Clear Lake had 11 players named to the Class 2A District 3 All-District teams.
The Lions had five players named to the First Team Offense including Titan Schmitt, running back; Jake Trenary and Aaron Richtsmeier, lineman; and Zeke Nelson, offense utility. Thomas Meyer and Kaleb Hambly were named First Team Defense. Meyer earned his spot on the defensive line and Hambly as a linebacker. Kinnick Clabaugh was named First Team Special Teams as a kicker.
Schmitt, a sophomore, rushed for a total of 514 yards on the season, an average of 6.3 yards a carry. He also collected eight touchdowns.
“Titan had a tremendous year out of the backfield both running and catching,” said Coach Jared DeVries. “He will be a staple in our offense for years to come. He has a very bright future.”
Trenary, a junior had a total of 26 tackles for the year, 12 of them were solo. He also had two tackles for loss.
“Jake and Aaron are the building blocks of an all returning oline,” said DeVries. “They posses size, toughness, and a physicality to a great group.”
Loge, a senior, was chosen First Team as a wide receiver. Loge had nine receptions on the season for a total of 278 yards. He averaged 30.9 yards a catch and recorded two touchdowns.
Ben Loge was our deep threat and most sure handed wideout providing great production and leadership,” said DeVries.
Nelson, a senior, who played linebacker and running back, was named offense utility. Nelson had 18 receptions for the season for 166 yards for 9.2 yards and two touchdowns. He also recorded 19 tackles, 14 of those being solo.
“Zeke was a true army Swiss knife providing all sorts of roles on our team on offense, defense and in the kicking game,” said DeVries. “He also provided great leadership.”
Hambly, a senior, recorded a total of 35 solo tackles for the year and 39 assisted tackles to earn his First Team recognition on defense. He also had six tackles for loss.
“Kaleb was the force on our defense. He was a tackling machine the QB of our defense,” said DeVries.
Meyer, a sophomore, earned his spot on the defensive line. He had a total of 38 tackles, 31 being solo. He also recorded 10 tackles for loss.
“Thomas has a bright future on both sides of the ball,” said DeVries. “He was our best pass rusher and big play threat both on defense and offense.”
Coach DeVries called Clabaugh Mr. Reliable as he broke his own record for consecutive PAT’s. Clabaugh, a junior, was a perfect 21/21 on extra point attempts.
“The hard work he put in shines on Friday nights,” said DeVries.
Earning Honorable Mention recognition were Hayden Rieck, linebacker; Cael Stephany, quarterback; and Sam Dodge, utility.
Earning All-Academic Awards for the Lions were: Travaughn Luyobya, Derek Erpelding, Zeke Nelson, Tyler LeFevre, Cale Stephany, Cabot Neuberger, Ben Loge, Blake Enke, Alex Kerr, Cooper Cooke, Titan Schmitt, Carter Perry, Landyn Lewerke, Henry Bunn, Aaron Richtsmeier, Jake Trenary, Thomas Meyer and Kinnick Clabaugh.
Clear Lake finished in a three-way tie for second in the district with Crestwood and New Hampton. The teams each finished with 3-2 records. Osage claimed the top spot with a perfect 5-0 record. Based upon the differential, Crestwood was the runner-up team with a 4.60 rating; the Lions were third with 4.20 and New Hampton was fourth with 3.40.
As a team, the Lions ranked second offensively in the district, scoring 153 points for an average of 30.6 per game. Osage edged Clear Lake for the top spot with a 31 point average.
Crestwood was the leader in total offense with 1,297 yards rushing and 374 passing for a total of 1,671. The Lions ranked fourth with 862 yards on the ground and 695 passing for a total of 1,557. Lion ball carriers rushed 169 times for an average of 5.1 yards per carry, placing them third in rushing offense. Their 15 touchdowns by run topped the district.
The Lions finished second in passing offense, with 49 completions in 84 attempts for a total of 695 yards. Six TDs were scored with the pass and there were six interceptions.
Crestwood and Clear Lake led the district in yards per play, with each averaging 6.2.
Defensively, the Lions were in the middle of the pack in most categories.
They ranked fourth in scoring defense, allowing 105 points, an average of 21 per game. They were fifth in total defense, giving up 933 yards rushing and 534 passing. Opponents gained an average of 293.4 per game. The Lions allowed an average of 5.1 yards per play and giving up 77 first downs, ranking them fifth in both categories.
The Lions were among the district leaders in tackles for loss, with 33 recorded in five games. Osage narrowly topped the category with 34.
Clear Lake was best in the district in its punt return average, with 12 returns for 138 yards, an average of 11.5 yards. Punter Zeke Nelson also led in punting average, with 15 boots traveling 530 yards, an average of 35.3.
The Lions were in the top half of the district for penalties, with 19 called in five games for 171 yards.
