FB Team Comes Up Short in Final Two Games
Snapping a four-game win streak, the Clarkson-Leigh Patriot football team came up short in their final two games of the season to end the year with a 4-5 record.
In their final regular-season game, the Patriots played the undefeated David City Scouts in Clarkson. This was a lopsided match from the beginning as the Patriots struggled to get anything going offensively in the first half against a very good David City team. At the end of the first quarter, the score was 6-28. By halftime, the Scouts had tacked on another 14 points to their lead, making it 6-42.
In the third quarter the Patriots managed to put up 14 points, the same as the Scouts, but it was not enough for a comeback. The fourth quarter was scoreless for both teams, bringing the final score of the game to 20-56 in favor of the Scouts.
Despite the loss to 8-0 Scouts, the Patriots managed to make the Class D-1 State Playoffs, as one of the top 32 teams in their class.
On Thursday, October 24, 2024, the Clarkson-Leigh Patriots traveled to Stanton, Nebraska to face the Stanton Mustangs in their first-round playoff matchup. The Patriots came into this game as the 16 seed, while the Mustangs were the 1 seed. The underdog Patriots came into the game with nothing to lose, scoring on the first drive. The Mustangs answered with a one-play touchdown to put them in the lead.
On the ensuing possession, Clarkson-Leigh was unable to capitalize, allowing the Mustangs to widen their lead. The Mustangs controlled the rest of the first half, with the score being 6-36 at halftime. The Patriots fought hard in the second half, but fell short with a final score of 18-52.
Despite the loss, Wyatt Crosley rushed for 91 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Jacob Koehn also rushed for 99 yards.
Head coach Jim Clarkson said, “The 2024 Season was a roller coaster. With only a couple four-year seniors, there were a lot of first-time starters. We played a tough early schedule and lost some tough games, but our guys kept working and getting better and really showed a lot of improvement throughout the season. Drawing Stanton in the first round was a tough break, but I was really impressed and proud of how our guys stepped up to the challenge and didn't back down. The coaches are really excited for the future of the program.”
Sophomore Wyatt Langhorst said, “We gave it our all on the field. We had a great season overall with lots of growth throughout the year.”
Game Stats vs. Stanton (1st Round Playoffs):
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
Clarkson/Leigh 6 0 0 12 18
Stanton 24 12 8. 8 52
Passing – (Completions-Attempts, Yards, Touchdowns)
Wyatt Crosley–1-5, 23, 1
Rushing – (Attempts, Total Yards)
Crosley—19, 91; Blake Loseke—3, 4; Tucker Matthies–8, 27; Jacob Koehn–16, 99
Receiving—(Attempts, Total Yards, Touchdowns)
Matthies--1, 23, 1