Lions pick up Homecoming victory

[caption id="attachment_12747" align="alignleft" width="270"] Senior Carter Garrington gets ready to stiff arm an approaching Green Devil in Friday night’s game at Lion’s Field. Garrington scored two touchdowns for the Lions and led the rushing game.[/caption]

Head Coach Jared DeVries said his Lions had a good week of practice and it showed.

Boy did it show.

The 0-2 Lions handled Class 2A’s seventh ranked team, Osage, by a score of 35-13.  The Homecoming win gave the Lions a 1-0 start in Class 2A District 2 play.

The Lions wasted no time in setting the tone for the game.  Clear Lake’s defense dug in and stopped the Green Devils on their opening drive, then showed some power on offense with a 13 play, 68-yard drive capped by Nick Eggers’ 15-yard touchdown run.  The PAT by Jarod Anderson made the score 7-0.

The crazed Homecoming crowd was quickly silenced when Caleb Bushbaum returned Anderson’s kickoff 94-yards for an Osage score.  The PAT was no good, leaving the Lion up 7-6.

The Lions kept rolling on their next possession.  Lead by seniors Carter Garrington  and Zach Tatum,  the Lions tacked on another score on an eight play, 62-yard drive.  Tatum carried the ball into the end zone and the PAT was converted as the first quarter ended, 14-6.

Two more touchdowns were added in the second quarter.  Garrington scored from the three-yard-line midway through the quarter and Anderson followed his blockers into the end zone from 15-yards out to make the score 28-6 at halftime.

Garrington capped off a good game in the fourth quarter with his second touchdown of the night.  Another Anderson PAT made the score 35-6.

Osage scored its first offensive touchdown with just over a minute to play in the game.  The Green Devils played the majority of the game without their leading rusher and receiver Collin Havel.  In the first quarter Havel went down with an apparent ankle injury.  He did not return to the game.

The Clear Lake defense held the Green Devils to 141-yards of total offense and just six first downs.

Ryan Atkinson had an outstanding game with seven solo tackles, three assists, a quarterback sack and a solo tackle for a loss. Anderson recorded five solo tackles and an assist, while Joey Monson and Justin Sholly each had four solo takedowns.  Aaron Kelson and Halston Southwick also had sacks.

Garrington led the Lions with 95 yards rushing on 21 carries.  Tatum finished with 72-yards on 16 carries and Anderson picked up 38-yards on two runs.  Eggers had 26-yards on four carries.  Parker Pitzen rushed seven times for 21-yards and Zach Lester ran 10 times for four-yards.  Aaron Canchola ran once for minus two-yards.

Lester completed three of nine pass attempts for 37-yards.

“I am pleased with the progress the team is making.  The kids have been working hard and our growth has been steady,” said Coach DeVries.  “These are young guys and they are improving snap by snap.  The tempo we played with was fantastic.  That’s what we need week in and week out.”

The Lions will be looking to post another District 2 win on the road this week to face Estherville Lincoln Central.  E-LC defeated Clarion-Goldfield-Dows/CAL 46-30 in their District 2 opener.  They are now 1-2 overall.

“They are a big, physical team that looks to be explosive,” said DeVries.  The are young at the skill positions, but have big play capability.”