GFW was test for Clipper team, young QB

Above: Senior wide receiver Kaleb Timlin caught a 16-yard pass in the first quarter.

For assistant coach Kyle Atherton, the Clippers’ game against host Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop in Winthrop on Friday was a test against a disciplined team.

“As tough as they are, are we willing to push and fight for four quarters?”

At times the Clippers did stop the state second-ranked Thunderbirds' deceptive T formation, and the Clippers never folded, scoring a touchdown late.

But at the end of the night, the Clippers fell 48-6.

Head coach Erik Hermanson took the opportunity to work with rookie quarterback Blake Lyons, who stepped behind center last week just before halftime for injured senior Jackson Meyer. The freshman completed five of 14 passes against GFW for 79 yards and a TD.

“I absolutely love coaching Blake,” Hermanson said. “He’s an incredible prospect. He’s a really good athlete, but most of all he’s super smart and really cares. He was fighting a pulled groin and showed so much heart. He made a couple of usual mistakes that even a junior or senior would make and learned his lesson and didn’t make the same mistake later in the second half. He’s just going to get better every day. I am really proud of him.”

It was a night with more injuries too. Senior running back Tommy Kennedy left the game with a high ankle sprain. Senior running back Colin Krenik sat out in the second half with hurt ribs, and sophomore tight end Carter Barto took the bench with a strained knee.

Kennedy expects to be sidelined for a few weeks. The other two likely will be back on Friday, when the Clippers host Lester Prairie.

Trailing 48-0, the Clippers’ lone score came with 7:57 left in the fourth quarter when Lyons hooked up with Carter Dylla for a 50-yard catch and run. Henry Strobel’s PAT kick looked like it was good, but the refs said nope, and that was it for the Clipper scoring.

With a run straight up the middle, the Thunderbirds took the opening kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown and never looked back.

The Clippers stopped the PAT run but went three and out. The Thunderbirds ran the first play of their next series 57 yards for the score. With a point-after pass completion, GFW was suddenly up 14-0.

Braeden Hastings returned the ensuing kickoff to the Clipper 47, and Kaleb Timlin pulled down a 16-yard Lyons throw, but the series went downhill for the Clippers after that when they turned the ball over on a fumble.

From their 35, GFW drove the rest of the field with the score coming on a 24-yard run. With the PAT run, they were in front 22-0 still in Q1.

The T-Birds scored three more times in the half for a 42-0 lead at the break. They scored again in the third quarter before the Clippers finally got six points on the board.

Dylla had one catch. Kale Kelley had two catches for a total of 13 yards. Timlin hauled in one pass. Strobel caught a pass but was stopped at the scrimmage line.

The Clippers legged 109 yards. Fisher Knish, in at halfback, had six carries for 29 yards. Strobel and Krenik each had eight carries for 29 yards. Kennedy had five carries for 20 yards. Lyons ran eight keepers for a total of 10 yards.

Strobel punted five times for a total of 162 yards. Hastings returned three kickoffs for a total of 42 yards. Strobel returned one kickoff and went 29 yards. Dylla got 14 yards on his one kickoff return. Tanyon Hoheisel returned a short kick 11 yards. Barto had a 1-yard kickoff return.

Knish had one solo tackle and six assists. Lucas Walechka had three solo tackles and two assists. Jacob Anderley had two solo tackles and four assists.

“Fisher, Lucas and Jacob just played their hearts out,” Hermanson said, “as hard as they could. That’s what Cleveland football is all about, and that’s what we need everyone to buy into this next week, and we can have a big game at home.”

Dylla had three solo tackles and three assists. Krenik had two solos and one assist. Wyatt Devens had two solo tackles and two assists. Hoheisel and Cade Kriha each had one tackle and one assist. Timlin, Kelley and Gabe Sullivan each had a solo tackle. Hastings had two assists. Kennedy, Strobel and Barto each had an assist.

The Clippers turned the ball over twice on fumbles and three times on interceptions. Jay Pankratz recovered a T-Bird fumble as did Kriha and Anderley.

Friday is Parents’ Night, and there will be a short ceremony to name the field after former coach Dave Krenik just before the opening kickoff.

Lester Prairie lost to Faribault BA 8-0 and to Blooming Prairie 41-26 but walloped Medford 43-0.

Elsewhere in the district, JWP fell 42-0 to NRHEG, USC lost to Blooming Prairie 36-6, WEM beat Alden-Conger 44-6, and Mayer Lutheran topped St. Clair/Loyola 33-9.