The Clinton Prairie Gophers were defeated by the Sheridan Blackhawks 42-12 on Friday in the semi-final round of Sectional 46.
For the second year in a row, the Blackhawks knocked the Gophers out of the playoffs in the second round of Sectionals.
The game didn’t start as planned for Clinton Prairie. After a three-and-out, a low snap forced the punter to throw it away, setting up Sheridan in great field position.
The Blackhawks capitalized, Alex Cravens found the endzone from 18 yards out to go up 7-0.
The Gophers didn’t take long to respond. Kye Jacobs, making his first start at quarterback this season, kept an option and ran 65 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the ensuing possession to cut the score to 7-6.
“We used him all over the field,” Clinton Prairie football coach Kurt Schlicher said. “His speed is part of the reason we played him more at quarterback. We knew that their defense was fast. I thought Kye, just coming in like that, did a great job; he’s done that all season, really his entire career.”
Sheridan drained the rest of the first quarter away with its second drive. Hayden Alexander punched it in from four yards out to make the score 14-6 at the end of the first.
After a Clinton Prairie punt, Cravens ran in his second touchdown of the first half, and the Blackhaws led 21-6.
Sheridan recovered an onside kick and scored again as quarterback Brock Hagan found Chance Spencer for a 27-yard touchdown to make 28-6.
Clinton Prairie finally got going on its next possession. Kye Jacobs found Alex King on third down, and King broke a tackle, reaching the endzone from 36 yards out.
After a Blackhawk fumble, the Gophers tried to put a drive together to end the first half, but stalled out near midfield.
In the second half, Clinton Prairie recovered an onside kick of their own, but couldn’t take advantage, turning it over on downs.
The Gophers got stops on each of Sheridan’s next three possessions, but couldn’t finish any of their own drives, leaving the score at 28-12 heading into the fourth.
A second Gopher interception gave the ball back to Sheridan, and Hayden Alexander broke free for a 62-yard rushing score to take a 35-12 lead.
The Gophers failed to convert on fourth down, and Sheridan added another touchdown with less than a minute to go, winning 42-12.
After the game, Kurt Schlicher listed several key players who made an impact for the Gophers this season and in their careers at Clinton Prairie. To listen to the whole interview, click below.
“Our motto this year was ‘everything is earned,'” Schlicher said. “Our kids battled from top to bottom. You ask yourself sometimes, ‘How do you measure success?’ Obviously, a three-win season, you could say this or that, but from a coach’s perspective, we couldn’t be more proud of the effort that our kids gave us day in and day out.”