CLARK – Aberdeen Roncalli couldn’t escape Clark-Willow Lake’s big-play ability Friday night, falling 40-7 to the Cyclones in a Northeast Conference road football game.
Clark-Willow Lake, ranked fifth in the latest Class 11B poll, opened the game with a pair of first quarter scores on touchdown passes from Joey Ries. Jakob Steen then scampered for an 83-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and the Cyclones wrapped up the first half by punching it in on a quarterback keeper from Ries to cap a long drive and enter the break leading 28-0.
“It was one of those nights where it kind of feels like we took a step backwards,” said Roncalli coach Billy Young. “It’s frustrating, but it’s a good football team against a really young team. Not that that’s any excuse. We did some things that were uncharacteristic of us that hurt us. You can’t do that against really good teams.”
Defensively, the Cavaliers made several stands where they forced the Cyclones into third-and-long or fourth-and-long situations, but Clark-Willow Lake managed to squirm its way out of most of those, most often via a big-yardage play.
“At times we have them at third-and-long and give up a big play,” Young said. “And vice versa, we’re on the verge of converting a third down into a first down on offense and we shoot ourselves in the foot.”
Clark-Willow Lake got the ball to begin the third quarter and marched downfield for another score by Ries and a 34-0 lead before the Cavaliers got the ball back.
Young said the loss, while stinging, is a learning opportunity for his young squad.
“Hopefully they’ll learn from it,” he said. “We’ll get a chance to watch it on film Monday and make some corrections. It’s only a bad thing if we don’t move forward and learn from it.”
Roncalli did get on the board on its first drive of the fourth quarter on a pass from Austin Fisher to Creighton Fisher.
“Creighton Fisher (seven catches, 84 yards) did a nice job making a couple big catches there late in the game,” Young said. “Good for him; he hasn’t had a lot of targets the first two games. He finally got a chance to get his hands on the ball.”
Austin Fisher finished the game going 11-for-21 for 118 yards.
Clark-Willow Lake was led by Jakob Steen’s 120 rushing yards on six attempts. Ries threw for 240 yards and two TDs, and also ran for three scores.
Roncalli will make its return to Dacotah Bank Stadium next Friday as the Cavaliers get set to host unbeaten and fourth-rated Deuel. Clark-Willow Lake remains at home to host Groton next weekend.
Aberdeen Roncalli (1-2) 0 0 0 7 – 7
Clark-Willow Lake (3-0) 14 14 12 0 – 40
CWL – Talen Huber 12 pass from Joey Ries.
CWL – Chris Bevers 38 pass from Ries (Bevers pass from Ries).
CWL – Jakob Steen 83 run (Huber run).
CWL – Ries 3 run.
CWL – Ries 1 run.
CWL – Ries 3 run.
AR – Creighton Fischer 20 pass from Austin Fisher (Caleb Stoks kick).
OFFENSE: Aberdeen Roncalli rushing 27-43 (Brock Bowman 5-29), passing 11-21 for 115 (Austin Fisher 11-21 for 115), receiving (Creighton Fisher 7-84), first downs 9; Clark-Willow Lake rushing 27-227 (Steen 6-120, Cade Gaikowski 5-58, Joey Ries 9-35), passing 11-21 for 240 (Ries 12-21 for 240), receiving (Bevers 7-155), first downs 15.
DEFENSE: Aberdeen Roncalli, Brady Haverkamp 8 tackles; Clark-Willow Lake, Austin Vig 8 tackles, Steen 7 tackles, Gaikowski 5 tackles, Bevers 1 int.
