Lions shut out Cadets, but left out of play-offs

(Above) Clear Lake quarterback Jaylen DeVries hands off to running back Jaden O’Brien Green during Friday night’s romp over Iowa Falls-Alden.  DeVries set new single season and all-time passing records at Clear Lake Friday night.  O’Brien Green finished the night with 139-yards on 13 carries.  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

by Marianne Gasaway

The Clear Lake Lions did everything they could to end the regular season with an exclamation point.  A 42-0 decisive victory over Iowa Falls-Alden did just that.  But sadly, the season ended with a question mark and a period.

Despite a runner-up finish in District 3 with a 4-1 record, and going 7-2 overall, the Lions did not make the post-season play-offs.  Why?

“The system is flawed,” said a disappointed Coach Jared DeVries on Monday.  “I just got off the phone with the president of the Iowa High School Football Coaches Association discussing it.  There are steps to be done and an evaluation process.  We will hold our district meetings and try to figure out what’s best for the kids.  I think that’s what has been lost in this.”

The state devised a new formula for choosing qualifying teams for the 2018 playoffs. This year, only the district champion or teams tying for a district championship received automatic qualification.  The Lions were especially hurt by teams tying for titles in two districts.

In District 7, Benton Community, Union (LaPorte City) and West Marshall each had 4-1 district records.  In District 9, Greene County and Kuemper Catholic of Carroll tied with 4-1 records (Kuemper had a 5-4 overall record and Ratings Percentage Index of .5461).  The third place team in District 9, OABCIG (3-2, 7-2) also qualified for post-season based on its .5847 RPI.

Algona (.6368), Chariton (.6355) and Spirit Lake (.6013) made the playoffs based upon their RPI.

Clear Lake finished with an RPI of .5765, the 12th best overall in Class 2A.  The Lions’ RPI was actually higher than that of District 3 winner Crestwood (.5763), Union (.5703), West Liberty (.5691), Williamsburg (.5628) and Kuemper (.5461).

“It’s unfortunate for the seniors and our football team,” said DeVries.  “We played very well Friday night and we were just hitting our stride.  The amount of points we were putting up and the talent level— no team in the state has it.  That’s why we were going to be such a threat in the post-season.”

The Lions demonstrated their dominance in every aspect of the game against Iowa Falls-Alden, outgunning the Cadets 371 to 140-yards.  The Lion defense recorded 18 tackles for a loss and sacked IF-A quarterbacks three times.

Meanwhile, Clear Lake quarterback Jaylen DeVries set new Clear Lake High School single season and all-time passing records in the game.  DeVries topped the mark set by Brock Adams between 2012 and 2014).  Adams completed 209 of 340 pass attempts (61 percent) for 3,929 yards.  DeVries, a junior, completed seven of 14 pass attempts for 154-yards in the game, bringing his total to  3,961-yards.  Last season DeVries broke Ozzie Adams’ single season passing record and this year he surpassed his own mark, going 95/161 (59 percent) for 1,828-yards.

The Lions got their first score about midway through the first quarter when Nick Danielson broke away for a 50-yard run to the end zone.  Hunter Nielsen split the uprights for the first of six times on the night to make the score 7-0.

In the second quarter the team broke away for three touchdowns.  Jaden O-Brien Green capped a seven play, 85-yard drive with a 15-yard scamper into the end zone.  On the ensuing possession IF-A quarterback Samuel Off fumbled a snap and Kade Hambly had the good hands to snatch it from the air and take it 42-yards for a score.  With three-minutes remaining before the halftime break Danielson caught a pass from DeVries and raced 58-yards to make the score 28-0.

O’Brien-Green made the second of his three TDs on the night on the Lions’ first possession of the second half. He took the ball in from the one to cap a 12 play, 70-yard touchdown drive and start the continuous clock.  The margin went to 42-0 early in the fourth quarter.  It was O’Brien-Green again a few minutes later, this time scoring from 33-yards out.  The Clear Lake sophomore finished with 139-yards on 13 carries.

A number of young Lion players had a chance to gain varsity experience as the clock ticked away in the runaway game.

“I am excited about our JV team and the younger players,” said Coach DeVries, noting the Lion JV team finished with a 8-1 record this season.  “The kids have bought into what we are doing at the varsity level and that’s what it takes.”

DeVries thanked and applauded his seniors for their hard work and dedication to the program.  The 12 seniors on the team were: Landon Lovsted, Tate Storbeck, Alex Snelling, Braxton Doebel, Jake Keith, Thorson Olinger, Kade Hambly, Chase Stuver, AJ Stevenson, Mac Adams, Jared Penning and Drew Enke.