Win well worth the wait

[caption id="attachment_36640" align="alignleft" width="270"] Clear Lake’s Jaden Green had a stellar night for the Lions, rushing for 196-yards on 21 carries. He also had three touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions. -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy[/caption]

(Above) Clear Lake’s Drew Enke hauls in one of four catches he made during Friday night’s game against Osage.  Enke had 68 receiving yards.  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

It took two days, but Clear Lake High School’s football season got underway Friday night.  And it was worth the wait.

Lightning delays pushed the start of the game from 7:30 to almost 9:30.  Some three hours later the Lions claimed a thrilling 55-40 victory over Osage.

“It was an odd night.  Emotions were running high — there were highs and lows as we were ready to start the game, then sent for cover,” said Clear Lake Head Coach Jared DeVries.  In his pre-game comments the coach noted he was pleased to keep Osage, now a 1A school, on the schedule because he respected Green Devils Coach Matt Finn and knew his team would be a solid opponent.

Each team experienced some early jitters, but the Lions eventually settled into a passing game which yielded results.

Quarterback Jaylen DeVries got the Lions on the board first with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Kody Kearns.  Hunter Nielsen kicked the extra point to give the Lions a 7-0 lead.  The Lion defense quickly gave the ball back to DeVries and company with an interception by Nick Danielson.  The turnover allowed Jaden Green to score from four-yards out.  It was the first of three touchdowns the sophomore would have on the night.  He finished with 196-yards on 21 carries, also recording a pair of two-point conversions.

By halftime the Lions were in cruise control with a 27-0 lead.

Less than three-minutes into the second half Green scored again and a successful two-point conversion put the continuous clock in motion with the score at 35-0.

Just when it seemed everything was going Clear Lake’s way, the Green Devils came alive.  A TD and two-point conversion with five-minutes remaining in the third made the score 35-8 and stopped the continuous clock.

The Lions responded with a quick touchdown of their own, as Nick Danielson rambled 62-yards for a Clear Lake score to put his team ahead 41-8.

Osage wasn’t ready to give in and the host team put together a nine play, 68-yard scoring drive to close the third quarter down 41-16.

Green raced 76-yards mere seconds into the fourth quarter for his third TD of the night and it appeared the Lions would coast to a victory ahead 47-16.

Looks were deceiving.

Two-minutes later the Green Devils were back in the end zone after a 34-yard touchdown pass capped a seven-play, 60-yard drive.  A two-point conversion nearly halved the score, 47-24.  On Clear Lake’s next possession Green was stripped of

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the ball and Osage recovered and again eyed the end zone.  The Green Devils took over on the Lions 41-yard line and quickly connected on a 26-yard pass, helped by a roughing the passer call.  A touchdown followed and the score was suddenly 47-32.

The Osage defense held the Lions and with 3:49 remaining in the game pushed the score to 47-40, courtesy of a 57-yard touchdown pass.

The Green Devils attempted an on-side kick, but senior Drew Enke controlled the ball and set the Lions up for a score on the Osage 43.  DeVries completed passes to Enke and Danielson to move the ball into Green Devil territory.  With 1:20 remaining, Danielson powered straight ahead for a 37-yard TD.  The PAT was blocked, but an unsportsmanlike conduct call against Osage resulted in the Lions tacking on two-points for the 55-40 final.

A Hail Mary toss in the final minute was picked off by Jack Barragy, ending Osage’s second half rally.

The Lions finished the game with 507-yards of offense.  DeVries was five-for-eight passing for 116 yards.  The junior QB also ran nine times for 16-yards.  Enke pulled down four of DeVries’ passes for 68-yards.  Kearns made one reception for 48-yards.

Danielson nearly mirrored Green’s rushing performance by carrying 11 times for 160-yards.  Alex Snelling ran six times for 19-yards.

Defensively, Austin Larson had five solo and three assisted tackles, as well as a fumble recovery.  Sophomore Ty Fisher also recorded five solo tackles, including a solo tackle for a loss.  He was credited with a sack.  Freshman Jagger Schmitt made four solo and one assisted tackle for the Lions.  Snelling also recorded four solo tackles, two of them for a Green Devil loss.  Other defensive leaders included Chase Stuver who made three solo tackles, one for a loss, and one assisted tackle.

This week the Lions, who hold steady at number four in Class 2A in the Radio Iowa poll and are ranked third in the Des Moines Register poll, are at home to host Waverly-Shell Rock.  The Go-Hawks (3A) defeated North Fayette Valley in their season-opener, 35-21.  W-SR is currently ranked fourth in the Radio Iowa Class 3A poll and sixth in the Des Moines Register.

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