Despite delays Lions cruise to 41-38 victory over IF-A

(Above) Clear Lake’s Derek Erpelding makes a shoe string tackle and brings down the Iowa Falls-Alden ball carrier.  Ready to lend a hand is Travaughn Luyobya.  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

by Marianne Gasaway

Clear Lake’s 2021 football season opener was worth the wait.

Friday storms pushed the Lions’ game with Iowa Falls-Alden to Saturday morning— and Saturday morning rain and lightning delayed kickoff to after 2 p.m.  But when the skies cleared and the whistle blew the teams were ready.  Clear Lake posted an exciting 41-38 victory in non-district action.

Quarterback Carson Toebe led the Lions up and down the field, finishing with 351-yards  on 12-for-24 passing and 160-yards rushing.  The senior signal-caller passed for three touchdowns, ran for two and had a game-ending interception.

Head Coach Jared DeVries said the best thing he saw out of his team went beyond the x’s and o’s.

“The best thing was our fight— our never give up,” he said.  “We had guys stepping in who have not played varsity ball before.  I was really, really proud of them.”

The first half was an offensive showdown, as the Cadets took the opening kickoff and marched 62-yards on 10 plays for a touchdown.  A successful PAT gave the Cadets a quick 7-0 lead.

Not to be outdone, the Lions answered with a drive of their own. They moved the ball from their 19 to the end zone with a mix of passing and run plays, capped by Toebe’s one-yard dive into pay dirt.  Kinnick Clabaugh’s kick tied the score at 7-7 with 3:36 remaining in the first period.

Running back Kacen Boyer scored his second touchdown of the day on IF-A’s next possession.  The junior broke away from the Lion defense at the 35 to give his team a 14-7 lead as the first period ticked away.

The Lion offense sputtered a bit as the first period ended, but on the first play of the second period Toebe coolly eluded rushers and found Ben Loge downfield.  Loge raced 65-yards for Clear Lake’s second touchdown.  Clabaugh’s kick was wide left, leaving the Lions trailing, 14-13.  The margin quickly expanded to 21-13 after the Cadets scored on three plays.

Clear Lake was able to pull back within one when a Cadet punt attempt went bad deep in their own territory.  The Lions took possession on the 16 and one play later Toebe connected with first-year player Travaughn Luyobya for a touchdown.  The Lions lined up to go for two, but a penalty moved the ball back to the 13.  A 30-yard PAT by Clabaugh was good, putting Clear Lake back to within one, 21-20.

The scoring flurry continued through the first half, as Boyer continued to plow through the Lions and scored his third TD of the half, 28-30, with just over two-minutes remaining.  Clear Lake answered with a four-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Aiden Hartl powering straight ahead behind some good blocking to bring the Lions within two.  Toebe took the ball in himself for a two-point conversion which tied the game up just before halftime at 28-28.

Toebe started the second half the same way he ended the first, avoiding tackles with skill and outrunning any would-be tacklers for a 67-yard touchdown.  The Lions surged 

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ahead, 35-28.

Unfortunately, the lead didn’t last long.  On the next series the Cadets traveled 74-yards on seven plays and evened the score at 35-35 with more than half of the third quarter remaining.  

Coach DeVries said defensive adjustments made at halftime began to yield results as the second half progressed.  The Lions forced a three and out, but the offense couldn’t capitalize.  Through three quarters the Lions had out gunned the Cadets 471 to 366-yards, but IF-A was threatening as the fourth quarter began.  On third and goal from the sixth, senior Tucker Jones gave the Lions a lift when he broke through the line to wrap up a Cadet in the backfield.  With the ball on the 15, the Cadets opted to go for a field goal and Ivan Orozco split the uprights from 32-yards out to give IF-A a 38-35 advantage.

A pair of completions to Loge contributed to Clear Lake’s final touchdown on the day and ultimately, the win.  Loge finished with seven receptions for 260-yards.  

A missed extra point gave the Cadets hope for at least a field goal to tie the game in the final minutes, but again the Lions defense rose up.

Clear Lake’s defense was led by returning letter winners Jett Neuberger, Hunter Rieck, Nick Brcka, Derek Erpelding, Max Dieke and Tucker Jones.  Neuberger had a team high 9.5 tackles.  Rieck was next with 7.5, followed by Brcka with 5.5, Erpelding with 4.5, Deike with four and Jones 3.5.  But those numbers didn’t overshadow a host of others.

“It is unbelievable how many guys got in and made the most of it,” said Coach DeVries.  He noted the play of non-starters senior Jaxon Morgan, junior Jackson West, and sophomores Mitchil Smith, Jake Treanary and Tyler LeFevre was crucial to success.

IF-A senior quarterback Blake Janssen finished with 88-yards passing, completing six of 15 pass attempts.  Boyer carried the ball 36 times for 257-yards and three touchdowns.  Gabe Hadwiger rushed 11 times for 94-yards and a score.

This week the Lions will host Algona (1-0) in another non-district game.  The Bulldogs dominated Emmetsburg, 25-0, in their opener.  DeVries called Algona a “very big, talented team with a great wide receiver-quarterback combination.”  Senior quarterback Tyler Manske threw for 256-yards and scored four touchdowns. Trevon Smith made nine receptions for 118-yards and three TDs.Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. 

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