Columbian pulls away from Clyde

CLYDE – After a feeling-out period in the opening half where defense reigned supreme, Tiffin Columbian then dominated the second half to take down Clyde 35-7 on the road in Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division play. The two rivals know each other well, so both squads had to scratch and claw for everything in the first half. But after Columbian (6-1, 2-0 SBC Lake) stuck with its running game, it opened up some big plays in the second half. As a result, the Fliers (4-3, 0-2) couldn't play catch up. "This is a we wanted from the beginning of the season honestly and they're big rivals for us," Columbian's Brady Gooding said. "We wanted this game, we prepared all week and did what we've been doing. We made some good adjustments at halftime and came back and the scoreboard showed. "It starts with the O-line and (Damien) Brockington in the backfield because when we keep running and they can't stop it, it opens things up eventually. It starts with the run game, but then it opens up the passing game." Clyde struck first Friday night as Abe Morrison took the snap and ran 50 yards to the end zone on just the third play of the game. Columbian's offense struggled mightily in the beginning, but on its third drive of the game, it finally got something going, starting with the run game and Brockington. Throwing only three times on the 11-play drive, Brockington capped it with a 6-yard TD run, but after a 15-yard penalty after the score, TC missed the extra point, and Clyde led 7-6. Unfortunately for Clyde, it stayed that way as it dropped a TD pass and after a Cole Schwochow interception return to TC's 4, the Fliers were stonewalled and turned it over on downs. All night, Clyde had chances, but failed to capitalize. "We had some opportunities in the first half, especially and to punch it in right before the half … but I think our defense played well again tonight limiting them," Clyde coach Ryan Carter said. "I don't the final score is indicative of the game, but you can't fumble the ball going into the end zone trying to make it a one-score game with five minutes to go. You just can't do that against good football teams and that's a good football team. "We played good defense, but we just didn't make plays. It's been kind of our M.O. – we did the same things against Perkins – we can't do that against good football teams. You have to capitalize and take advantage of opportunities that are given. If you don't do that, you'll find yourself in a hole trying to dig out of." The Tornadoes committed to the running game all night and it started to pay off in the second half as TC scored on the first drive as Brayden Roggow scored on a 1-yard keeper and then ran in the two-point conversion himself to give the Tornadoes a 14-7 advantage. Columbian then scored to open the fourth as Roggow hit Gooding in stride for a 36-yard TD pass. Clyde tried to answer, but fumbled just before the end zone on what would've been a 25-yard TD catch. As a result, Brockington sealed the game with a 77-yard TD run before Gooding took an 85-yard pick-6 to the house. "We knew they were really good up front and the different stuff they run with their combinations and things," TC coach Judd Lutz said. "We knew that, but we thought we could have some success. But man, just that one block … we just couldn't get that one thing to go our way in that first half to get some explosive plays. They were really well prepared on defense." Columbian won the game despite throwing for just 134 yards as it outrushed Clyde 240-81. Brockington ended with 27 carries for 186 yards, while Roggow added 11 carries for 54 yards. Jack Koerper led the receivers with six grabs for 57 yards. Morrison threw the ball 34 times for 215 yards, while also adding 61 more yards on the ground for the Fliers. Schwochow had six catches for 97 yards. "We have to keep battling and trying to improve each week. That has to be our mindset," Carter said. "We have a home game next week against Sandusky, who is a much-improved football team, so we have to come back this week and try to get ready for that one." TC 6 0 8 21 – 35 C 7 0 0 0 – 7 First quarter C – Abe Morrison 50 run (Mason Gurney kick), 10:25 TC – Damien Brockington 6 run (kick failed), :22 Third quarter TC – Brayden Roggow 1 run (Brayden Roggow run), 9:17 Fourth quarter TC – Brady Gooding 36 pass from Brayden Roggow (Sam Zimmerman kick), 8:47 TC – Brockington 77 run (Zimmerman kick), 2:29 TC – Gooding 85 interception return (Zimmerman kick), :42