Nov. 28, 2004, 12:05AM

Clear Lake advances to regional-final showdown

Blow's TD forges triple-OT win over Memorial, sets up date with Katy

By EMILY DAVIS
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle

With Memorial on its heels, Clear Lake had no choice but to do what it does best -- run.

And when quarterback Scott Oswald handed off to fullback Geno Blow, who scurried into the end zone on a one-yard run in the third overtime period, the Falcons found that what they do best paid off, walking out of Rice Stadium with a 37-29 Region III-5A Division I win over Memorial.

"These teams played so hard and so well tonight," Clear Lake coach Troy Aduddell said. "We had it in our minds to come in here and make history tonight, to make history for Clear Lake, and we were finally able to do that."

And in its best season since 1972, Clear Lake (12-1) advances to the regional finals against Katy next week after one of its best showings of the year.

Behind Blow's 124 yards rushing and two touchdowns -- both in overtime -- the Falcons finished with 216 yards.

"We had the ability to go to other backs, and that is what is really going to be important in the end," Aduddell said. "If they key on one, they can go to someone else. It was a wild outcome, but we had that ability to go to other very talented backs."

Oswald, Clear Lake's leading rusher this season, ran for 19 yards and one touchdown and completed just one pass -- a two-point conversion to Daniel McCalib in the final overtime to give Clear Lake its final points of the night.

"I have to admit, I was really thinking about Katy a lot in this game," said McCalib, who opened the scoring for Clear Lake with a 34-yard touchdown run with 9:40 left in the second quarter. "And that's a really, really bad thing to do. This team showed up and played us so hard. I know better than to look past a team. They proved that."

Memorial proved it over and over. With Hunter Cinch leading the way with one touchdown and 131 yards rushing, the Mustangs totaled 388 yards, had 19 first downs and tied the score four times.

But in the final overtime, running back Jordan Lake, who finished with 20 yards and three TDs -- including a one-yard scramble with 10:36 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 22 -- took the handoff from Hunter Rome and looked to the end zone to pass but couldn't make the completion.

"It was a tough one," Memorial coach Gary Koch said. "Both teams made plays, but in the end they make the biggest one."

And as Clear Lake heads into another week of practice with Katy on the horizon, the Falcons plan to use what works best once more.

"It just goes to show that when someone keys on me or is able to get to me, we can go elsewhere," Oswald said. "We've always had the ability to do that, and as the teams get tougher and tougher, we are forced to do that. That part of our game has really developed as the season has gone on."

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