Fourth-seeded Clearview falls to Clear Fork, 26-8, in Division IV, Region 14

WOOSTER, Ohio – What a difference a year makes for fourth-seeded Clearview.

Last year, the Clippers were defeated by top-seeded Belleville Clear Fork, 44-0, in the first round of the Division IV, Region 14 playoffs. This year was a different story, but unfortunately for Clearview, it was the same ending.

Clearview only trailed by five early in the fourth quarter and had the ball at midfield with momentum firmly on its side. However, top-seeded Clear Fork snatched it away with two fourth quarter touchdowns, en route to a 26-8 Division IV, Region 14 football semifinal victory at Wooster’s Follis Field Saturday night.

Clearview ends its season at 10-2, snapping a 10-game winning streak. Clear Fork improves to 12-0 for the first time in school history and advanced to the regional finals for the first time since 1989, where it will meet second-seeded St. Marys Memorial at a site to be determined next Saturday night.

“We couldn’t punch it in after the safety and momentum swung (Clear Fork’s) way,” Clearview coach Mike Collier said. “They do a great job hitting the hole. Obviously (Trevon Trammell’s) a great back and their line did a great job finding him creases and he can break one.

“I’m proud of our guys. It didn’t go our way tonight, but our guys have given us a lot to be proud of. They’re the epitome of what Clearview Football has always been – family, toughness, grittiness and getting after it. I’m so proud of them. It’s really hard right now, but these are memories they will have the rest of their lives.”

Clearview only trailed, 7-6, heading into halftime and had the ball to start the second half, but couldn’t convert on a fourth-and-1 at midfield when David Renftle was stuffed for no gain. The Colts responded by driving 55 yards in 10 plays, capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass from Jared Schaefer to running back Trevon Trammell on fourth-and-8.

Trammell had three touchdowns – two on the ground – and finished with 223 yards rushing on 28 carries to lead the Colts (261 yards of total offense). He helped salt the game away by carrying the ball 10 out of 11 plays in the fourth quarter and gaining 127 yards, including his second touchdown from 15 yards out with 1:49 remaining in the game.

“Whatever we were doing, it just kept working and kept getting yards, so we kept it rolling,” Trammell said. “We weren’t gonna get beat in the second round like last year – we wanted to keep it going. Our linemen stepped it up and we just pulled away with a win.”

Clearview kept itself in the game by forcing three turnovers in the first half and making a huge play on special teams early in the fourth quarter.

Julian Colbert, who scored Clearview’s only touchdown on a 16-yard reception from quarterback Chase Christiansen with 9:27 left in the second quarter, recovered a fumble late in the first quarter to set up his own scoring drive – a six-play, 44-yard drive.

And, with 10:18 left in the game, he broke through containment and swatted a Gabe Blauser punt clean out of the end zone for a safety. That cut the deficit to 13-8 and Clearview got the ball on the ensuing free kick at the Colt 45.

“He’s a special kid,” Collier said. “He’s a captain on this team for a reason. He does things the right way on and off the field, he really puts the time in on and off the field and he’s completely dominated all season long. Everybody we played knew who Julian was.”

However, Clearview went 3-and-out on an incomplete pass, back-to-back 2-yard runs by Drew Engle – who was held to just 50 yards on 18 carries – and another incomplete pass.

That was when Colts head coach Dave Carroll handed the ball to Trammell and trusted him to salt the game away, which he did.

Schaefer capped the ensuing seven-play, 59-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown scramble on a fake option pitch with 5:31 left. Clearview had one last chance, but Christiansen was picked off by Brennan South at the Colt 19 with 3:37 remaining.

“(Clearview) had a similar group of kids from last time – we counted seven back on defense,” Carroll said. “The main cast of characters offensively, especially Engle, were a year older, a year more experienced, stronger, faster and you can see the confidence in their faces.

“You could see it in warm-ups when they took the field, when it was a close ballgame, they were believing in themselves big time. That just comes from that experience.”

Joe Norris picked off a pass on the Clearview 7 to snuff out Clear Fork’s second drive, after it took a 7-0 lead on the opening possession. Then, just before halftime, Jordan Reed recovered a Trammell fumble at the Clipper 9 to snuff out yet another scoring attempt.

“Our defense has been physical all season long and I’m so proud of them,” Collier said. “They will go down in history as one of the better defenses Clearview’s had.

“They’re a great team. They are the No. 1 seed for a reason. Our guys were able to adjust all season long. They seen them their first drive and they kept fighting. Hat’s off the Clear Fork – they are a great football team.”

Dan Gilles is a freelancer from Lorain.