Turnovers plague the Lions in loss to New Hampton

Clear Lake’s Jagger Schmitt found a hole during Friday nights game against New Hampton.  Also pictured for the Lions is Ben Loge (13).  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

by Marianne Gasaway

Down by four with under four-minutes to play, the Clear Lake football team executed a perfect onside kick and efficiently moved the ball all the way to the New Hampton red zone before turnovers dashed hopes for an outright District title.  

“We can’t have four turnovers or give up 300-yards in offense and win. That’s what it comes down to,” said Head Coach Jared DeVries.  

The bright spot, he admitted, was that his team kept fighting despite not having their best outing.

After jumping out to a 7-0 lead, the Lions found themselves down 20-14 at the half.

The Lions used a mix of run and pass plays to travel 60-yards on seven plays to score on their opening drive.  Carson Toebe connected with Zeke Nelson for a 16-yard TD pass and Kinnick Clabaugh split the uprights.  Clabaugh kicked four PATs in the game, extending his success to 19 straight.

The Chickasaws had been held to -2 yards of offense until the closing minutes of the first period, but that’s when running back Ben Tenge broke loose for 44-yards and sparked his team. They scored two plays later and a two-point conversion put them on top, 8-7.  A second TD followed early in the second quarter and New Hampton had the Lions on their heels with a fumble recovery and a third score.

Clear Lake closed the gap to one touchdown when Thomas Meyer made a leaping catch in the back of the end zone 16-seconds before the halftime buzzer.

The Lions defense had some bend but don’t break moments in the third quarter and when Jacob Schoby recovered a Chickasaw fumble hopes of tying the score were high.  But just a handful of plays later, the Lions lost a fumble of their own and New Hampton went on to score for a 26-14 lead.

Completed passes to Ben Loge and Travaughn Luyobya were instrumental in a Lion TD which were part of a fast and furious scoring exchange. The Lions trimmed the lead to 26-21 with about six-minutes to play, but less than a minute later, New Hampton’s ball control offense produced another TD and an 11-point lead, 32-21.  Toebe fired back with a 41-yard completion to Loge and then ran the ball himself for a 16-yard score to pull within four-points, 32-28, with 4:36 to play.

Momentum continued to swing Clear Lake’s way when Clabaugh delivered a perfect on-side kick and the Lions were on the verge of a score.  A fumble dashed hopes momentarily, but the Lion defense forced a punt to give their team a final chance.  With timing ticking away the Lions went to the air.  An interception at midfield spelled defeat.

Toebe finished with 16 completions in 33 attempts for 211-yards and three touchdowns.  Luyobya snagged two passes for 65-yards.  Zeke Nelson had seven receptions for 57.

Jagger Schmitt led the Lion ground game with 15 carries for 84-yards. Toebe finished with 30-yards rushing and Nelson had 30 on four totes.

Hunter Rieck had an outstanding game on defense with four solo and three tackle assists.  Two of his tackles were for a loss. Meyer was also a defensive leader with three solo and four tackle assists. Luyobya, Schmitt, Derek Erpelding, Mateo Gonzalez, Jett Neuberger and Jakob Myers all had three tackles apiece.  Nelson had a team-high six tackles assists and Schoby had five.  Erpelding also had an interception in the game.