Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

TIFFIN – With 35 years of coaching experience Clear Creek Amana head coach Lance Pedersen is well versed in the world of coach speak.

Pedersen knows all the catching coach sayings including those that hold weight.

Winning 70 percent of his games over a span of 22 seasons as a head coach Pedersen also understands quite well the goal is to win games.

Following a 4-5 season in which Clear Creek Amana narrowly missed the Class 4A playoffs last season Pedersen isn’t shying away from that goal in his third season leading the Clippers.

“Our ultimate goal is always to be 1-0 by the end of the week but that’s the coach talk, ultimately you want to make the postseason that’s everybody’s dream,” Pedersen said. “I think the motivation for our guys is they want to have their own identity this year. They believe in what we are trying to do as coaches in the program and they want to see us be successful.”

In Pedersen’s first season leading the program Clear Creek Amana went 6-4 and reached the 4A playoffs in 2024.

Last season regular season losses to three of the four 4A semifinalists limited the Clippers to just nine games.

A return to the 16-team playoff is the end goal for the Clippers this fall.

“To be able to play just one week is something I think everybody looks forward to,” senior running back/linebacker Noah Collis said. “We did it our sophomore year and missed it last year and it’s the grind to get back there. It’s something that all of us have that goal in mind to get there.”

A group of 11 returning starters gives the Clippers plenty of reason for optimism.

On offense Clear Creek Amana returns a dynamic dual threat quarterback in junior Texton Bollers (6-2, 180) who passed for 461 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 259 yards in relief of injured starter Conlan Poynton last season.

Bollers completed 46 percent of his passes (32-of-70) and averaged 5.8 yards per carry last season, leading the Clippers to a 43-0 win over Oskaloosa in the season finale.

“When you are the guy that steps in it’s completely different than when you are man,” Pedersen said. “Texton has done a great job, he studies film, he understands the game of football. He is really learning how to read a defense, do they have two guys on the roof, do they have one guy on the roof, are they press man coverage what are they doing and then knowing what the weakness is in that defense and then trying to exploit that.”

Bollers returns a top target in senior track standout Tay Seals (5-10, 145) at receiver.

Seals caught a team-high 27 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns last season.

Collis (5-8, 175) and senior Ian Kelley (5-8, 195) return to lead the Clear Creek Amana backfield after combining for 445 yards and six touchdowns last season.

“We need to establish the line of scrimmage,” Kelley said. “We need to get off the ball and then I can do what I need to do in the backfield.”

Bollers brings an electric ability to both run and pass at quarterback and that is exactly what Pedersen wants his offense to do – run and pass.

Last season Clear Creek Amana averaged 173 rushing yards and 135 passing yards per game while posting 32.7 points per contest.

“I think in the state of Iowa you have to be balanced,” Pedersen said. “We have some weapons being able to throw the football but we still have to run the football. You have to run the football in Iowa to be good and to be able to sustain a long drive and so our ultimate goal is to be balanced.”

Defensively the Clippers return seven players with starting experience led by junior linebacker

Nolan Dao (6-1, 195) who ranked second on the team with 34 tackles last season.

Collis returns at linebacker along with senior Silas Cobb (6-3, 190) who made 11.5 tackles last season.

There is experience up front on defense with Kelley at defensive tackle and seniors Joe Vaske (6-2, 196) and Avery Sorensen (6-4, 226) at defensive end.

Sorensen had 15.5 tackles with four for loss and Vaske had 24 tackles with 3.5 for loss last season.

Seals returns in the secondary after making 21 tackles while senior Brady Hilsman (X) is also back after making eight tackles a year ago.

“We have some guys that we may be undersized in some positions but they can read their keys and they do a really good job with the fundamentals of the game,” Pedersen said. “They come down hill quickly and make plays.”

The schedule remains a challenge.

Clear Creek Amana faces defending state champion Cedar Rapids Xavier and North Scott in non-district games before a district slate that includes semifinalist Newton and defending 4A runner-up Pella.

Last season the Clippers lost back-to-back games by three points to North Scott (33-30 in overtime) and at Grinnell (28-25).

Turning those close losses into wins could be a key this season.

“We had three games against tough opponents that just came down to one play or two plays and that’s definitely a big motivator for us especially when it felt like we could have won those games,” Kelley said. “We have a tough district but I think we can definitely get in the playoffs and if we get in the playoffs who knows what is going to happen.”

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