Grinnell Sneaks Past Clear Creek Amana in Thrilling Regular Season Finale
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
TIFFIN – In a showdown of two of the top offensive teams in Class 3A it was the Grinnell defense that stole the show.
Sort of.
It was still the entertaining offensive extravaganza many expected.
The state’s leading rusher Wyatt Hunter starred and the Clear Creek Amana senior backfield duo of Ryan Navara and Alex Figueroa was exceptional.
“That was a great high school football game,” Clear Creek Amana coach Gabe Bakker said. “On the last Friday of the regular season you can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Yet when the game was on the line it was the Tiger defense that shined the brightest.
Grinnell (5-2) twice stuffed Clear Creek Amana on fourth and short plays in the second half on its way to a 31-24 win over the Clippers in a wild regular season finale at Clipper Field in Tiffin.
Hunter ran for 273 yards and four touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 36 seconds left as Grinnell finished 4-1 in Class 3A, District 6 play.
Figueroa and Navara combined for 252 of the Clippers’ 281 rushing yards but Clear Creek Amana couldn’t convert twice on fourth and short in Tiger territory in the final 16 minutes while falling to 4-3 and 3-2 in district play.
“Some of those short fourth and ones I think they were there but we just put our head down and went and that’s nobody’s fault,” Bakker said. “It’s high school kids trying to make a play and they made those plays and they are a good team.”
Hunter entered the game leading the state in rushing averaging 253.5 yards per game.
The 210-pound senior had 38 of his 273 yards on the game-winning drive as Grinnell marched 78 yards in 10 plays and was aided by a pair of personal foul penalties on the Clippers.
Hunter gave Grinnell a 31-24 lead when he powered into the end zone from three yards out with 36 seconds left.
Grinnell played without sophomore starting quarterback Dallas Sauser who missed the game with an injury/
In his place senior Cole McGriff rushed for 122 yards on 18 carries and had a key 17-yard run on the game-winning drive.
“That’s the best running back in the state in 3A, they had a new dimension with a new quarterback in and our kids had to adjust,” Bakker said. “They did pick up yards but I think we eliminated the real big play. We made them earn it and that’s what we had to do to be in this ball game we obviously were in the game and had a chance to win in the fourth quarter.”
Hunter got going early, rumbling 42 yards for a score on the fourth play of the game. Grinnell led 10-0 after a 30-yard field goal by Calvin Jawkorski with 2:26 left in the first quarter.
Clear Creek Amana responded with back-to-back impressive drives starting with a 15-play, 74-yard march capped by a 4-yard run by Navara.
The Clippers then went 98 yards in just six plays and took their first lead of the game at 14-10 on a 7-yard scamper by Figueroa with 3:48 left in the first half.
Hunter answered before the half, racking up 68 yards on a 69-yard scoring drive capped by his 4-yard TD run that put the Tigers up 17-14 at half.
Clear Creek Amana’s opening drive of the second half ended when the Clippers came up short on a fourth-and-four at the Tiger 18.
That became a theme of the second half.
Grinnell stopped the Clippers a yard shy of the end zone on a fourth-and-goal play from the two and stuffed Navara on a quarterback sneak on fourth-and-1 at the 22 with 3:58 left.
Both of those stops were followed immediately by Tiger touchdown drives of 99 and 78 yards.
“Without looking at the film its hard to tell but it did seem like we were just over pursuing one gap or missing one tackle,” Bakker said. “On offense we would hit the wrong hole just by one on some of those fourth and short plays.”
Figueroa finished with 138 yards on 32 carries while Navara ran for 114 yards on 21 attempts and also threw for 106 yards and a touchdown.
Clear Creek Amana will learn its postseason opponent on Saturday afternoon.
“I think our best game is still out there and I like where we are going,” Bakker said. “This was the first time in a big game we had our whole band together and I like where we are going. Obviously not happy with the outcome but I’m happy with the process we are following.
CCA GRI
First Downs 24 15
Rushes-yards 55-281 47-381
Comp-Att-Int 10-17-0 3-7-1
Passing yards 112 22
Total yards 386 403
Punts-Avg. 1-65 1-12
Fumbles-lost 1-0 1-0
Penalties-yards 4-37 11-91
Clear Creek Amana 0 14 2 8 – 24
Grinnell 10 7 7 7 – 31
GRI – Wyatt Hunter 42 run (Calvin Jaworski kick)
GRI – Jaworski 30 field goal
CCA – Ryan Navara 4 run (Anthony Hennes kick)
CCA – Alex Figueroa 7 run (Hennes kick)
GRI – Hunter 5 run (Jaworski kick)
CCA – Safety intentional grounding in the end zone
GRI – Hunter 1 run (Jaworski kick)
CCA – Tom Johnson 27 pass from Navara (Navara run)
GRI – Hunter 3 run (Jaworski kick)
Individual Statistics
RUSHING – Clear Creek Amana: Alex Figueroa 32-138, Ryan Navara 21-114, Gage Freeman 2-29. Grinnell: Wyatt Hunter 26-273, Cole McGriff 18-122, Dodge Sauser 1-5, Brady Steward 1-(-4), Team 1-(-15).
PASSING – Clear Creek Amana: Ryan Navara 9-16-0 106, Ben Swails 1-1-0 6. Grinnell: Cole McGriff 3-7-1 22.
RECEIVING – Clear Creek Amana: Tom Johnson 4-49, Brock Reade 3-38, Harrison Rosenberg 2-19, Ryan Navara 1-6. Grinnell: Brady Steward 2-6, Owen Coffman 1-16.
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