Clarkson falls one win short

Clarkson falls one win short
Big plays haunt Red Devils in loss to Elgin Pope John
By Andy Dygert

Pope John	Clarkson
39	30

    LINCOLN - After a difficult first half, the Clarkson football team came all the way back Thursday night at Memorial Stadium - showing why the Red Devils had made it to the Class D-1 championship game.
    Clarkson narrowed the 24-point gap to eight points with nearly all of the fourth quarter to go and had the momentum and an enthusiastic Red Devil crowd behind it.
    One play later, Elgin Pope John stole it away.
    Following the Clarkson kickoff, Crusader quarterback Dean Veik found Jake Schindler on a long pass that was nearly picked off by two Red Devils, who were only able to brush the ball with their fingertips.  Schindler was hit as he caught the ball, but kept his balance and scampered all alone for a 68-yard touchdown reception, sealing an eventual 39-30 win for Class D-1, No. 3 Pope John.
    "(The play) took quite a bit from us," Clarkson coach Jim Clarkson said.  "We had great coverage, but the receiver made a great play.  It took the momentum from us."
    The play did indeed seem to take the wind out of Clarkson's sails as on its next offense possession the Red Devils could get nothing going.  Pope John quickly scored on a Schindler run to make it 39-16.
    Clarkson refused to stop playing, however, in the school's first-ever trip to the championship game.  The team would tack on two more scores, even though the Crusaders and their fans had already started to celebrate.  Running back Michael Konicek, who led Clarkson with 21 carries for 93 yards, plunged in for his third touchdown of the night, and quarterback Eric Brabec found the end zone with 13 seconds left in the game.
    Time ran out on the Red Devils, though, and they had to watch the Crusaders hoist the championship trophy.
    "I can't say how proud of them we are," Clarkson said.  "We wanted them to come back and battle in the second half - it showed a lot of heart.  I appreciate that."
    Clarkson had gotten back into the game by mixing up its offensive schemes in the second half.  Two halfback passes by Brandon Dinslage set up Red Devil touchdowns during the third quarter and allowed the rest of the offense to click.
    "(The trick plays) were big," Clarkson said.  "Brandon had a couple of great passes."
    Clarkson had finally begun to look like the flexible powerhouse offense that steamrolled its way to the semifinals.  Both times in the third quarter, when the Red Devils entered the red zone, they had no trouble controlling the line and smashing through the Crusaders for scores.  But Clarkson's run offense wasn't nearly as dominate in the middle of the field, where it stagnated facing the quicker players in the Pope John defensive unit.
    "Give a lot of credit to Pope John," Clarkson said.  "They're a really good football team."
    The game started poorly for Clarkson, as the offense couldn't seem to get jump-started against a quick Crusader defense that sniffed out the run as the Red Devils attempted to run the ball up the gut of the field.  In the first half, Clarkson was forced to punt the ball three times, tuned the ball over on downs and committed the only turnover of the game - a fumble.
    Pope John, on the other hand, came out quickly, scoring a touchdown on its first drive of the game and tacking on two more scores before having to punt for the first time late in the second quarter.
    The quick 17-0 Crusader halftime lead was a whirlwind for the Red Devils, who managed to get back on track after halftime.  Clarkson outscored Pope John 30-22 in the second half.
    Though disappointed with the defeat, Clarkson was pleased with how his team played this year and how they came back in the second half and never gave up on the game.
    "I was proud of how our kids came out of the half," Clarkson said.  "It took us a while to get going, but (my players) showed me a lot by coming back."
    After accepting the second-place trophy, the Red Devils drifted back to the fence where nearly their whole fan base was waiting for them.  After all, this Clarkson team had done what no other had ever done and boosted a program not used to the attention.
    Their fans, families and neighbors had a single message for the players, showing how proud they are of this team.
    "You made history," they said.

Pope John (13-0)   7   10   7   15   -   39
Clarkson (10-3)     0     0   8   22   -   30

• SCORING SUMMARY:  PJ- Dean Veik 31-yard run (Jay Reicks kick); PJ- Reicks 23-yard field goal; PJ- Jake Schindler 4-yard run (Reicks kick); PJ- Schindler 35-yard run (Reicks kick); CLA- Michael Konicek 9-yard run (Konicek run); CLA- Konicek 1-yard run (Konicek run); PJ- Schindler 68-yard pass from Veik (Josh Beckman pass from Veik); PJ- Schindler 16-yard run (Reicks kick); CLA- Konicek 22-yard run (run failed); Eric Brabec 25-yard run (Brandon Dinslage run).