12/15/2004

Falcons fight to the final play

By: CHUCK HLAVA , Citizen Staff

Times runs out for Clear Lake in state football semifinals

SAN ANTONIO -- In what can only be described as a magical carpet ride Clear Lake High's football team took the entire community on came to an end in San Antonio Saturday as the Falcons fell to Smithson Valley 18-10 in the state Division II-5A semifinal playoffs.
Clear Lake ended its best season ever with a 13-2 record, which included a string of four straight victories in the post-season. It's also the benchmark now for any CCISD team.
"Overall, you have to feel good about all this, and I feel real good about what the kids accomplished," said Clear Lake head coach Troy Aduddell.
However, it was a tough loss no matter how you spell it since the Falcons generally became their own worst enemies for most of the first three quarters.
Despite the fact that Lake had nearly 100 more offensive yards than did the Rangers (13-2), it all boiled down to the Falcons being unable to take advantage of their opportunities. Smithson Valley did.
The poise Clear Lake showed offensively in its wins against Katy (two overtimes) and Memorial (three overtimes) wasn't evident for most of the game. Being in the state semifinal match for the first time carries a different kind of pressure of its own. For Smithson Valley, it was the third time in four years in the semifinal game, and the Rangers have won all three.
Smithson Valley now takes on defending state champ Southlake Carroll (15-0) at noon on Saturday at Texas Stadium in Irving. Southlake, ranked No. 1 in the state, clipped Lufkin 37-30 on Saturday.
Clear Lake gave up the ball three times on fumbles and had a snap go over the punters head for a safety, all of which eventually resulted in 12 points for the Rangers.
Lake didn't score its touchdown until less than two minutes remained in the game, and that's when the Falcons showed the Alamodome crowd of 20,000 what brought them to this point.
Never say die, the Falcons recovered the onside kick at the Smithson Valley 44 and promptly moved 31 yards in six plays to the Ranger 13. The next plays lost seven yards and quarterback Scott Oswald's throw into the end zone for Daniel McCalib fell incomplete for the final play.
Clear Lake's lone touchdown, which came on an 80-yard drive, took more than six minutes and ate too much of the clock. Geno Blow went the final six yards for the score. Therein lies the rub: the Falcons were unable to get those long gainers as they did in previous playoff games.
The Falcons managed only one of their patented long runs in the game. In the second period with the Rangers leading 3-0, Elrick Jones ran 40 yards for a first down at the Ranger three. The next stab into the line didn't pick up any ground. Lake was then flagged with a 5-yard penalty. On third down another dive into the line got only two yards so Clear Lake had to settle for Tom Ellingsen's 24-yard field goal that tied the game at 3-3 with 8:11 left in the half.
Lake's offense, which never lost its desire or intensity, did spring Oswald and Jones for two or three other runs which went over 20 yards, but the Ranger defense checkmated the Falcon offense for much of the game. Lake got the most yardage, but not on the critical downs.
Previously, Clear Lake's furthest inroad in the playoffs had been only one victory. The Falcons won four post-season games before falling. No wonder that Aduddell called this a milestone season to remember.
"I'm disappointed we didn't play better," Aduddell said. "We didn't take advantage of some golden opportunities, but there is nothing to be sad about," Aduddell said.
"These players left something for the district to achieve down the road and you have to be proud of that."
The game began promisingly enough for Clear Lake.
On Smithson Valley's third play from scrimmage, Falcon defensive back Ryan Nisbet intercepted Ranger quarterback Zach Bailey's pass at the Ranger 45.
Lake promptly drove to the Ranger 30 but then gave the ball back on a fumble. From there Smithson Valley drove 54 yards to the Lake 16 before having to settle for a 33-yard field goal halfway through the first quarter.
Clear Lake then caught a break when the Rangers were flagged for running into the punter, giving the Falcons new life at the Ranger 46. Unfortunately a fumble stopped that drive one play later.
But Lake's defense held and on their next set of downs the Falcons drove to the Smithson Valley three on Jones' 40-yard run before getting that tying field goal.
As the game progressed, the next series of downs for both teams may well have been the turning point.
After the Lake field goal, the Rangers' Andrew Sendejo returned the kickoff 72 yards to the Lake 27. But on the first play the Rangers fumbled at the Falcon 10 and Lake defensive back Chase Mueller recovered the ball.
Lake's offense, gaining yards on some plays and losing on a couple of others, eventually made it to the Smithson Valley 32. The big play was Oswald's 34-yard toss to McCalib to the Ranger 35. One play latter Oswald was shaken up carrying to the 32 and taken out of the game.
Smithson Valley's defense blitzed on the next play, jarring the pitch. Ranger free safety Ray Corona scooped up the ball and ran untouched 66 yards into the end zone. After the kick the Rangers led 10-3 with 4:14 left in the half.
Oswald returned on Lake's ensuing series, but was again shaken up on a blitz just before the half ended with the Falcons at their own 48.
After icing down during halftime Oswald returned to start the third quarter.
Early in that into that third frame the Rangers made it 12-3 on that safety. Then they drove 54 yards for the touchdown as Bailey dove in from the one. The kick hit the crossbar and with 6:04 left in the third it was 18-3.
Even when Clear Lake did things right, they turned wrong.
Nisbet's blitz caught Ranger ball carrier David Gutierrez for a five-yard loss at the Lake 30, but the Falcons were flagged for a personal foul and the ball was moved to the Lake 14. Three plays later Smithson Valley had that 18-3 lead.
Clear Lake's defense took adversity head-on and kept the Rangers off the scoreboard the rest of the game.
In the fourth period, Smithson Valley fooled Lake's defense on a fake field goal attempt from the 13. Bailey passed for a first down to the Falcon seven. But the defense held its ground and the Rangers had to try for real a field goal from the 11, which went wide.
Clear Lake's offense then got the ball with 8:20 left in the fourth period and did its heroics on that drive resulting in the Blow touchdown. After recovering the onside kick time finally ran out on the Falcons in the playoffs.
"They played hard all the way through," Aduddell lauded his team for its refusal to give up.
"You have to give a lot of credit to (defensive coordinator) Dwayne Lane and (offensive coordinator) Paul Lanier for great game plans. Just look at the season and how far we've come," Aduddell added.
Oswald, who was staunch despite playing banged-up, was top ground gainer in the game. The senior ran the ball 34 times for 123 yards of Lake's 273 rushing yards. He went over the 2,000 marker with the day's haul at 2,045 yards. Jones also had a 100-yard plus evening for the Falcons and has over 1,000 yards for the season.
Most of Oswald's rushing yards came in the second half, with 78. But he passed for 42 of his 46 yards in the first half.
Bailey passed for 54 yards. Gutierrez led the Rangers on the ground with 15 rushes for 65 yards, mostly in the first half.