Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – There have been plenty of benchmarks over the past two seasons signifying that Clear Creek Amana has arrived as a program.

A combined 36 wins, a state tournament berth, back-to-back conference titles all show Clear Creek Amana emerging as a consistent winner.

Among the biggest signs the program has turned the corner, success in tight games, was on display again in Tuesday’s season opener.

Clear Creek Amana broke open a two-point game with a 7-0 fourth-quarter run on its way to a 48-42 win over West Delaware in a WAMAC Conference cross-division matchup in Tiffin.

“We’ve gotten this program where we understand what it takes to win,” Clear Creek Amana coach PJ Sweeney said. “It’s taken a while to get there but we do have the players in place and when the chips are down they make a play and we are coming out in the right side of the coin flip a little bit.”

Clear Creek Amana scored the first 14 points of the game and never trailed on Tuesday but still needed a late surge to put away West Delaware in a game that saw the teams combine for 43 turnovers and 38 fouls.

The Clippers scored seven consecutive points in a span of 66 seconds late in the fourth quarter to break open a 38-36 game while winning its fourth consecutive season opener.

There were a lot of kids out there that this was their first varsity action,” Sweeney said. “It’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve but at the end they made some plays and responded and couldn’t be more happy for them.”

Sophomore Ava Locklear and senior Kalin Rotzoll each had nine points and sophomores Bliss Beck and Reese Stockman each had eight points as nine different Clippers scored.

Clear Creek Amana needed contributions from everyone to hold off a second-half charge from the Hawks.

The Clippers held West Delaware scoreless for nearly two and half minutes in the fourth quarter while making its late run.

“We locked down on defense and got some steals,” Rotzoll said. “We got some transition baskets that were important.”

Things couldn’t have started much better for the Clippers.

Rotzoll hit her first three shots, all 3-pointers, as Clear Creek Amana jumped to a 14-0 lead just more than four minutes into the game.

A senior guard, Rotzoll hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the game and had two in the opening 50 seconds to spark the early burst.

“We didn’t really know what the team would look like this year, we lost a lot of valuable players,” Rotzoll said. “We knew that if we came out strong at the beginning that would be a big boost.”

West Delaware missed its first six field goals and trailed 19-3 with under six minutes to play in the first half but climbed back into the game.

The Hawks went 4-of-5 from 3-point line over the final 5:33 of the first half while Clear Creek Amana missed eight of nine free throw attempts in the second quarter and had its lead cut to 24-17 at the half.

“It was I think 19-3 in that first quarter and the next thing you know it’s a tie game and we are in a dog fight,” Sweeney said. “I don’t know how many games we have been in the last couple of years where it’s been so close. There is a reason I don’t have any hair.”

West Delaware pulled even at 28 on a free throw by freshman Brooke Krogmann with three minutes left in the third quarter but Clear Creek Amana responded with an 8-2 run to end the quarter.

The Hawks again made a run, getting as close as 38-36 with 3:54 left but again the Clippers responded.

“When push came to shove we made the plays,” Sweeney said. “We got some deflections, got some steals and forced them to speed up a little bit and made some plays when it counted.”

Clear Creek Amana shot 35 percent from the field and was 11-of-29 from the free throw line but used a 42-32 rebounding edge to create second chance opportunities.

The Clippers had 18 offensive rebounds.

“Tonight, we weren’t making that many shots and when you get those rebounds and second chances it can be big,” Locklear said. “That was important for us to get those rebounds and extra chances.”

Beck had a game-high nine rebounds while Stockman had six and Locklear and sophomore Sam Schrage each had five.

Clear Creek Amana              15   9   12  12  –  48

West Delaware                       3   14  13  12  –  42

Clear Creek Amana (48) – Kaylee Stratton 1-1 0-0 2, Kalin Rotzoll 3-7 0-2 9, Sam Schrage 1-3 2-4 4, Olivia Miller 0-6 2-2 2, Eva Plathe 0-0 0-4 0, Calia Clubb 2-5 1-5 5, Bliss Beck 4-5 0-0 8, Reese Stockman 2-8 4-6 8, Ava Locklear 4-9 1-4 9, Morgan Etscheidt 0-4 1-2 1, Totals 17-48 11-29 48.

West Delaware (42) – Ella Koloc 1-11 1-2 3, Susie Funke 3-3 0-1 8, Alivia Schulter 1-4 1-2 3, Kennedy Klosterman 2-7 0-0 6, Claire Ridenour 3-7 0-2 9, Brooke Krogmann 3-4 1-5 7, Josie McMahon 2-5 1-2 6, Totals 15-41 4-14 42.

3-point field goals – CCA 3-11 (Rotzoll 3-7, Schrage 0-1, Miller 0-2, Stockman 0-1), WD 8-21 (Koloc 0-3, Funke 2-2, Schulte 0-1, Klosterman 2-5, Ridenour 3-6, McMahon 1-4). Rebounds – CCA 42 (Beck 9), WD 32 (Koloc, Ridenour 6). Turnovers – CCA 19, WD 24. Total fouls – CCA 14, WD 24. Fouled out – CCA (Locklear), WD (Funke) Technical fouls – None.

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