Cleveland 28, visiting St. James area 15 on homecoming Friday was about the Clippers adjusting to injuries suffered in Gibbon a week prior.
First off, junior tight end and linebacker Braeden Smith was still nursing a sprained ankle. With five catches for 75 yards and one TD, he still led the receiving corps, but he wasn’t 100 percent.
Next up, senior running back and linebacker Caleb Possin, who banged his head last week on the very last play, was limited to kicking duties. Junior offensive and defensive lineman Garet Peterson was also shook up and didn’t play at all.
Finally, saving the worst for last, after leading the Clippers in receptions (17 for 264 yards) Bode Bartell’s separated shoulder last week ended his high school career.
“It was a super heartbreaking Friday night last week,” said head coach Erik Hermanson. “Bode is an incredible senior captain. All of a sudden he is out. We were lucky Caleb passed his concussion test and could even kick. Garet didn’t even dress. Braeden was in a walking boot all week and didn’t practice.”
But the Clippers, although not big on the depth chart, rose to the occasion, Hermanson said.
“Braeden didn’t have the big plays he usually does because he couldn’t even run, but he was a key part of all that blocking, and you look at he guys who stepped up: Sam (Ternes), Tanner (Simonette), Carson (Lyons), Garrett Heldberg. If we had guys who dropped out, others stepped up, and that is what a team does.”
The Saints, who the Clippers beat in the first round of the sections last year, were a bit of an unknown. With a new coaching staff this year, they came to town after a 39-20 win over crossover opponent Southland. They started out their season falling to LCWM 24-20 but then topped GFW 6-0 and Lester Prairie 7-0.
But when Cleveland held the Saints to just 4 yards in the game’s opening possession and then scored after fair catching the punt on their 35, it looked like, despite the injuries, the Clippers would have the game well in hand.
Instead, the win didn’t come easily.
“We knew they were good,” Hermanson said. “We saw their games. They have driven up and down the field on everyone they’ve played but not finished all their drives, but last week they put it together, so we knew we were going to get their best shot, and they were going to be there at the end. This could be a preview to the section championship.”
Clippers take early lead but still had to fight hard for the W
On the Clippers’ first play, Heldberg, stepping in for Bartell, caught a Lyons pass for 15 yards. Two plays later, the 6-3 sophomore hauled in another Lyons pass, this time for a dozen yards. Simonette blasted his way for 7 yards, and Lyons kept the ball for 8 more before Lyons connected with Smith, who despite the sore ankle, bulled his way the final 4 yards for a 27-yard touchdown catch and run. Possin’s PAT kick was off the mark, but the Clippers made a statement early.
“The way we came out today was a little different than we have at the beginning of games before because we really scripted our opening 16 plays, and we practiced them over and over again because we had people out,” Hermanson said. “We couldn’t rely on some of those seniors or upper classmen, so we really had to have it polished, and I give the kids so much credit for their hard work this week and the people who stepped in.”
St. James rattled off three runs after the ensuing kickoff for a fourth-and-1 situation, and, on a second effort, the quarterback managed a first down. But Mason Kluntz corralled a receiver for a 5-yard loss after, and the Saints had to punt again.
Taking over on their 32, the Clippers made their way down field with runs by Simonette, Smith and Lyons and got to the SJA 16 but settled for a Possin field goal for a 9-0 lead.
But the Saints quickly showed they weren’t going to give up when they ran the kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown. With the point-after kick, the Clippers lead narrowed to two, 9-7 with 11 minutes left before the break.
That play motivated the Saints the rest of the game, Hermanson said.
“Any kind of special teams touchdown where you don’t have to earn it is going to give you a little spark. But the teams who have to earn it against our defense don’t often score.”
Both teams punted after that, but the Clippers, sacking the quarterback and taking advantage of an illegal procedure infraction, held the Saints to a negative 21 yards, and Lyons returned the punt to the Saints 29.
From there, the Clippers took advantage of a pass interference call and a 10-yard Lyons keeper before sophomore Wyatt Krenik, on a curl route in the end zone, caught a 4-yard Lyons pass for his first career varsity touchdown. This time, with eighth grader Jack Mons on holding duties in place of Bartell, Possin’s PAT kick found its way through the uprights, and the Clippers could breathe easier with a 16-7 lead.
That score carried into halftime, and the Clippers manufactured a 75-yard touchdown campaign after receiving the second-half kickoff. The drive, which was capped off by a 3-yard Lyons run across the goal line, started with a 10-yard Simonette run with 8 of those yards dragging SJA tacklers along with him.
“When we have a line as big as we have, they can push well,” Lyons said, “and we have a running back that runs hard. It meshes perfectly.”
Besides six more smash-mouth Simonette runs, the campaign also featured a 13-yard Smith catch and a 16-yard Heldberg catch.
“We have the best line of any team we’ve played,” Hermanson said. “I don’t care how big they are, our linemen are well coached, and they play super hard, and I wouldn’t trade them for anyone.”
The PAT kick didn’t take flight, and Possin got stopped short trying to run the ball in, but the Clippers were ahead 22-7 with 4:46 left in Q3.
The Saints didn’t roll over though and, starting out on their 25, scored on their next possession with the touchdown coming on a 29-yard dash to the goal line. With a 2-point PAT run, the Saints were suddenly within a trip down the field, 22-15 with less than a minute to go in Q3.
But like after the Saints kickoff return to the house, the Clippers didn’t waste any time extending their lead. Simonette returned the kickoff 25 yards to the Cleveland 40, and the Clipper offense, mixing in a little trickery, got back to work.
Lyons ran for a yard and then seven yards, but, after a couple of incomplete passes, the Clippers were facing fourth-and-2. But instead of Lyons punting, he tossed the ball to Krenik for a dozen yards to keep the drive alive.
Taking what the Saints gave him, Lyons kept the ball five times for a total of 43 yard before diving the last yard across the goal line. Possin’s kick didn’t get much altitude, but the Clippers led 28-15 with 8:01 to play.
The Saints managed a first down on their next possession, but Max Esser stopped a QB run, and the Saints turned the ball over on downs. The Clippers went three and out on their next possession, and taking over on their 20 with 3:45 remaining, the Saints still had a pulse but needed to score quickly.
With two passes for 7 yards and another for 20, they were on the move, but back-to-back false start penalties pushed them back before Kiptyn Coon stuffed the QB for a 6-yard loss. A 14-yard pass with a facemask penalty tacked on and a 10-yard pass took them to the Clipper 10, but the drive ended when Jack Shouler stepped in front of a pass for an interception, and the Clippers lined up in V formation.
Hermanson noted the effort of Ternes and Simonette, both who had to fill multiple roles.
“We knew coming in they would be one of the best teams we would play all year,” Simonette said. “They just have a different amount of aggressiveness, a physical team for sure, but coming into the game, we were ready for it.”
Besides Shouler’s visible interception, Hermanson also pointed to the junior’s play as the center. With an uneven front, he had to face a nose tackle for the first time this season.
“He still came through with the snaps.”
Stats and district, section roundup
The Clippers totaled 323 yards but gained the yards when they needed them to total 18 first downs, 11 more than SJA. Cleveland was penalized six times for 60 yards while the Saints had six infractions that totaled 60 yards.
Lyons completed 17 of 28 throws for 168 yards and two touchdowns. Heldberg had five catches for 52 yards. Krenik had two catches for 15 total yards and one TD. Simonette had two catches for 10 total yards. Ternes had two catches for seven total yards, and Alex Kortuem caught a 9-yard pass.
Lyons had most of the ground yards. He kept the ball 18 times for 103 yards and a pair of TDs. Simonette took 10 handoffs for 33 yards total. Ternes ran seven times for 19 yards.
Possin made one of three extra point kicks and one field goal. He kicked off twice. David Draheim kicked off three times. Lyons punted two times, one for 42 yards and the other for 30 yards.
Lyons returned three punts for 25 total yards. Tony Hollerich returned a kickoff a dozen yards. Simonette returned a kickoff 25 yards.
Shouler made five tackles, two tackle assists and a pick. Lyons made four tackles and five assists and deflected a pass. Smith had two solo tackles and two assists and one pass deflection. Ternes made two solos and had one assist. Kluntz had three solos and one assist with one sack and one tackle behind the scrimmage line. Esser had three solos and two assists with one sack and two tackles behind the line. Carsyn Ryg had two solo tackles. Coon had one solo tackle and one sack. Draheim and one sack. Owen Lloyd made one solo tackle. Kortuem made one solo tackle and assisted two tackles. Krenik had one solo tackle and one pass deflection. Simonette had two solo tackles and one assist. Gauge Bock had one solo tackle. Mons had one tackle assist.
“This whole team is just a team,” Hermanson said. “We’re not a superstar who is going to win Mr. Football. We’re a team that just wants to win games.”
The Clippers travel to Mayer on Friday to take on Mayer Lutheran. The 4-1 Crusaders will be trying to avenge last year’s 42-6 loss to Cleveland, their first ever. On Friday, they beat host Sleepy Eye United 29-14. They opened their season with a 14-0 win over visiting Sibley East and followed with a 26-5 win over MCW in Trimont. They lost 20-0 to host GFW but came back to dominate Madelia 19-0.
Also in the district and section, Lewiston-Altura rolled over on-again, off-again USC, 47-0. Lester Prairie shutout host Madelia 32-0. GFW beat host MCW 42-22.
Above: Recovering from a sprained ankle, Braeden Smith wasn’t 100 percent, but he did manage to grab five Lyons’ throws for 75 yards and a TD.
Sophomore Garrett Heldberg caught passes for 15 and 12 yards in the Clippers opening series, which culminated in a touchdown.
Clipper defensemen swarm a SJA ball carrier. At right are Carsyn Ryg and Sam Ternes.
Sam Ternes cuts up field.
With 103 yards, QB Carson Lyons was the Clipper’s leading rusher.
Wyatt Krenik hauled in a 4-yard Lyons pass for his first varsity TD.
Tanner Simonette ran hard yards as the game switched to a smash-mouth style.
Injured Caleb Possin did have one run in the game. As the coaching staff shuddered, he grabbed a muffed hold on the extra point and ran right, but the SJA defense stopped him a yard short of the goal line.
The Clipper cheering section was out in full force.
With Vivian Hilfer’s homecoming queen crown came taco-in-a-bag preparation duties at the Student Council tailgate lunch before the game.
Clara Hilfer paints the face of an elementary student at the tailgate party before the game.
Kids play beanbag toss at the tailgate party.
This quintet in the concession stand was beyond busy throughout the game.
The pep band played before the game. 
Marching to mid field, the Cleveland American Legion Color Guard presented the flag before the game.
As they have ancestors who served in the military, Jackson Shouler and Mason Kluntz, under the direction of Sons of American Legion member Greg Davis, raised the flag during the Pep Band’s rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. Shouler wears number 53 in honor of his uncle, Michael David, a National Guardsman who, back in 2000 at age 19, was accidentally killed in a training exercise. Fifty-three is the number David wore as a member of the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown football team.
With perfect weather, a large crowd filled the hill for the homecoming game.
Members of the homecoming court were introduced at halftime. They are emcee Sam Baker, candidates Dacota Lotspeich, Martavis Williams, Mollie Bowman, Elijah Mons, Anna Kawtski Klein and Carter Kern, and queen Vivian Hilfer. Missing are emcee Gavin Karels and Mason Kluntz, who was in the locker room.