Colts Trample Galion, Tie For MOAC Lead
Clear Fork bounced back from a heart-breaking loss at home to Galion by crushing the Tigers in 5 innings at Heise Park the following night, 16-3, for a share of the MOAC lead.
Colts starter Dylan Jewell was lights out for the first three innings, holding Galion without a hit as they built a 2-0 advantage with runs in the second and third. Then the Clear Fork bats started cooking in their offensive half of the fourth, scorching the Tigers for 13 runs in the frame as the team collected 18 hits as a unit.
Brock Talbott belted out six RBI with AJ Blubaugh adding three as seven Colts batters knocked out multiple hits. Jewell would go the distance from the hill, allowing two earned runs on four hits while scoring three times and driving in a pair runs.
The win puts the Colts at 8-2 overall, dropping Galion to 11-2 as both are now tied atop the league standings with a mark of 6-2 in MOAC games.
Tygers Top Clear Fork For Sectional Crown
Mansfield Senior punched their ticket to Districts for a second consecutive season with a win over Clear Fork, edging their former conference rivals 47-42 for the Division II Bucyrus Sectional title.
The 4th-seeded Tygers defense was the story of the game, holding the Colts balanced offense in check throughout most of the contest. Senior High led 10-8 after the opening frame and extended their advantage to 25-20 by halftime before holding #5 Clear Fork to just four points in the third quarter.
The Tygers carried a 35-24 lead into the fourth, but the Colts would fight their way back in to the mix, cutting their deficit to 39-36 on a Jared Schaefer steal and layup with 1:34 to play. Clutch free throw shooting down the stretch would help Mansfield hang on for the win, however, finishing 13-18 from the charity stripe for the contest.
Schaefer led all scorers with 13 while Gannon Seifert added 11 in their final high school game. Quan Hilory led the Tygers with 11 points, as nine players found their way into the scoring column for the brown and orange.
Mansfield Senior (19-4) will next take on third-seeded Vermilion (18-5) in the Mansfield District Semifinals.
Clear Fork Gets By Bellevue To Sectional Final
A tenacious Bellevue squad gave Clear Fork all they could handle in their tournament opener, but the 5th-seeded Colts would prevail for a spot in the Division II Bucyrus Sectional Championship with a 63-56 win over the #11 Redmen.
Bellevue began the contest by claiming a 14-12 advantage after the first quarter of play but with senior A.J. Blubaugh poring in 17 of his team-best 19 points in the first half, Clear Fork would hold a 32-25 lead by halftime.
In the final two quarters Redmen junior forward Caleb Marshall took over at the offensive end, scoring all 20 of his points in the second half to keep Bellevue within striking distance of the upset. A balanced Colts attack featuring five players in double-figures scoring, however, would help Clear Fork close out the win to advance.
Next up for the #5 Colts (19-4) is a battle for the sectional crown against former conference rival #4 Mansfield Senior (18-4).
Clear Fork Wins 1st League Crown Since 2002
The boys’ basketball squad put an end to a 17-year drought in the Clear Fork valley by claiming the programs first league championship since 2002 with a 58-46 win over Marion Harding.
The victory earned the Colts (17-4, 11-2) at least a share of the MOAC title as their four seniors played at home for the final time in their high school careers. A.J. Blubaugh, Jared Schaefer, Gannon Seifert and Jay Swainhart combined for 37 Clear Fork points to help clinch the league crown in front of their home fans on senior night.
Clear Fork led wire to wire, charging out to a 13-3 advantage and maintained their cushion throughout the rest of the contest. Dejuan Smith did his part for the Presidents, dropping a game-high 21 points to go along with 13 from Mitch Myers, but behind their quartet of seniors and Brennan South’s 15 points the Colts were rarely challenged.
Clear Fork Tames Lady Tygers On Senior Night
In a matchup between former conference rivals at Pete Henry Gymnasium, visiting Clear Fork survived a tough battle with Mansfield Senior by leaving town with a 44-41 victory.
The Lady Tygers (7-13) were celebrating senior night in front of their home fans but came out of the locker room flat as the Lady Colts (6-15) ran out to a 12-5 first quarter edge. Behind senior Talayzha Catchings, who scored seven of her nine points in the second quarter, Senior High would storm back to claim a 21-20 advantage by the half.
Paced by senior Na’Kyra Petty’s team-high 12 points, Mansfield extended their lead to 30-26 heading into the fourth quarter. A balanced scoring attack that saw a trio of Clear Fork players (Alli Studenmund, Brooke Robinson & Kali Weikle) put up a dozen points or more would then aid an 18-11 fourth quarter in favor of the Lady Colts who claimed their second consecutive road win over the Lady Tygers.
Colts Fend Off Whippets To Stay Perfect In MOAC
A strong first-half performance on the road for conference frontrunner Clear Fork helped maintain the Colts spotless MOAC mark, holding off a furious Shelby comeback for a 62-58 victory.
Fueled by Brennan South’s eight 1st quarter points, Clear Fork charged to a commanding 22-11 advantage and extend their lead to 37-21 by the half. South finished with a game-best 21 pts, but the Colts only scored 25 second-half points as the Whippets quickly dug themselves out of a deep hole.
Sophomore TJ Pugh scored 13 of his 21 pts in the final two quarters, including eight in the fourth where Shelby trimmed the deficit to a single possession in the closing minutes. South would knock down some clutch free throws down the stretch, however, as Clear Fork held on for the win, their eighth straight in league play to start the season.
Aside from South, the Colts (11-2) got double-figures in the scoring column from Jared Schaefer with 14 and 10 by Jay Swainhart. The loss marks the third straight for the Whippets, who fell to 7-7 overall with a league record of 3-5.
Streaking Colts Run Over Pleasant
In a battle for the top spot in the MOAC, Clear Fork ran away from Marion Pleasant 64-46 at the Colt Corral.
The Colts led from wire to wire, holding a 22-15 advantage after the opening frame which they extended to 34-26 by the break. Behind senior AJ Blubaugh’s game-high 20 points, Clear Fork stampeded for a 19-9 rush in the third to blow the contest wide open at 53-35 before closing out their ninth consecutive victory.
Jared Schaefer and Jay Swainhart each contributed with a dozen points each for the Colts who stayed undefeated in conference play at 6-0, and remain unbeaten since an opening night loss to Lexington.
Pleasant got 20 points from Ethan Warwick but dip to 8-2 overall, 4-2 in the league with the loss.
Colts Streak Past Ontario For 8th Straight Win
A hot start for Clear Fork paired with an icy shooting performance by Ontario led to a dominating 52-40 Colts victory on the road at the O-Rena.
In a key MOAC showdown, Clear Fork (8-1, 5-0) raced out to a 17-8 advantage heading into second quarter action and led 26-18 at the break, holding the Warriors to an ugly 26% (6-23) shooting display. Though Ontario surged back early in the third frame to within a single score, their offensive woes continued in the second half where they finished 8-26 (31%) from the floor.
A balanced scoring attack, led by senior A.J. Blubaugh’s game-high 12 points, saw the Colts increase their lead to 40-28 by the start of the fourth where they iced the contest for their eighth consecutive victory since losing on opening night to Lexington. Brennan South, Brady Tedrow and Jared Schaefer all added 11 points each with Schaefer also collecting 13 rebounds.
Jayden Jacobs paced Ontario’s (4-4, 3-2) scoring attack with 10 points while Griffin Shaver, Kolton Kurtz and Parker VanArsdalen each dropped nine for the blue and gold.
Lexington Takes Season Opener At Colt Corral
Former league rivals Lexington and Clear Fork met in the valley to kick off the boys’ basketball regular season where the Minutemen shook off a slow start for a 66-49 victory.
The Colts were hot early in the contest as Brennan South scored the majority of his team-high 12 points in the first quarter, helping Clear Fork build a 17-13 edge after the opening frame. Lexington then surged on a 14-3 run and held a 30-22 halftime advantage by outscoring the Colts 17-5 in the second quarter then never looked back.
Cade Stover led the Minutemen charge with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Kyle Johnston added 12 pts and Josh Aiello had 10 with 5 rebs.
As a team Lexington finished 27-48 (56%) from the floor, outrebounding Clear Fork 34-22 and winning the turnover battle 9-7.
St Mary’s Overpowers Clear Fork For Regional Title
Clear Fork’s historic season came to an end in a 38-7 loss to St. May’s Memorial in the Division IV Region 14 at Bellefontaine’s AccuSports Stadium.
The top-seeded Colts fell behind just two plays into the contest on a 72-yard Roughriders scoring run then allowed 10 points off a pair of first-half fumbles in their own territory. St Mary’s led 17-7 at the break before blowing the game wide open in the second half, scoring the final 31 points in the game.
The Roughriders shredded a typically stout Colts defense for 431 total yards with 379 coming on the ground limiting Clear Fork to just 192 yards of total offense.
St Mary’s (12-1) advances to the Final Four where they will face Cincinnati Wyoming (13-0).
Clear Fork (12-1) finishes their season with the most wins in program history having won the MOAC with an undefeated regular season for the second straight year. The Colts saw 10 seniors suit up for the final time, ending their careers as one of the winningest classes in program history.
Clear Fork Advances To Regional Championship
For the first time in program history the Clear Fork football team will be heading to the Regional Championship with a spotless 12-0 record. The Colts knocked Lorain Clearview out of the postseason for the second consecutive season with a 26-8 win over the Clippers at Wooster High School.
A trio of Clear Fork turnovers prevented the Colts from creating much separation from Clearview in the opening half, leading the Clippers 7-6 at the break. A 4th down touchdown toss from Jared Schaefer to Trevon Trammell and a blocked punt resulting in a safety saw the score at 13-8 in favor of Clear Fork heading into the last quarter of play where the Colts would show why they were the top seed in the region.
Clear Fork dominated fourth quarter action by forcing a turnover and finding paydirt twice, outscoring the Clippers 13-0 in the final frame. The Colts finished with over 400 yards of offense, holding Clearview to just over 200, as Trammell gained over 250 total yards with 3 combined touchdowns.
The Clippers wrap-up their season at 10-2 with the programs first postseason victory since 2003.
#1 Clear Fork (12-0) advances to face #2 St Marys (11-1) for the Division IV Region 14 Championship.
Colts Late Surge Downs Bryan In Week 11
For basically the first time all season, undefeated Clear Fork struggled to find an offensive groove in the Colts postseason opener against visiting Bryan. Although the top-seed in Division IV Region 14 walked off the field unsatisfied with their performance against the #8 Golden Bears, they did so as 20-6 winners.
Clear Fork fell behind 6-zip late in the first quarter when Bryan junior QB Nate Miller scampered into the end zone from 5 yards out after an interception set up the Bears offense at the Colts 21 yard line. A 64-yard catch and run by Caden Flynn would later give Clear Fork a 7-6 edge midway through the second before scoring became a stalemate until a big play by an unsuspecting hero changed the complexion of the game in the final quarter.
Sophomore DB Ashton Lyon is often overlooked on a team filled with veterans, but he would standout out with a pair of key fourth-quarter plays to help send the Colts to the Regional Semifinals. After a long drive came to a halt inside the 5-yard line, Lyon intercepted a Golden Bears pass on their ensuing possession and raced into the end zone from 20 yards away to put Clear Fork up 14-6 with 8:36 remaining in the contest. Lyon would later make his second interception of the night to seal a Colts victory following a Brady Tedrow TD run that saw Clear Fork extend their lead to two scores.
As a team, the Colts only produced 252 yards of offense with senior signal caller Jared Schaefer rushing for 100 yds on 20 carries while completing seven passes for 82 yds. Trevon Trammell rushed 14 times for 45 yds and caught a pair of passes for 18 more.
Clear Fork (11-0) will next battle #4 Lorain Clearview (10-1) for a spot in the Regional Championship.
Colts Finish Regular Season Undefeated, Again
For the first time in their storied program history, Clear Fork has finished the regular season unbeaten for the second consecutive year. A lopsided 48-14 win at Marion Harding in Week 10 kept the Colts record spotless at 10-0, clinching their second straight MOAC Championship in the process.
Senior running back Trevon Trammell went over 1,000 yards for the season with a monster 194 yard performance while QB Jared Schaefer threw for 106 yds and a pair of scores. WR Caden Flynn also had an impressive night, hauling in five grabs for 137 yds and 3 TD’s.
Clear Fork has clinched the #1 seed in Division IV Region 14 and will host their Week 11 playoff contest. The Presidents wrap their season at 2-8 with a 1-6 mark in league play.
Jacobs Last Second Goal Sends Ontario To District Final
A pair of MOAC foes met for a spot in the Division II Madison District Championship and needed all 80 minutes to finally decide a winner. Ontario junior forward Alex Jacobs stunned Clear Fork with a game-winning goal at the 13 second mark of the second half to punch the Lady Warriors ticket for Saturday’s tournament final.
Just 20 days earlier in Butler, the Lady Colts defeated Ontario 2-1 to clinch an outright league crown. With a dozen seniors on the roster and the Lady Warriors struggling through their most challenging regular season in recent memory, it appeared the match was Clear Fork’s for the taking. Ontario has had the Lady Colts number in tournament play, however, and their streak of success would continue with a dramatic ending to say the least.
Third-seeded Ontario (11-7-1) will now advance to face defending district champion #1 Madison (15-1-3) for a spot in Regionals on Sat at 2 pm with the Lady Rams demolishing Lexington 7-1 in their semifinal matchup.
Clear Fork wraps-up their season at 13-4-2 as MOAC champions.
Colts Comeback Downs Pleasant For MOAC Title
For a second consecutive season, Clear Fork has claimed the MOAC football championship by defeating perennial state power Marion Pleasant with a 16-14 come from behind victory.
A 24-yard field goal by Colts kicker Gabe Blauser would prove to be the difference as Clear Fork outscored the Spartans 9-0 in the 4th quarter to clinch the league title on senior night. It wasn’t all glory for Blauser though, who missed a game tying extra point earlier in the frame following a 36-yard TD toss from Jared Schaefer to Trevon Trammell.
Clear Fork found themselves behind 14-7 at the half after Pleasant scored on the final play of the second quarter to hold a one score advantage at the break, but the Colts defense would stand firm, holding the Spartans scoreless in the final two quarters to clinch a home playoff game with the win.
The Colts are now 9-0 and will have an opportunity for back to back undefeated regular seasons when they travel to Marion Harding (2-7) next Friday. The Spartans (7-2) end their regular season at home vs Ontario (3-6).
Clear Fork Tramples Ontario 54-14
The Clear Fork Colts smashed the Ontario Warriors with a 54-14 win at Niss Stadium with a dominating stretch across the second and third quarters.
Clear Fork went on a 47-0 run after the game was tied 7-7 following the opening frame, leading 34-7 at the half. Starting the third quarter with a sizeable advantage, the Colts stood their ground and defense dominated giving up almost no yardage to the Warriors until late in the contest.
Clear Fork would stampede through the 4th giving up a score, but would defeat Ontario by a large margin of 40 points to remain unbeaten. The Colts would celebrate a second straight 8-0 start while also celebrating the 200th career win for head coach Dave Carroll.
Clear Fork (8-0) now looks ahead to next Friday where they will take on Pleasant (7-1) as Ontario (3-5) gets set to play Galion (4- 4) .
Clear Fork Downs Ontario For MOAC Championship
For the second year in a row, Clear Fork is the MOAC league champion in girls soccer. The Lady Colts hosted Ontario in Butler with the conference title on the line and defeated the Lady Warriors, who they shared the MOAC crown with last season, by a final score of 2-1.
It was the first time since 2015 Clear Fork has beaten their county rivals and they did so by taking an early lead on a beautiful goal from Torri Curry off a perfectly placed MacKenzie Thorne corner kick, then responding to Alaina Reed’s equalizer late in the first half with Kaylin Helinski’s game-winner with just over 29 minutes to play. The Lady Colts tightened up a bit down the stretch, allowing Ontario to have the run of play over the last several minutes of action, but Kaylee Krausman kept the Lady Warriors off the board to preserve the win.
The win keeps Clear Fork spotless in MOAC play at 5-0 and improves their season mark to 8-2-2 with four regular-season matches remaining. Ontario dips to 6-5-1 overall, suffering their first loss in MOAC play this season.
1-1 Draw for Clear Fork vs Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
Clear Fork and Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. Lady Colts would run out to a 1-0 lead with Leah Argenio scoring on a deflected shot by Jenna Hoffer, taking a lead into the half.
Both teams battled back and forth throughout the 2nd half but CVCA would score the equalizer with 7 minutes left in the game. Both teams would scuffle the last five minutes but the match would end in a 1-1 draw.
Clear Fork’s (5-1-2) next game is Monday (9/24) vs Ontario at home.
Clear Fork Runs To 4-0 Start With North Union Blowout
For a second consecutive season, the Clear Fork football squad is off to a 4-0 journey on their quest for another trip to the playoffs. Following an undefeated regular season in 2017, the Colts have been dominate once again, knocking off MOAC foe North Union 42-14 at the Colt Corral to remain unbeaten on the year.
Leading 14-7 at the break, Clear Fork exploded with 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to run away with the victory after holding a one-score edge at the end of three quarters of action. Trevon Trammell led the way for the Colts with 57 rush yds and a pair of scores on 10 carries and intercepted a Wildcats pass in the 4th quarter that set up a first and goal from inside the five yard line.
The Clear Fork defense forced five North union turnovers, holding the Wildcats to just 244 yards of total offense. Colts Sr. QB Jared Schaefer went 5-7 through the air for 102 yds and ran nine times for 81 yds and 2 TD’s.
Next up for Clear Fork ( 4-0) is a road trip to Buckeye Valley (1-3) while North Union (3-1) will host Ontario (3-1).
Flames Beat Clear Fork For 3rd Straight Win
After an inconsistent 2-3-0 start to their season, Mansfield Christian has strung together three consecutive wins with a 5-2 victory over Clear Fork at Comstock Field.
Senior MF Jared Mount sparked the Flames early by smacking a ball off a Colts defender in for the first score of the match then gave MC the lead for good when he split three Clear Fork players and hammered home a goal to make it 2-1 midway through the opening half. Along with Mount, Mason Berryman, Parker Stigall and John Ballenger all scored for the Flames.
Next up for Mansfield Christian (5-3-0) is a road match vs CVCA while Clear Fork (3-4-0) will host Galion.
Colts Trample Fredericktown To Kick Off Season
Coming off an undefeated regular season in 2017, Clear Fork continued their momentum into their Week 1 showdown against visiting Fredericktown with a 63-0 blowout win. The Colts dominated from the opening kick, running out to a 14-0 edge after the first quarter that ballooned up to a 42-0 lead by the half. Clear Fork’s defense allowed just 160 total yards of offense and forced 2 turnovers in the shutout win.
Next up for Clear Fork (1-0) is a Week 2 trip to Bellevue (0-1) while Fredericktown (0-1) will travel to play Marion Pleasant (1-0).
Madison Gets Run Over By Clear Fork In Final Scrimmage
The football programs at Clear Fork and Madison entered the new season with much different viewpoints following contrasting campaigns in 2017.
The Rams finished last year at 0-10 and welcome a new head coach in Dave Stupka while the Colts won their first 11 games in route to the Regional Semifinals in 2017 with veteran coach Dave Carroll back for his 10th season in the valley.
The teams competed in their final scrimmage before lacing it up for the regular season and the outcome was what you might expect as Clear Fork handled Madison 49-7 in the first two quarters of play. The Rams will begin their season at Shelby while the Colts will host Fredericktown.
Lady Colts Soccer Go To Boot Camp
Building a successful team often requires its members to endure mental and physical challenges with one another to help develop a sense of trust and camaraderie. The Clear Fork girls soccer squad got a taste of that ingredient with a visit from members of the Army National Guard at their practice field.
The Lady Colts were put through a 2-hour Boot Camp for their practice session, grinding through a variety of exercises that tested each muscle group. Coach Brittany Bechtel says “team cohesion is huge,” and with a group of nearly 50 players, she knows it will be challenging to build a strong unity.
Bechtel also believes her squad was ready for a difficult endeavor with high attendance marks throughout their summer training program. Senior players Kaylin Helinski and Bailey Romoser agree the team has been working hard during the offseason and felt they were prepared for the Army’s Boot Camp challenge.