While the Clipper offense didn’t show signs of a pulse until late in the third quarter at Mayer Lutheran on Friday, their defense was stellar all night in a 14-0 win.
Led by an athletic quarterback, who usually found a way to avoid a loss, the Crusaders earned nine first downs, four more than Cleveland, but although the Clipper defense bent, it never broke, and the Clippers are now 6-0.
“We are a gritty defense,” said defensive coordinator Kyle Atherton. “We were throwing three different fronts and three different coverages at them, and they just jumped into them. We were a little confused the first half, but I think that was because we were flustered (on offense), but in the second half, they started to realize ‘we can do this.’”
Both fighting through injuries, Caleb Possin and Braeden Smith scored the two touchdowns, Possin on a 3-yard run late in the third quarter and Smith with a 53-yard catch and run mid-way the fourth quarter.
Head coach Erik Hermanson said Possin got hurt on the first play of the game, and that was a large part of what held the offense back.
“We’re planning all week on the stuff we want to do, and all of a sudden, Caleb’s out. Braeden’s out. They’re both in and out the whole game. Everyone else is just scrambling. We had kids sick that all of a sudden had to come back on Thursday. That was a tough, hard-fought win.”
Clippers finally overcome offensive woes in third quarter
The Crusaders, who came into the game with wins over Sibley East, MCW, Madelia and Sleepy Eye United and a 20-0 loss to GFW, turned the ball over on downs after the opening kickoff.
A dropped pass in their first possession forced a Clipper punt. Mayer booted again after Carson Lyons broke up third-down throw. Sam Ternes hauled in a Lyons throw for 16 yards on the following series, but the Clippers turned the ball over on a fumble near mid field.
The defense held, and the Crusaders punted again, but another Cleveland fumble turnover set up Mayer on the Cleveland 30.
From there, the Crusaders worked the ball to a first down on the Clipper 6, but a Smith sack took them back 7 yards, and the Clippers made two stops for zero gain. The Crusaders tried a field goal, but that missed way right, and the Clippers got out of the quagmire unscathed.
“We have strength combined with quickness and speed on the outside. We’re a tough score unless we make a mental mistake,” Atherton said.
Smith hauled in a Lyons pass for a 22-yard catch and run, but a holding penalty after the next snap backed them up 10, before Lyons and Jackson Shouler didn’t hook up on a snap. Back-to-back dropped passes ended that campaign, and the Clippers punted again.
With the Clipper defense continuing to step up, the Crusaders went three and out. Garrett Heldberg started the next drive with a 4-yard catch, but the next two passes fell to the grass, and the Clippers went three-and-out as well.
“We struggled catching the ball tonight, and we haven’t had turnovers,” Hermanson said. “We overcame them, but we have to get back to taking care of the ball.”
Lyons broke up a third-and-5 pass to force Mayer to punt again, and the Clippers had another chance to score before the break. Possin burst for 5-yards but limped off the field after. After an incomplete throw, a couple of defenders squished Smith as he was trying to haul in a pass, and he left the field too, and the Clippers punted again before the clock ran out on Mayer.
As the Crusaders lined up to kick off the second half, Possin was on the bench with ice wrapped around his ankle. Picking up running duties, Tanner Simonette broke through the middle for 13 yards after the first snap, but the Clippers ended up turning the ball over on downs.
Mayer punted, and, with a 15-yard run, Simonette again got the Clippers off to a good start on the following possession, but an incomplete pass and a dropped pass put a damper on that series too, and the Clippers punted again.
But from there, the Clippers said enough was enough. Facing high pressure, by Simonette and Mason Kluntz, the Mayer QB got flagged for grounding, and the Crusaders had to punt from deep in their own territory. Lyons returned the punt to the Crusader 30, and, finally with good field position, the Clippers took advantage.
Hermanson thought Possin was done at halftime, but he laced back up and got out on the field to take the first handoff before Nathan Seeman pulled in a Lyons pass for 6-yards. From there, Possin legged 10 yards and 7 yards and, after Lyons picked up 3 yards on a keeper, rolled right for 3-yards into the end zone.
“I’m just thinking it’s my last year,” Possin said. “I can’t sit out. I played with injuries, but I got through, and it turned out well.”
Hermanson said the winning TD was all about senior leadership.
“Running behind Mason and David (Draheim) with Caleb...the seniors just refuse to lose. You talk about setting the tone and playing Cleveland tough. That is Cleveland tough, and that is Cleveland hating to lose, and that is the culture we’ve been fighting for.”
Possin kicked in the PAT, and with 2:40 left in Q3, the Clippers finally were on the scoreboard.
After the kickoff, Mayer punted, and the Clippers, with another dropped pass turned the ball over on downs. Mayer punted again, and Possin ran for 3 yards before Smith caught a Lyons screen pass and weaved his way 53 yards to the house. With another successful Possin PAT kick, the Clippers, up 14-0, had a little breathing room with 6:40 left.
The Crusaders threatened down the stretch, but Lyons stuck a dagger in the drive when he intercepted near the goal line. After draining the clock, the Clippers punted, and, with a Garet Peterson sack for a 9-yard loss, the Clippers stopped the Crusaders again before the perfunctory knee ceremony.
Stats and district/section roundup
Cleveland committed six infractions, and they cost 65 yards. The Crusaders were flagged six times for 45 yards.
Lyons completed seven passes for 118 yards and a TD. Smith caught three passes for 93 yards and a TD. Simonette caught a 10-yard pass. Ternes caught a 16-yard pass. Seeman caught a 5-yard pass. Heldberg caught a 4-yard pass.
The Clippers rushed for 121 yards. Possin took 13 handoffs for 58 total yards and a TD. Simonette legged the ball nine times for 49 yards. Lyons called his own number five times for 14 yards.
Possin punted three times for 101 yards with his longest punt sailing 38 yards. Lyons booted a 39-yard punt and a 34-yard punt. Lyons returned five punts, but they were mostly well covered, and he totaled 35 yards with his longest return for 25 yards. Alex Kortuem returned the only kickoff, and he gained 4 yards.
Back in uniform after missing last week’s game due to an injury, lineman Peterson kept pressure on the Crusader quarterback all night and ended up with five solo tackles and four assists with two sacks and two tackles for a loss. The Clipper coaching staff was proud how the 180-lb junior’s hard work, perseverance and will paid off.
“Garet plays well,” Atherton said “He only goes one way, so he’s fresh all the time. When he understands the defense, and he fires off into the gap, there’s not a lot of linemen who can stop him. You combine that with his quickness, and he’s really tough. And on the other side with Max Esser, they’re both really quick. They’ll give up a run sometimes, but when we have the opponent late in games, they’re tough to block.”
Esser had one solo and three assists with one tackle behind the line. Despite all of his hurts, Smith made six solo tackles, assisted on two tackles and had one sack and two tackles behind the scrimmage line. Simonette had four solo tackles and five assists with one tackle behind the line. Sam Ternes had one solo and three assists. Kluntz had four solos and a pair of assists and one pass deflection. Shouler had four solos and two assists and knocked away one pass. Lyons had two solos and one assist with one tackle behind the line. He deflected two passes and picked off one. Kiptyn Coon had one assisted tackle. Draheim had two assists. Kortuem had one solo tackle. Possin had two solos and three assists with one tackle behind the line. Seeman had one solo and two assists.
The Clippers host 3-3 Lester Prairie on Friday. The Bulldogs lost to St. James Area but beat MCW and Madelia and are coming off a 24-22 win over visiting GFW. They will be looking to avenge last year’s 22-20 loss to the Clippers.
Also in the district and section, USC fell to visiting Southland 28-22. Still looking for a win, Class A newcomer Madelia fell to Yellow Medicine East 30-12. Lewiston Altura rolled over host Hayfield 47-0. St. James Area topped Martin County West 40-8.
Above: Garet Peterson applies pressure to the Mayer Lutheran quarterback.
Tanner Simonette breaks through the line for a large gain.
Sam Ternes slips one tackle but faces another during a 16-yard catch and run.
The Clippers had trouble hanging on to Carson Lyons’ passes.
Caleb Possin cuts up field.
The bib girls didn’t have a lot to cheer about, but they rooted on their Clippers all night.
Braeden Smith starts his 53-yard journey to the end zone.
The bib girls. From L-R, front row: Maile Meissner, Taylor McCabe, Delaney Thompson, Taylor Wolf, Liviana Lee and Melia Sathoff. Back row: Kiya Sohn, Allie Anderson, Jocelyn Kortuem, Neenah Lassiter, Amelia Chmiel, Keira Schipper, Kaitlyn Flowers and Ava Kluntz.
Bode Bartell (right) was there to support his team despite having shoulder surgery the day before. Beside him are Carson Lyons and Tanner Simonette.