Mistakes cost the Lions in Homecoming game

Five turnovers and two kickoff returns for TDs were the difference in Clear Lake’s 31-28 loss to Osage Friday night.  The matchup was the opener in district play.

“Give Osage credit, but you can’t turn the ball over that many times and win,” said Head Coach Jared DeVries.  “It’s the competition within that we have to win.  We beat ourselves with self-inflicted mental errors — two kick-off returns and a pick six that should have been caught— that’s 21 points that have nothing to do with Osage.”

Osage came into Clear Lake’s Homecoming game with a bit of a chip on their shoulder.  The Green Devil program was forced to forfeit a 28-22 win it recorded against MFL MarMac in Week 3 due to a self-reporting rule violation.  One player on the varsity roster had played six quarters (two in junior varsity and four in varsity) in one night, a violation of Iowa High School Athletic Association rules.  The IHSAA limits players to no more than five quarters of play per night.

The Green Devils started strong against the Lions and scored on their first possession.

The Lions used their passing game to even the score early in the second quarter.  Quarterback Cael Stephany found Thomas Meyers for a 37-yard gain and Zeke Nelson twice to set up first and goal on the Osage six-yard-line.  Running back Titan Schmitt did the honors and Kinnick Clabaugh put the first of his four PATs through to make the score 7-7.

Clear Lake’s huge Homecoming crowd was quickly silenced when Brayden Onken returned Clabaugh’s kickoff 94-yards for a score.

The Lions worked their own magic on the next possession with a 53-yard TD pass from Stephany to Ben Loge for a touchdown.  The teams were deadlocked at 14-14 at halftime.

The Green Devils got off to another fast start after the break, as Onken again took a kickoff to the house.  The senior raced 75-yards to put his team ahead, 21-14. 

The Lion defense did its best to spark some offense when Meyer blocked Osage’s 42-yard field goal attempt and the Lions jumped on it.  Facing third and five at the Osage 28, Osage knocked the ball loose and ended the threat.  A second fumble in the final minutes of the quarter gave the Green Devils the ball deep in Lion territory.  The Lion defense stiffened and held the visitor to a field goal, putting them ahead by 10, 24-14.

The margin jumped quickly when Osage intercepted Stephany on the next possession and returned it for a 49-yard TD to extend the lead to 31-14.

The Lions recovered from a second Stephany interception in the quarter and moved the ball from midfield to the end zone with a mix of pass and run.  Titan Schmitt did the honors, scoring from the one and putting the Lions back to within 10.

The never-give-up group rallied with a defensive stop at the 3:20 mark followed by a 70-yard touchdown drive.  Meyer won a jump ball competition in the end zone to pull the Lions close, 31-28.  Clabaugh attempted to repeat the successful onside kick he had pulled off a week earlier, but unfortunately the effort failed and Osage (3-0-1) ran out the clock for the district victory.

Clear Lake fell to 1-3.

Statistically the Lions clobbered Osage with 445-yards of offense to 188.  Stephany was 23-32 passing for 296-yards.  He had two touchdowns and two interceptions.  Meyer had seven receptions for 101-yards, while Nelson had nine for 93 and Loge two for 62-yards.  Travaughn Luyobya was back in the lineup this week and grabbed four passes for 39-yards.  

Schmitt topped the century mark on the ground with 22 carries for 107-yards. Stephany ran the ball 11 times for 33 and Luyobya had one rush for nine-yards.

Defensively, Meyer led the way with 10 tackles, nine of them solo.  Kaleb Hambly was also a force with half of his eight tackles being solo and one for a loss.   Mitchil Smith and Jake Trenary each had five tackles, with Smith making four solo (three for losses) and getting a sack.  Hayden Rieck was also credited with a sack and four tackles, two solo.

This week the Lions have a short trip to Garner to take on the winless GHV Cardinals in another district contest. Game time is 7 p.m.