Four Lions earn INA All-State recognition

Four members of Clear Lake’s outstanding 2014 football team were named to All-State football teams released by the Iowa Newspaper Association Tuesday, Nov. 25. 

Clear Lake’s Chandler Diercks was a First Team All-State selection for the Class 2A offensive unit as a back. The 6’, 155-pound senior averaged 9.5 yards per carry during the season, running 77 times for 731-yards.  He scored six touchdowns; his longest was a 65-yard run.  The speedy Diercks was also a favorite target for quarterback Brock Adams.  He had 21 receptions for 285-yards, including a 77-

yard TD reception.  He scored three times on passes.  In total, Diercks provided 1,016-yards of offense for the Lions.  Diercks was also a punter for the team, averaging 38.6-yards per kick, with a longest of 54-yards.  He was even better on the receiving end of kicks, returning seven kick-offs for 290-yards, an average of 41.4-yards per return.  He returned one kickoff 94-yards for a touchdown.  He returned 11 punts an average of 30.5-yards and scored three TDs on punt returns, his longest was 76-yards.

Brock Brandt was a Second Team All-State pick as an offensive lineman.  The 6’7” 275-pound senior anchored the Lion offensive line, clearing the way for Diercks and others to rack up yardage.

Zach Zwiefel, a 6’, 225-pound senior, and Ernie Miszewski, a 5’7”, 142-pound senior, were both named to the Class 2A Third Team defense.  Zwiefel, honored as a defensive lineman, recorded 11 solo and a total of 44.5 tackles.  His line included two solo tackles for loss and two solo sacks, as well as a fumble recovery.    Miszewski was chosen as a defensive back on the All-State Third Team.  He had 13 solo tackles during the season and had 24 total tackles.