BELLVILLE — Gabe Blauser went from heartbroken to s heart-breaker in the space of about five minutes on Friday night.
Clear Fork’s junior kicker missed a game-tying PAT (at least in the eyes of one official) three minutes into the fourth quarter before coming back onto the field with just 3:27 remaining to nail a game-winning 27-yard field goal.
The booming kick and subsequent 16-14 victory on a rainy, chilly and windy night at the Colt Corral keeps Clear Fork undefeated at 9-0 overall and clinches at least a share of a second-straight Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference title.
It was also the Colts’ 19th straight regular-season win and has them just one win away from back-to-back 10-0 seasons. Marion Pleasant fell to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the league.
Blauser has connected on 88 percent of his PAT kicks this season (46-52) and both of his field goal tries. He admitted he was upset with himself when the officials ruled his PAT was wide left.
“I can’t really change it. Just have to go with it. It is what it is,” the soft-spoken Blauser said.
The game-winner came in the rain, against the wind and on a muddy field — with a potential perfect season on the line.
“I was trying not to think about (the weather and conditions),” Blauser said. “I was a little nervous before, but once I got out there, I cleared my head and just kicked it through.”
Clear Fork coach Dave Carroll said he believes the officials made a mistake on the PAT that would have tied the game with 8:54 remaining after a searing 36-yard TD strike from senior Jared Schaefer to senior Trevon Trammell that spit two Pleasant defenders.
“I don’t know if he really missed the point after, but whatever,” Carroll said. “Gabe is a great kid. He was disappointed in himself. He is a great kicker and punter and he was down on himself after missing that.
“I knew he was going to nail (the field goal),” Carroll said. “He is money and can make it from anywhere. We were confident in him putting it through.”
INSTANT CLASSIC: The showdown between the two league powerd again lived up to its hype. Last year the Colts won 20-17 in overtime at Pleasant.
This time Clear Fork took a 7-0 lead with 10:07 left in the second quarter when junior QB Brennan South found senior Zach Homerick alone down the left sideline on a 37-yard scoring pass.
The Spartans and their powerful ground game answered quickly on a 4-yard run by 6-foot-5 senior QB Ethan Warner with 5:54 remaining in the half. Pleasant took the lead at 14-7 as time expired in the first half on a 6-yard pass from Warner to junior Patrick Blubaugh, one of just two passes Pleasant completed.
“I told the kids at halftime that this was nothing,” Carroll said. “We were down 14-0 at halftime (at Pleasant) last year, so we were alright.
“The biggest thing is football is a game. You have to grind and work and you can never, ever quit. If there is one thing you can take away from football and any sport, it is to never quit and never give up.
“We put in our scouting report (this week) that we needed to handle adversity. We knew were going to run into some with that football team and I think we earned an A+ in that aspect of the game.”
Trailing 14-13, the Clear Fork defense did its job and the Colts got the ball back at their own 20 with 6:16 left in the game. They quickly moved the ball, including a 40-yard pass from South to senior Caden Flynn that set them up at the Pleasant 15-yard line. Clear Fork pushed forward and had a first-and-goal from the four. A run lost three yards and two passes fell incomplete, shifting the spotlight to Blauser for his heroics.
To its credit, Pleasant didn’t go quietly into that wet night. The Spartans pushed the ball as close as the Clear Fork 29-yard line and actually had a pass tip off a receiver’s hands near the end zone. But a QB sack by Trammell on fourth down with 32 seconds left sealed the win.
PLAYING TO STRENGTHS: Clear Fork rushed for just 67 yards on 27 carries, but Schaefer and South combined to connect on 14 of 22 passes for 284 yards and the two TDs. Senior A.J. Blubaugh did much of the damage with eight catches for 103 yards.
“We knew we were going to have to do most of our damage through the air,” Carroll said. “Their run defense is incredible. Those guys are studs and they don’t let you run the football.”
Pleasant Coach Aaron Cook said his team’s game plan worked as the Spartans rushed for 243 yards on 52 carries, though they also connected on just 2 of 9 passes for 31 yards.
“Our kids did a great job running the ball. That is what we do. We were going to stick with the script and we know we could move the ball against them. We just missed some opportunities here and there and it happens in a game like this,” Cook said.
“It’s fun for the kids (to play in such a huge game), It’s more fun for the kids than the coaches. Right now, they are hurting, but they played extremely well.”
UP NEXT: Clear Fork has clinched a home playoff game in week 11. All that stands between the Colts and a second outright MOAC title is a road game next Friday at Marion Harding (2-7).
Pleasant controls its own destiny and will earn a playoff spot next weekend with a win at home against Ontario (3-6).
