The only score came on this pass to tight end Bennett Spriggs in the third quarter. Coldwater lost to Clinton-Massie in the home opener, 14-7. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Clinton-Massie dominated the game statistically and barely won…Coldwater offense AWOL…Chip Otten frustrated…Massie coach Dan McSurley elated with 300th win.
Coldwater, OH – If you want to save some time the above sub-header tells the story of Friday night’s 14-7 Clinton-Massie win over Coldwater (1-1) in a matter of 23 words.
If you’re patient just to read, Clinton-Massie dominated Coldwater statistically…276 yards to 112, 242 yards rushing to 68, and in total plays (64 to 30). That’s about the size of things.
And if those numbers, themselves, don’t tell you the tale of the game, rely on this. The Cavaliers offense was absent without leave, and did anything but adhere to the football adage that the greatest degree of improvement comes between the first and second weeks of the season. Far from it. This was far from the same team that beat Valley View last week!
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To the contrary, Coldwater’s defense did everything it could do, albeit outsized to a man, to keep them in the game, allowing just the 14 points. But wild snaps over the quarterback’s head, penalties, an interception and a late fumble were simply more than any defense could counteract.
On Coldwater’s first possession center Colton Hibner sailed a snap over the head of quarterback Karsyn Homan as Homan was looking to the sideline. Wounded in their own foot, third and 2 became third and 13.
The Cavaliers were stunted by a series of penalties in the first half, keeping the offense out of synch and boxed up in their own end of the field.
For the game, with a notable exception they had miserable field position.
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And a little luck never hurt. The lone score of the first half came with 6 seconds remaining the first quarter on an 8-yard pass from Massie quarterback Kaden Zantene to Andrew Smith…a pass tipped by Cavalier defensive back Nolan Mescher, not once, but twice, but the taller Smith finally came down with it.
The running game was one-sided…Massie’s Tristen Trampler ran 23 times for 121 yards.
The PAT attempt was no good, and as the two teams left the field for the halftime locker room a voice rang out from the fence alongside the track. “What’s going on out there?”… exactly what Packer coach Vince Lombardi once famously said, now immortalized on NFL films. Ironically, a frustrated Chip Otten was likely muttering those very words as he walked to the locker room, proving there’s really nothing new in football.
Massie was the bigger team, without question, and their object of operation was the pound the ball at the smaller Coldwater defense, wear them down, and control the ball and the clock. Take no chances with flea-flickers, and halfback option passes…just keep the ball out of the hands of the Cavalier playmakers. And that worked. Coldwater’s lone touchdown finally came at 2:46 of the third quarter on a nine-play drive culminating with a 12 yard pass from Homan to tight end Bennett Spriggs. The PAT attempt was good and Coldwater finally had a score, and the lead.
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But they couldn’t generate momentum off that score, or get a break on the ensuing Massie possession when Nolan Mescher stepped in front of a Zantene pass, picked it off and returned it to near midfield. Blessed with their best starting field possession of the night, the offense sputtered again, tuned the ball back over to Massie, and never threatened again.
Clinton-Massie, however, did threaten, driving the ball all the way to the three yard line on their first possession of the fourth quarter. But Coldwater’s defense stiffened on a goal line stand, stopping running back Tristen Trampler on fourth down at the two yard line.
Tug ‘O War…Everybody had a shirtful of jersey on this kick return by Coldwater’s Nolan Mescher.
But deep in their own territory Homan and the offense again could not move the football, and on third down Homan attempted a post pattern downfield to Caleb Schroer. As good as a punt, it was picked off by Massie’s CJ Sheldon at the Coldwater 42 yard line. And from there, Massie’s run game took over and put the game away. With 1:56 left in the game, Zantene ran a two-yard sneak into the end zone to go up 12-7. And Bret Gray ran in the two-point conversion try to make the margin 14-7, giving Coldwater less than two minutes to answer.
Starting from their own thirty yard line Homan and company could not break out, and facing a third down and long, reverted to a hook-and-ladder play with Caden Obringer. Obringer caught the ball out of the backfield, but when he attempted to lateral to a following Braxton Taylor the ball came loose, Massie fell on it…and, ballgame.
Defensive gem…Nolan Mescher got a hand in to break up a sure touchdown throw to Massie’s Andrew Smith in the third quarter.
Ugly?
Braxton Taylor touched the ball just 6 times for 44 yards.
Karsyn Homan ran it 10 times for 24 yards, while completing 6 of 14 pass attempts for 44 yards.
Conversely, Massie’s Tristen Trampler was a workhorse, toting the ball 23 times for 121 yards.
And Kaden Zantene threw it just 9 times, and completed 4 for 34 yards…but he really didn’t need to. The disparity in time of possession, and yards rushing (242 to 68) more than told the story.
Ironically, it was Massie coach Dan McSurley’s 300th career win at Clinton-Massie, and afterwards he left little to the imagination about the significance of who they beat for #300, and how they did it.
“Obviously, they’re a good team and the defending state champion and we played our asses off on the road and beat ’em. Last year was a motivation, but we just wanted to be competitive. We’re banged up, they gave us their best shot, and we took advantage of the competition. It’s going to prepare us for the next eight games. This game was exactly what we needed, and I couldn’t be more proud of my 300th win and have it come against Coldwater. Didn’t plan it that way, but it’s a really special feeling.”
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Chip Otten had little to say, and for the most part said it quietly, his frustration revealed in his lack of words.
“I don’t know what it was offensively…just a comedy of errors,” he began. “The snap over the quarterback’s head, a pair of holding calls, and this while we were actually making some yards.
“In the second half, and at the end, our field position was not great. Uh,” he paused, “…it was just a mess on offense. We were getting the plays in, and we had the right guys, but they hogged the ball and we just didn’t get enough chances. We had 15 plays at halftime, and half of those came after a penalty. We played really hard defensively…and we knew we weren’t big up front and we still got ’em stopped. It was a lot tougher than last year, physically, with the guys we got. But they battled.”
Two things to conclude with.
One, it’s probable that the biggest degree of improvement for Coldwater will instead come between weeks two and three. Chip Otten will see to that with Fort Recovery coming next week.
And two, the person who questioned “What’s going on out there?” is still waiting for an answer.
If it’s any comfort, Chip Otten would like to know, too.
It was that kind of night…on this contested pass in the end zone Coldwater’s Nolan Mescher tipped it twice, but Clinton-Massie’s Andrew Smith came down with it for a touchdown.
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