H.S. Football: Clearview comeback shocks Keystone

LORAIN — The Clearview Clippers stormed back Friday to stun Keystone 20-19 on Senior Night at Tom Hoch Field. The win may just get the Clippers into the Division IV, Region 14 postseason. They beat Columbia in Week 9 in a late push to make the playoffs.Down 19-6 in the fourth quarter, Clearview (5-5, 5-2) executed two pressure-packed drives that ended with touchdowns.Senior Quarterback Kam Williams sneaked it in from 2 yards for the winner with 14 seconds left to cap a thrilling 13-play, 83-yard drive. The drive featured four passes for first downs, including a fourth-and-5 conversion from the Keystone 14-yard line that Braden Turner fought for extra yards down to the 7. Turner finished with nine catches for 97 yards.A Williams 1-yard sneak made the score 19-13 with 7:53 left, with the Mikkel Damgaard extra point blocked.After Keystone (6-4, 5-2) was forced to punt from its 45-yard line, the Clippers took over for the final drive. Damgaard made the final kick for the win.Clearview coach Cody Kaya talked about the final sequences."I thought we were extremely calm in that situation, hat's off to the kids," he said. "That's a position we honestly haven't been in at all this year, but we've embraced adversity all year. From uncertainties in the offseason, early on trying to find our stride and what we do well, and that's just another example of those kids overcoming challenges and making the most of what other people would consider difficult times or difficult situations."Early on in the first half, Clearview had three drives that ended on Keystone's side of the field with turnovers on downs.Keystone got the ball to start the game and wasted little time, going eight plays in 46 yards, capping it with a Colt Cowling 10-yard run around the left side for a 7-0 lead.After Clearview came up short at the Keystone 27-yard line, Keystone went 73 yards in 14 plays and capped it with an 8-yard Cowling pass to Bobby Gurich pass that he cut back and reached the goal line to make it 13-0 after the kick was blocked. Cowling finished 14-for-17 passing for 241 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.Keystone took a 13-0 lead into the break.Clearview began the second half with another promising drive that Keystone's Shane Ohl ended with an interception of Williams. After a Keystone punt, Clearview was finally able to break through with a 3-yard touchdown run by junior Christian Stevenson to make it 13-7 with 26 seconds left in the third quarter.The momentum Clearview may have had was halted when Cowling hit Kaleb Scott with a 40-yard pass down the right sideline to make it 19-7, setting the stage for the fourth-quarter Clippers heroics.Clearview started the season 1-5 and has won four in a row with huge wins the last two weeks against the teams that have been at the top of the Lorain County League all year. Their season could continue, once the OHSAA playoff matchups are officially released."The resiliency of this group, it's something special," said Kaya, who took over in July after longtime coach Mike Collier resigned. "I feel like we're playing together as a team and we're rallying. We use the example like a boxing match, in a football game there's going to be figurative punches thrown and it's all about how you respond and you can counter."Keystone still had a chance with eight seconds left from its 40-yard line. Cowling heaved a pass down the right sideline that Scott caught, and for a moment it appeared he may tiptoe the sideline for the winning score, but he stepped out of bounds near the 8-yard line.It's a disappointing end to the season for Keystone, which may miss the Division 5, Region 18 postseason due to the loss.For Clearview, it was another exhilarating win, with a partylike atmosphere that took place on the turf at Tom Hoch field."Tonight we were on the brink of, I thought we might go down or get knocked out but we fought back and ultimately we came out of here with a win," Kaya said. "It's a great feeling."