SHELBY -- The Shelby Whippets will play for its third Regional Championship in five years after defeating the Clyde Fliers 28-14 on Saturday night at W.W. Skiles Field.

 

The second-seeded Whippets struck paydirt on its first offensive play when Owen Fisher raced 68 yards to the endzone for a 7-0 lead. Later in the quarter Shelby got back on the scoreboard, this time through the air, as Marshall Shepherd found Cody Lantz in the corner of the endzone for a 24-yard score and a 14-0 lead.

 

Clyde cut into the lead in the second quarter when Jaden Cook found Brady Wilson for a 7-yard score making it 14-7, but the Whippets were able to get across the goal line one final time before the break on Fisher’s second touchdown run of the half, this time from 7 yards out making it 21-7 at the half. The same score as last year’s Region Semifinal at halftime.

 

This year Shelby wouldn’t give up the lead as Fisher finished the scoring for the Whippets with a 24-yard run just under five minutes into the third quarter to make it 28-7.

 

Clyde added its final score of the night in the fourth quarter on Cook’s second touchdown pass to Wilson from 9 yards out.

 

Fisher finished with a game-high 175 rushing yards on 31 carries to lead the Whippets.

 

Cook led the Fliers going 15-of-24 passing for 192 yards and 2 touchdowns.

 

The second-seeded Whippets will host fifth-seeded Van Wert next Saturday at W.W. Skiles Field after the Cougars upset top-seeded Bellevue 41-22.