Win over Bullock Creek snaps Clare football’s two game skid

 By BEN MURPHY

Cleaver Sports Writer

After dropping two close, hard-fought games the previous two weeks, things finally went the way the Clare football team wanted on Friday. The Pioneers were hosting Bullock Creek in Jack Pine Conference action, and they were able to outlast the Lancers in quite the high scoring game, 48-35.

“It certainly feels a lot better,” head coach Steven Spranger said. “We know we're a good team, and our confidence never really wavered.”

That confidence certainly came in handy for the Pioneers, especially when they found themselves trailing for much of the first half. They turned the tables in the third and fourth quarters, getting back out in front and eventually taking a two-possession lead in the final stanza.

“Our composure (was key),” Spranger said. “Like we've been saying all season, we're a young team, but I think the last couple of weeks has really forced a lot of growth onto our team and they were able to stay calm while we were down early, then capitalize when it was our opportunity.”

Quarterback Dane Alexander was effective throwing the ball and running it, and Mason Heintz was able to rush for over 100 yards too; giving the Pioneers plenty of offense to draw upon.

“We were able to get the running game, especially Mason Heintz, going early,” Spranger said. “He was able to bust off a couple of big inside runs that forced them to soften up on their edges, which allowed us to exploit that area later in the game.”

After giving up an early touchdown, Clare scored its first points on a five-yard touchdown pass from Alexander to Judah Woods; and a Brayden Humphrey extra point brought them within 8-7.

The Lancers stayed one step ahead of the Pioneers in the first half though, and they extended their lead out to 15-7. Clare struck back with a thrilling 53-yard touchdown run by Heintz to pull them within 15-14, and after Bullock Creek scored to go up 22-14, Clare scored with just one second left before the half, on a nine-yard touchdown strike from Alexander to Blayn Bigelow; and it was 22-20 at the break.

The Pioneers scored twice in the third quarter to take a 34-29 lead entering the fourth. Alexander had a hand on both of those touchdowns, plunging in from a yard out on the first one, and he tossed a six-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Nemetz for the second one.

The fourth quarter saw Alexander connect with Nemetz for another six-yard touchdown, and Alexander helped ice the game with 3:41 left, rushing in from 38-yards out.

Alexander finished 16-of-23 passing for 191 yards and four touchdowns and he rushed 16 times for 163 yards and two scores. Heintz finished with 113 yards and one score on 15 carries and Nemetz ran four times for 42 yards. The receiving game was led by Marcus Haynak who had four catches for 81 yards, Nemetz hauled in seven passes for 65 yards and two scores and Donavan Hoogerhyde had two receptions for 21 yards.

As for the defense, Max Pechacek and Gunner West both had eight tackles, Heintz had seven and Thomas Gordon-Johnson and Cooper Weissend had five each. Bigelow added four tackles and he hauled in one interception and Bryce Mills had four tackles and he got to the quarterback once for a sack.

“A ton of positives to highlight,” Spranger said. “First off, our offensive line (Marshal Strouse, William Tait, Peyton Duncan, Gunner West, Bentley Kleinhardt) had a great game. They were undersized by a lot, and we were able to lean on them quite a bit. Then our senior backfield (Dane Alexander and Mason Heintz) got us going early and often and completely took control of the game. Defensively, two of our youngest guys on that side of the ball (Thomas Gordon-Johnson (10th) and Max Pechacek (9th) both had outstanding games. A tremendous win on homecoming against a very confident football team. We were tremendously undersized compared to Creek tonight, but we were the more physical team all night.”

Clare (3-4 overall, 2-3 Jack Pine) is set for the Jack Pine Conference crossover game on Friday, when they head to St. Louis (1-6, 1-4). The Sharks have struggled some this year, but they did get their first win of the season last week, when they topped Pinconning, 58-0.

“They haven't had a season they were anticipating, but they still have a lot of size with a couple of good athletes,” Spranger said. “Some keys will be to continue to build off the second half of this past week, controlling the line of scrimmage, and winning the turnover battle.”

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