Clyde picks off Bellevue in Battle of Route 20

CLYDE — Coaches talk about turnover margin for a reason. Clyde finished plus-4 in that all-important category — picking off Bellevue four times — and came away with its third straight win in the Battle of Route 20. The Fliers kept the Redmen out of the end zone until midway through the fourth quarter and celebrated a 14-6 win Friday night at Robert J. Bishop Stadium. As the interceptions kept coming — two from Kam Shortridge and two from Zander Burroughs — Clyde coach Ryan Carter kept thinking about last year's opener. "We had four picks in Game 1 last year against St. Francis and still came out with a win," Carter said. " I was hoping it didn't repeat itself, that they had a bunch of interceptions and end up winning the game. (Bellevue) never stops playing and never stop fighting." Burroughs' interception in the end zone on the last play of the first half maintained the Fliers a 7-0 lead at the break. "They ran a tight end and a bump to the right and I saw the tight end come out," Burroughs said. "I knew from watching film that he was gonna do a flag so I jumped it and picked it. It felt great, especially going into the half." Clyde led 7-0 after scoring on its opening drive. The first play from scrimmage was a 33-yard pass from Brennan Wilson to Brayden Olson that set the early tone. "We talked about it all week, to try to hit them with a shot on the first play of the game and get a little momentum going," said Wilson, who passed for 70 yards and ran for 71. On third-and-goal from 6-yard line, Chancy Miracle was momentarily stopped but got a push from his line to score the game's first touchdown. It stayed 7-0 until late in the third quarter. On third-and-1 from the Clyde 33, Wilson bounced outside and sprinted for a pivotal 50-yard gain. Four plays later, he scored on a 2-yard keeper. "That was crazy," Wilson said. "I didn't see anything in front of me and kinda ran outside and hoped for the best. I didn't expect any of that." Said Carter: "We just got the end hooked on that play and he was able to bounce it. That was huge play to set up our second score." Bellevue got on the board in the fourth quarter, driving 82 yards. The drive was keyed by a 24-yard pass play from Ashton Martin to Ethan Smith. The Redmen scored when Martin found his brother Jackson Martin for a 10-yard score with 6:49 to play. Bellevue had one more chance, but Cayden Perkins sacked Ashton Martin on fourth-and-12. "I give all the credit to our defense," Carter said. "I thought Coach (Jacob) Jenne had a phenomenal game plan. For his first time being defensive coordinator calling against Bellevue he did a fantastic job. He didn't give up too much." Clyde has only given up four touchdowns total in its last three outings against Bellevue. "You can play against that program and every game's gonna come down to that," Carter said. "They have a great program. We're fortunate to get out of here with a win." Bellevue had 19 first downs to eight for Clyde and outgained the Fliers 269 to 178. Jax LaPata rushed for 57 tough yards for the Redmen while Dylan Barger caught six passes for 70 yards. But the turnovers were too much for Bellevue to overcome in front of a near-capacity crowd. Bellevue's first play from scrimmage was a long pass with five receivers on the field. Shortridge picked it. After the game, Burroughs mentioned Clyde's reward for beating Bellevue: a red star on the Fliers' helmets. Only this year, they'll get to wear them for weeks. "It's awesome," Burroughs said. "We get to wear that red star for the rest of the season." Rosche, Sabo honored before kickoff A moment of silence was held prior to kickoff for Mark Rosche and Dan Sabo, who both died in July after decades of supporting their respective schools. Rosche was a former Clyde teacher and coach who become known as the "Voice of the Fliers." His CGS News Flier page kept Clyde fans informed on the school's athletic teams. "There was no one more passionate about supporting our kids than Mark," said Clyde athletic director Ryan Greenslade, who spoke to the capacity crowd. Sabo was a Bellevue teacher, coach and longtime track official who also volunteered as a statistician for years. A blue "MR" was painted at the 40-yard line on the Clyde side of the field. A red "DS" was painted on the Bellevue side. Bellevue 0 0 0 6 -- 6Clyde 7 0 7 0 -- 14 C: Chancy Miracle 6 run (Tyler Soper kick) C: Brennan Wilson 2 run (Soper kick) B: Jackson Martin 10 pass from Ashton Martin (kick failed)