Chargers’ streak over Falcons reaches 13
Clear Springs is coming on at the correct time.
After opening the season with setbacks against two Katy ISD teams, including reigning Class 6A Division II champ Katy, the Chargers cruised to their third consecutive win Thursday, beating Clear Lake 47-21 at Challenger Columbia Stadium.
Most importantly, Clear Springs (3-2) started District 24-6A 1-0.
“That’s why we play those guys — so we can figure out who can play and who can’t and how to get guys in the right spot,” Clear Springs coach Anthony Renfro said. “We’re still young on defense. We’ve got two starters back with varsity experience, and so we’re still rotating about 15-16 guys on defense, and we’re young.
“But we’ll figure it out and be OK.”
The Clear Springs win was its 13th consecutive over Clear Lake (3-3, 1-1), which was coming off a 49-33 win over Clear Brook in its district opener but couldn’t maintain the momentum.
Running back Xai-Shaun Edwards led the way for the Chargers.
The 5-8 sophomore rushed for two scores in the first half and put the game away with a 29-yard touchdown run for a 33-14 lead in the third quarter. He finished with 198 yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries.
“Xai Edwards did a great job,” Renfro said. “He runs hard behind his pads. All it takes is a seam, and he’s got speed to run through them.”
Clear Springs needed a spark to start its offense. Clear Lake’s quarterback provided it.
After the Chargers didn’t look great on their opening possession, Lake quarterback Tyler Durst evaded a sack, scrambled to the left sideline and sprinted 67 yards for a touchdown on his team’s third offensive play.
“Durst is a good athlete,” Renfro said. “We tried to go all-out pressure on him, we had a guy miss, we didn’t contain on the edge and we didn’t get off blocks downfield. He made a good play. He’s a good football player, but we’ve got to do better than that. Everybody’s got to be more sound in their discipline.”
Still, that misplay got the Chargers charged up.
They responded with an eight-play, 75-yard drive punctuated by Edwards’ 2yard touchdown plunge, tying it 7-7. They then took a 13-7 lead late in the first quarter on Edwards’ 35-yard scoring run on their next series. Edwards almost went down on the play but kept his balance with a hand on the ground and kept going.
Springs pushed its lead to 20-7 early in the second quarter, taking advantage of a short field after specialteams struggles by Clear Lake to secure an 11-yard scoring pass from quarterback Cody Kuhlmann to wide receiver Ashton Schumann.
“We came back and scored (after Durst’s touchdown run), but we didn’t play hard enough in the first half,” Renfro said. “That’s the thing I’m frustrated with. We have to play better in the first half. We have to start fast.
“If we don’t start fast next week (against Clear Falls), we’re going to get our butts in trouble.”
Clear Lake answered with its finest series of the first half.
The drive featured the first two completions by Durst — a 17-yard connection with wide receiver Broderick Johnson and a 16-yard pass to receiver Rodney Searles on back-to-back plays, leading to a 4-yard touchdown run by running back Elijah Harris.
Noah Thomas gave Clear Springs a 26-14 halftime lead.
The 6-5 senior receiver hauled in a Kuhlmann pass and kept his would-be tackler at arm’s length the final 10 yards of his 40-yard touchdown. Thomas also snagged a 1-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter for a 47-14 advantage.
An interception by defensive back Peyton Miller iced the outcome.
Kuhlmann finished 10of-19 passing for 133 yards. Clear Springs had 512 total yards, including 379 on 42 rushes.
“The offensive line is the best unit we’ve got on the whole field right now. Them and our defensive line,” Renfro said. “They get after it. They’re physical, and they’re hard-nosed. We’ve run the ball on everybody.
“We haven’t had a problem running the ball all year.”