by The Clearview Clippers hosted the Columbia Raiders in a dramatic, tightly contested Lorain County League matchup. It was the Raiders who held on for a 22-18 victory. The Raiders used a dominant run game, rushing for 262 yards, to secure the win.
It did not take long for the Raiders to get on the board, as junior running back Jose Rivera found the endzone on their first drive to put them up 6-0. The Clippers would tie things up with a 2-yard rushing score from J.G. Hill. Both teams missed their two-point conversion tries. The Raiders looked primed to retake the lead after driving down to the Clippers 10-yard line. However, Clippers defensive end Josiah Longo made a huge stop on 4th down to end the Raiders drive.
Tyler Chapman gave Clearview their first lead after hauling in a beautiful deep ball from quarterback Cy Christensen for a 36-yard touchdown. Christensen was perfect on the scoring drive, completing all four of his passes for 80 yards. Columbia responded with a 3-yard touchdown run from their quarterback Gage Maruna. This time their two-point conversion attempt was successful, giving them a 14-12 lead.
The Raiders opened the second half with a strong drive, resulting in another Gage Maruna touchdown run. Logan Menge converted the two-point conversion to make it a 22-12 game. Late in 3rd quarter, the Clippers defense came through with a huge fourth down stop on the Raiders, stopping Jose Rivera just inches short of the line to gain. The big stop kept the Clippers within striking distance.
Cy Christensen brought Clearview within 4 points after scrambling into the endzone for an 8-yard touchdown. A bad snap on the 2-point try kept the score 22-18. Clearview then had a chance to win the game on their next drive. The Clippers drove the ball all the way down to the Raiders 2-yard line, but a loss of 3 yards on a J.G. Hill run and a sack of Christensen led to a fourth and goal from the 10-yard line. With the game on the line, the Columbia pass rush broke through and chased Christensen out the pocket, forcing an incomplete pass.
Player of the Game: Gage Maruna 15 RUSH 68 YARDS 2 TD, 1/2 PASS 18 YARDS
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