Lions pick up 34-12 win over Bulldogs

Clear Lake evened up its Class 2A District 2 record in their best performance of the season Friday night.  The Lions went on the road and cruised past Hampton-Dumont, 34-12.

The Lions (2-4, 2-2) recorded 440-yards of offense in a balanced attack.

Quarterback Thomas Storbeck was 10/14 passing for 189-yards.  The senior leader also ran nine times for a team-high 69-yards.

Head Coach Jared DeVries praised his linemen for making things happen for the Lions.

“We will only go as far as the offensive and defensive lines will take us.  Our backs ran hard, but credit goes to the O-line.  They really got it moving for us,” said DeVries.

The scoring started early, as a blocked punt started a Lion drive. Speed Toyne followed linemen Kyle Willms and Jared Penning into the end zone for the first Clear Lake score.  The TD was followed by a successful two-point conversion by Toyne, putting the Lions ahead, 8-0.

Zach Lester recorded his eighth interception of the year to give the Lions the ball again midway through the first period. Lester snatched the ball at the goal line and took it out to the 14 to start a second Lion scoring drive.  Storbeck capped his teams’ longest drive of the year, 86-yards, to make the score 14-0.  The two-point try was no good.

Lester also rocked the Bulldogs with a 74-yard touchdown pass reception, followed by a successful two-point conversion catch to make the score 22-0 as time ran out in the first half.  On the night, Lester caught four passes for 116-yards.

The Bulldogs finally got on the scoreboard in the fourth quarter.  With just over two-minutes remaining in the third period, H-D began to move the ball down the field and was in Lion territory.  The Bulldogs began to gain some momentum, thanks to Lion penalties.  Hampton-Dumont got their fourth first down on a penalty, placing the ball at the 30.  When Coach DeVries was flagged on the sideline, the Bulldogs moved to the 15, and a facemask penalty placed the ball just outside the seven-yard line. On first and goal inside the one, the host school scored, but the kick was no good, 22-6.

Clear Lake quickly got the points back, as Storbeck found a wide-open Drew Enke for a 16-yard touchdown pass.  The seven play, 44-yard drive put the score at 28-6.

Another Lion penalty on four down, their sixth on the night, helped the Bulldogs score their second touchdown at the 6:13 mark in the fourth.

One more drive, this one a 10-play, 74-yard trek, made the final score 34-12.  Toyne carried the ball into the end zone.  Toyne finished the night with 58-yards on 16 carries.  Teammate Kyle Calaguas had 57-yards on seven totes.

Ryan Atkinson provided the spark for the Lion defense all night.  The senior had five solo tackles, four assists and a sack.  Three of his tackles went for a loss.  Dalton Grell and Cody Matz also had five solo tackles.  Grell added eight assists to his total, while Matz had five.  Toyne also made five solo tackles on defense, one for a loss.  Torian Lee had four solo and four assists, as well as a solo tackle for a loss. Both of Max McKenna’s two solo tackles went for Bulldog losses.

Hampton-Dumont, which last year finished in a tie for the District 2 title along with Clear Lake and Garner-Hayfield-Ventura, fell to 0-6, 0-4.  The Bulldogs recorded 91-yards passing and 124 on the ground.  The Bulldogs were led by junior Parker Juhl, who ran the ball five times for 36-yards. Senior Johnny Guerrero rushed the ball 12 times for 34 yards.

This week the Lions will tangle with Clarion-Goldfield-Dows-CAL (4-2, 2-2) on the road.  The Cowboys are currently in the middle of the District 2 pack along with Clear Lake.  They are coming off an impressive 38-17 victory over previously unbeaten Garner-Hayfield-Ventura.