it.”

Mounger was able to slip through Brook’s defense in crucialsituations. The Arrows took over at Brook’s 38-yard line with 1:38left in the first half after Andrew Armstrong had picked off aCharles Rancifer pass. Racing the clock, Mounger scrambled andpassed the Arrows to the 7-yard line where he threw a touchdownstrike to Marti Shelby on a slant pattern.

Brett DeRosette’s PAT put Clinton ahead 21-10 with 16 secondsleft in the first half.

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