Clyde Fliers/Sandusky Bay Conference News

Clyde Gets a Second Chance With Bellevue

          Clyde will play archrival Bellevue for the second time this season on Friday night this time in division IV playoff game at Bellevue.

          The Fliers (4-6) got the last seed in region 14.  They got in with a (34-3) dismantling of Norwalk last Friday in play in the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they came out with the focus that was a must.  “I thought we came out focused.  I thought our kids really bought into the fact that the only thing we could control was our game.  We needed some help.  We got a few things to fall into place for us, but we had to go out and take care of what we need to take care of and that was the only thing that we could control was our football game.  I thought we came out focused.  We played well on both sides of the ball, got off to a good start and kind of carried that over throughout the entire night,” said Carter.

          Bellevue (7-3) won a share of the Bay Division title with (16-6) win over Vermilion last week.

          They beat Clyde (33-23) on week one back in August.

          Carter says they were handled the last time and Bellevue is really good.  “It’s our crosstown rival for us.  We opened the season with them and now we get them you know first week in the playoffs.  They really took it to us that first week.  We one they really exploited us.  They played great football all year to be honest with you.  They have improved.  They are doing things very, very well.  Their record shows that.  They've had success in a number of different areas,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, ‘Their defense is really good.  They run to the football extremely well and they kind of impose their will on you.  So, we have our work cut out for us, we know that, but we are happy to be playing.  Other teams are turning their stuff in on this Monday and we're not.  We're fortunate enough to be able to go out to practice.  So, we're going to take it for everything that's worth.  We're going to use the whole week to get better as an entire program and go out and see what we can get done on Friday.”

          Bellevue has only given up nine points the last two weeks.  Carter says they are very disciplined on defense.  “They are assignment sound.  They're always where they're supposed to be.  They have great athletes, but they're just always where they're supposed to be.  They're good tacklers and what leads them is their defensive front.  They have a number of guys up front that are very hard to block.  So, they're good at all three levels.  We're going to have a tough time moving to football,” said Carter.

          It’s been two months since they played and Carter says these are different teams.  “You know a lot more about the team now, but I think they know a lot more about us as well.  So, it's one of those games where you can't make mistakes, you can't turn the football over.  We did that in week one.  Honestly, week one is so far down the road that you have got to focus on what the team's doing now and they're playing great football now,” he said.

Published 10/28/25

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Clyde Wants to Finish Regular Season Strong

          Clyde hosts Norwalk in a game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          There is about a 50/50 chance the Fliers could make the postseason if they beat the Truckers.

          They were outscored (49-20) by Tiffin Columbian in a division game last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says the Tornadoes got on a roll and made some plays.  “We were 7-7 after the first quarter and we went through a stretch in that second quarter where quite honestly they just made some plays and we didn't.  We were in the right positions and they went up and got balls and made play and we didn’t.  We didn't execute very well offensively and they executed really well.  You have got to give them a ton of credit.  They played very well and we didn't play well enough to hang in there and that's what happened.  So, you turn to week 10 and try to get yourself ready for Norwalk and you try to finish out the regular season on a positive note,” said Carter.

          Clyde (3-6,1-2) plays at home against Norwalk (3-6,1-2) on Friday.  The Truckers beat Sandusky (31-28) in a division game.  Both schools only division win comes at the expense of the Blue Streaks.

          Carter says this is a team that runs the ball very well.  “They are they do things that just lead them to stay in ball games.  Their kids are still believing.  They run the ball very effectively.  They only threw it a couple of times last week in a win against Sandusky in a game that they won right at the buzzer.  They run it well enough to keep it away from you.  They'll hit you with some big plays over the top when you when you creep up on the run and fall asleep,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “They are sound defensively.  They're always in the right spots and their kids play extremely hard.  They have got a great kicking game.  They do a phenomenal job on special teams.  So, we have got our work cut out for us.  We're trying to get ready to go and put on a positive note get out get after it on week 10.”

          Carter says there is a lot of wing-T in what Norwalk is doing.  “It’s got a tone of wing-T in it.  We've seen that before and we've ran that before, so you can see it.  They're just trying to keep the ball away from you and they do a great job of exploiting weaknesses and running it right downhill at you and running it very hard.  So, we're got out work cut out for us to slow them down,” he said.

Published 10/22/25

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Clyde Taking Steps

          Clyde is over at Tiffin Columbian for a game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          Tiffin shares the division lead with Sandusky Perkins.

          The Fliers (3-5,1-1) have won two in a row after smoking Sandusky (40-7) last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they are starting to play better.  “I told my staff on Sunday at meetings you win two in a row that's called a streak.  We're playing better. We've talked a lot about you know getting off at the start of the year and we didn't play well, we played tough opponents and that's a bad combination and it put us where we are.  I felt like we came out last week and focused and continue to build on some of the things that we've been building on the last couple of weeks and they worked out in our favor against Sandusky,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon,” It's one of those things where you have got to figure it out each week.  You have got to grow as a football team.  I feel like we're doing that.  I feel like we're playing better than we were at the start of the year ,but it's a week to week basis thing.”

          Tiffin Columbian (4-4,2-0) lost (21-14) to Bellevue in a crossover game in the “SBC” last week.

          Carter says this is a typical Columbian team.  “They are a very good football team, a very good program, they do things the right way.  Their kids play extremely hard.  They have played a lot of close games.  They're still playing for a league championship.  They're undefeated in the league.  So, we know we are going to get their best foot forward.  They have explosive athletes all over the field.  When you watch a Tiffin football team.  This year's team is no different than any other year.  They block and tackle and they are always in the right spot.  So, going to their place has never been easy for us, so we know we got to work cut out for us,” said Carter.

          Right now, Clyde sits 12^th in their division IV region and the top 12 make the post season.

          Carter says thy are not thinking about that.  “We're not to that point yet just to be honest with you.  We're talking about still improving as a football team.  We're talking about playing bonus football.  We get to play meaningful games that help your program out at the end of the season and it's big for us.  So, we're going week by week.  It'll be an important game down the road, but it's only important if you play well and come out on the right end,” he said.

Published 10/17/25

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Clyde Wants to Build on Last Week

          Clyde hosts Sandusky in a Lake Division game in the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          After losing five of their first six games, the Fliers took down the Edison Chargers (27-10) in an “SBC” crossover game last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says the win felt really good. “We talked every week and our kids have just been continuing to hang in there.  We've played a tough schedule and we haven't played exactly well, but we played pretty well on Friday night.  We didn’t turn the football over and got after it against what I feel is a very good Edison football team,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “I was happy for our kids and proud of our program for hanging in there.  It turns around this week as we have got another tough opponent, but we're happy to play well last week and kind of get that good feeling back that we've been missing there for a while.”

          Carter says after getting that win and playing well they must continue to make positive steps.  “That's all that's all you can do.  Keep fighting a little bit by a little bit and trying to get better each week.  We've got a couple of guys injured and a couple of guys down, but everybody does at this point in the season.  So, we're going to strap it up (Monday) and we're going to go out there and see what we can do and try to get ourselves ready for what amounts to a very athletic Sandusky team,” said Carter.

          Clyde (2-5,0-1) is at home for Sandusky (1-6,0-2) on Friday night.  The Blue Streaks lost (44-6) to the rival Perkins Pirates on Friday night in a Lake Division game.

          Sandusky has had some inconsistencies in its play this year, but Carter says their athleticism makes them a difficult opponent for the Fliers.  “That's a tough matchup for us to be honest with you at this point in time with where we're at.  We have an athletic team coming in with some kids that are really going to give us some fits.  So, it's a tough matchup for us.  A quarterback that’s dynamic.  They have a very, very good wide receiver and they're explosive.  So, we're going to have our work cut out for us,” he said.

Published 10/06/25

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Clyde Defense Will be Stretched

          Clyde will be at home on Friday night for one of those “SBC” crossovers as they host the Edison Chargers.

          They gave up four scores in the first quarter last week and lost (63-14) to Perkins in a Lake Division game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says it was not a good night for the Fliers.  “We didn't get off to a very good start and when you do that against a good football team and you get behind early and you put yourself into some tough situations you’re going to come out on the short end of the outcome.  So, that's what happened and you go back to work this week and that's all you can do is get back to work and try to get yourselves ready for what is another good team in Edison,” he said.

          Clyde (1-5) hosts Edison (5-1) on Friday night.  The Chargers are coming off a (21-14) win over Bellevue in Bay Division play last week.

          Carter says Edison really comes off the football well.  “Well, I'll tell you what they run the ball extremely well and they have some very dynamic players, but I tell you what the thing that jumps off at you is the way they come off the football on both sides of the ball,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “Up front offensively and the way they get after you on defense and fly around and really put pressure on you as far as playing the game hard in the right way.  Jimmy (Hall) does it the right way and has for a long time over there.  So, we know we're going to have our work cut out for us if we want to give ourselves a chance to win.”

          Edison is traditionally a triple option team, but Carter says they really do a lot of things when they have the ball.  “They're a little bit different than what they have been in the past.  We haven't played them in a while.  They still have their same principles as far as they're still going to run the veer at you a little bit.  There's some triple option type stuff and I think that's still their roots, but they do get into some spread.  They throw the ball more than I've seen them in the past.  They run it really well out of the spread too.  So, you have to be disciplined, but you have to cover a lot of different facets of the game offensively versus them,” said Carter.

Published 10/02/25

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Clyde to Play Talented Perkins

          Clyde will be at Perkins to start play in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          Perkins won the division title last season.

          Clyde (1-4,0-0) got its first win of the season last week in outscoring Port Clinton (55-48) in an “SBC” crossover.

          Coach Ryan Carter says the kind of outlasted the Redskins.  “It was interesting to say the least.  It was back and forth the entire night.  You have to give Port Clinton a ton of credit.  They did a nice job.  Their kids played extremely hard and I thought our kids did as well.  It was just one of those games where they had a couple of kickoff returns for touchdowns and really got it going early.  The first kick of the game they went back for a touchdown.  We just kept responding, kept hanging in there, until we could get a couple of stops.  Fortunately, we were able to hang on to the ball for about the last seven and half minutes of the game,” said Carter.

          Quarterback Jonathan Lantz ran for two scores and threw two TD passes.

          Perkins (2-3,0-0) hammered Bellevue (41-0) last week in a crossover game.

          Carter says Perkins has some kids back and they are playing much better football than they were earlier in the season.  “They are talented at every level.  I think they do a nice job of running their stuff and running their schemes.  Their kids are playing much better each week.  You can see them growing,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “They graduated a ton of very highly skilled kids.  They have some new kids and some new positions, but those kids are coming into form and you could see them definitely becoming a better football team each week.  So, we have got our work cut out for us.”

          With quarterback Sam Schweinfurth, who has passed for 1,105 yards, Carter says the Pirates are hard to stop.  “They have a very talented quarterback.  Skilled kids around him and big kids up front.  They did a nice job of constructing a pretty good team over there.  So, we have got our hands full, we know that going down the road.  It's never been easy for us to go over there and play, but we're trying to put in a good week of work and get ourselves ready to go,” he said.

Published 9/25/25

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Clyde Has Things to Work on

          Clyde takes to the road for the third time in four weeks as they are at Port Clinton for a crossover game in the Sandusky Bay Conference.

          This year has been a struggle for the Fliers (0-4).  They lost last week (33-3) to Toledo St. Francis.

          Coach Ryan Carter says it’s back to the drawing board.  “They have a very good football team and they played very well.  We turned the football over.  We were hanging around enough at halftime to where we were still in it, two score game.  Then we came out in the second half and had a couple bad turnovers in the lead kind of ballooned on us a little bit,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “We went back to the drawing board this week.  We have got another team in Port Clinton on the road that's going to give us some trouble.  So, trying to get better each day.”

          Port Clinton (3-1) destroyed outclassed Cleveland Collinwood (65-0) last week.

          Carter says they have a lot of weapons.  “A lot of touchdowns.  A lot of guys scoring points that's what we see.  They put up big numbers.  So, we got to work cut out for us, but we're trying to put in a good week of work and get our kids ready.  We're a little banged up this week, but we have got a couple kids that were question marks we're trying to get healthy and trying to keep going forward,” said Carter.

          Carter says for them they have to get better at what they do before getting too concerned about what their opponent brings to the table.  “We're still really trying to focus on ourselves and not so much our opponent and just trying to get ourselves right.  Go into the game with a with the proper mind frame of doing all the little things correct.  We have got to cut down our turnovers, tackle better and continue drives.  That has really hurt us in the last couple games,” he said.

Published 9/18/25

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Clyde Making Steps

          Clyde will be at the Glass Bowl on Friday night to meet Toledo St. Franics in a non-conference game.

          The Fliers (0-3) played their best game of the year in losing (35-21) to a very good Ashland team last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they are still not where they want to be.  “I thought our kids came out really competed hard and we did things much better, but to be honest with you we didn't do them well enough.  We didn't make enough winning football plays to put ourselves in a situation where we could win.  There's no moral victories in our program.  It still it ended in a loss,” he told Swankonsports.com, “It's been a hard road to start the season.  We've had a tough schedule and we've also not played particularly well.  So, we’ve got to work cut out for us, but there's a lot of season left and our kids are really being resilient and putting in some good work.  It does not get any easier this week a very good St. Francis opponent, but we know that.  We're trying to put in a good week this week and trying to get ourselves ready to go.”

          Carter says the players are still committed to being better.  “It builds character and it builds toughness.  You have no choice but to go forward and that's what we're doing.  We're trying to get a little bit better each week.  We know our schedule is not going to be easy all the way through, but we're trying to continue to grow as a football team and hopefully we're playing our best football at the end,” he said.

          Toledo St. Francis (2-1) beat Sandusky Perkins, also of the “SBC” Lake, (30-24) last week.

          Carter says they are very good.  “They are a very, very good football team.  They have athletes in every position, a very, very good crop of running backs.  A kid we faced last year that really hurt us and then a new player for them they have got in this year's plays tailback.  Very, very good, athletic up front on both sides of the ball.  Big, strong, physical kids.  They're solid all the way across the board.  So, we have got our work cut out for us, but we're still focusing on ourselves.  We're trying to get a little bit better each week.  Hopefully, we can continue to improve and have some success down the road,” said Carter.

Published 9/11/25

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Clyde Has to Get its House in Order

          Right now, Clyde is not playing good football and they are working hard to get that fixed as they host talented Ashland in a non-conference game on Friday night.

          They lost (30-13) to Toledo Start last week to fall to (0-2) on the season.

          Coach Ryan Carter, who led the Fliers to a state title in 2019, says they are working hard on execution.  “We are off to a slow start and it's been hard.  Our kids are doing what we ask them to do.  We haven't played winning football yet and when you do that it doesn't matter who you play,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “If you don't play winning football you turn the football over and you have negative plays that stop drives and negative plays that you can't get off the field on defense and negative plays on special teams it's going to equate into a loss it doesn't matter who you play.  So, we know that we have got our work cut out for us.  Nobody is going to feel sorry for us, so we're going to continue to work.  It does not get any easier this week with what is a very, very good Ashland team.”

          Carter says they have to get it done in practice.  “It’s stuff we're working on every day and it's tough.  The kids get down. We’re trying to have a good week of practice and trying to tell our kids you win games Monday through Thursday and not really on Friday nights.  That becomes hard to translate to kids sometimes.  We're working at it, we're doing the best we can each day.  Our kids are coming to work each day and we'll continue to fight that fight all the way through,” said Carter.

          Ashland (2-0) is coming off a (42-7) thumping of Marion Harding last week.

          Carter says the Arrows are good all over, especially their quarterback Nathan Bernhard.  “I think they're very sound up front on both sides of the ball and then obviously they have a very special kid at quarterback.  They fly around defensively.  They do a number of things very well.  So, we have got our work cut out for us, but we're really trying to focus on ourselves and trying to make ourselves better and worry about opponents down the road,” he said.

Published 9/04/25

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Clyde Has to Look Forward

          Clyde tries to battle back from a tough loss last week as they travel to Toledo Start to take on the Spartans on Friday night.

          They lost (33-23) to Bellevue, their archrival, last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they just didn’t get enough done.  “I don't think we played a particularly our best game, but you have got to give them a ton of credit.  They came in very hungry and they played a clean game.  We were down three with about eight minutes to go and had an opportunity and we just didn't make enough plays,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “We let a kickoff get away from us and field position really hurt us.  We didn't capitalize on some fourth down conversions.  They made some plays down the stretch and we just came out on the short end.  It's tough to accept, it's tough to get over, but here we are on week two and we have got to move past it and try to get ourselves ready to go this week.”

          Carter says the key this week is to get better at the things they do.  “Well, I said the same thing every time we talk, but I always come up with the line of making the most progress from scrimmage one to scrimmage two and then game one to game two, so we're in the middle of that right now.  We're trying to get better this week.  We have to progress and things are not going to get easier for us,” he said.

          Toledo Start lost in overtime to Norwalk (17-14), team in the same league as the Flyers, last week.

          Carter says Start has big play makers.  “It's a typical Toledo Start team they have very athletic, very big kids, they do things very fast, they're very basic, they don't do a whole lot, but they let their athletes get in space and try to hurt you.  That's what we're facing.  You have got to go on the road after a tough week and try to get that good feeling back.  So, I expect our best effort, but it's not going to be an easy task,” said Carter.

Published 8/27/25

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Clyde Working on Themselves

          Clyde will host their biggest rival in the Bellevue Redmen on Friday night to open the high school football season.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they have made some steps in the preseason, but they have to make a lot more.  “We had a long way to go after scrimmage one, a bunch of things to improve on.  While I felt we made some strides towards that in the scrimmage two.  We came out of scrimmage two with just a bunch of other things we needed to work on.  So, by no means are we a finished product yet.  We're putting in a good week this week and trying to get ourselves ready for our rival.  I told you last week you never really know until the Friday night lights come on.  Even after a second scrimmage we're a little uncertain with what we're going to see when it's real live game situation.  So, we're going to find in a hurry on Friday against our rival.  A team that you can tell is really fired up for the new coach and fired up for doing some things a little bit differently over there.  It’s going to be a huge test for us,” said Carter.

          Carter says their goal this week is to become the best team they can be.  “We're trying to just get our kids as prepared as we can be and be worried about ourselves to be honest with you.  We've seen them scrimmage twice and have seen different things out of them in both scrimmages, so we're not exactly sure what we're going to get,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “We're trying to take care of ourselves.  Get ourselves as prepared as possible.  Not really worrying so much about what we're going to see out of them on either side of the ball.  Just more worried about playing sound football.  I think in week one it really comes down to blocking, tackling and not making mistakes.  If you can limit your turnovers, you can play solid in special teams and you can limit your penalties you're going to give yourself a chance.”

          When you’re playing Bellevue there is a fear that you could be too emotional and Carter says they are working on that.  “There's a fine line between getting yourself fired up and it's the first Friday night and it's your rival and it's right down the street and you know a ton of these kids and families and all that, but you have got to be able to focus and to execute and do your job on a play in and play out basis.  So, it’s tough, it's something we're working on and hopefully we can get ourselves as close as we can be on Friday night,” he said.

Published 8/20/25

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Clyde Showing Good Things

          Clyde is one of the more consistent football powers among bigger schools in North Central Ohio.

          This year, they have a younger team.

          However, coach Ryan Carter says he likes what he sees.  “I have been extremely pleased with our leaders this year, our older kids, meaning our juniors and our seniors.  Just the tone that they have set.  We graduated 22 seniors last year and they were all good players and very talented.  Played for us for a long time, two, three year starters.  We knew that it was going to be a rather young team as far as inexperience, but I tell you what, they've come in and they've did everything we've asked them to do in camp.  They're busting their tails.  We've had a very, very good two a days so far.  We've grown as a football team each week,” he said.

          Carter says it is really difficult to know what you have until you play a game that counts.  “I say this every year and I feel like me and you have had this talk a million years in a row, I don't know how many it's been, but you never really know until the actual game Friday night lights come on.  You don't know how kids are going to react.  You don't know how guys that haven't played a whole lot are going to respond to adverse situations on a Friday night.  So, we are trying to prep them for that.  We had a scrimmage last week against Eastwood and we did some good things and we have a ton of areas to work.  We have got a scrimmage coming up this Friday against Kenton and then we're into Bellevue week.  So, it's coming upon us fast, but our kids are giving us everything they got and we're improving each day,” said Carter.

          Carter says the goal is to get better and they have going to work as hard as they can with that being the goal.  “I told the kids on Friday when we got done.  I feel like I've said this every year and I actually told them that.  I know you guys have heard me say this before. Every team I've ever coached has heard me say this.  My college coach told me this.  The most improvement you make is between scrimmage one and scrimmage two and game one and Game two.  Your teams, just they learn from the film.  They see it versus a live with another person that's not a scout team.  That's not somebody that knows our plays.  It's an uncommon opponent,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “When you put people on film that aren't really comfortable it tends to point out the deficiencies that you have and the things that you need to work on.  So, first time on a live stage putting that on film.  We learned a ton from Friday.  We're going to make those improvements this week.  Hopefully, eliminate some of those errors this Friday against Kenton.  Then get ourselves into Bellevue week, which is rival for us, which is right out of the gate and it's a huge game for us.”

Published 8/12/25

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Clyde Has to Make Plays

          Clyde travels to Ontario to face the Warriors on Friday night in a division IV regional quarterfinal.

          The Fliers (8-3) blasted Otsego (42-7) in their first round game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says Ontario is a sold team and the presence of Bodpegen Miller makes them exceptional.  “I think you have to you have to be good at what you're good at.  We have to be as consistent as we possibly can this week in our preparation and getting ourselves ready to go because we're playing a different type of player than we have seen so far this year.  We've seen some really, really good players, but he's very, very dynamic in what he does.  You could be in the right positions and still not get him to the ground,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “We have to be sound with what we do both sides of the ball will help you against him.  If you can keep it offensively, if you can score that puts pressure on each possession they have.  Then you just have to when you have opportunities to make plays you have got to make them because if you don't and you give this team extra opportunities it's going to be a touchdown one way or the other.  He can throw it, he can run it and they have very good players around him.”

          Carter says Ontario tries to do a lot of different things with Miller.  He says he’s just very difficult to contain.  “They do a good job of mixing between him running and then handing it off to their tailback and them giving him some throw looks.  It's a tough situation to try and contain him at all.  We're going to go put a good week of work in and do the best we can and hopefully we can do some things offensively to alleviate some of that pressure defensively,” said Carter.

          The Ontario defense has played very well all season, including last week when they didn’t allow any points.  Carter says again they have to make plays when they have the opportunity.  “They are very solid up front and on the perimeter and then they take (Miller) and put him in at safety and he kind of covers the entire middle of the field.  So, the same type of thing you have certain areas that you can exploit and try to make plays, but when the plays are there to be made you have to make them, you can't miss,” he said.

Published 11/05/24

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Clyde Must be Disciplined

          Clyde will be at home on Friday night for a first round playoff game in division IV as they host Otsego.

          The Fliers have had great success in the playoffs, including winning a state title in 2019, and coach Ryan Carter says you have to have different mental approach.  “We've talked to our kids about that since Saturday morning.  There is a different feel about the playoffs, there's different intensity levels, teams handle them differently, but our kids know that, our kids have been around those fires before.  We've had a different level of intensity around practice this week.  So, we're excited about it.  We talked to our kids (Monday) night about when you hang them up this time, when it's over and the other team has one more point than you at the end, it's over.  You can do a lot of things in life.  You can go play rec league basketball, you can golf, you can do a lot of things, but you don't usually put the pads back on and play 11 man tackle football on a Friday night.  So, it's one of those special things and in the high school world that we don't take for granted,” Carter.

          Clyde (7-3), #5 in the final Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, hosts Otsego (5-5) on Friday.  They lost to Maumee (41-17) last week.

          Carter says they are a well coached football team.  “A very good football team.  A very well coached football team.  Craig Rutherford, who was at Eastwood for a long time, and his dad Jerry Rutherford, who was at Eastwood for forever before Craig took over.  You can just tell it's a Rutherford coached football team.  They do things well, their kids play hard, they come off the football, they're a wing-T offense, so we really have got to win first down,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “We really have to get off the field when we have opportunities because they are going to run a football, they're going to grind the clock, and you're not going to get very many opportunities offensively.  So, when you have opportunities to get off the field and get it back for your offense, you have to take full advantage of those.”

          Carter says their defense must be disciplined and they must tackle well.  “You have to be assignment sound, you have to be where you're supposed to be when you're supposed to be there and you have got to show up violently.  You have to get them down to the ground.  We're preaching that to our kids, but I'll tell you this and it's one thing to practice against the wing-T in practice.  Try to simulate with your scout team, but it's a whole different world when you see it live speed on a Friday night.  So, it'll be our first time seeing that this year, so we're trying to get the kids ready to go,” he said.

Published 10/30/24

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Clyde Has to Keep Going

          Clyde makes the trip to Norwalk for a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game on Friday night.

          They Fliers (6-3,1-2), #5 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, stuffed Huron (20-7) in an “SBC” crossover last Friday.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they made some big plays in the special teams that got them some momentum.  “Well, my immediate thoughts are what you just said to wrap up the regular season.  It's kind of crazy to me.  Week 10 got to us in a hurry.  I was just talking to my coaches the other day and we're in Wednesday practice of week 10 already and that's crazy,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “We played a good Huron team.  I thought they came in and really executed their game plan.  They tried to slow the game down I thought and tried to keep the ball away from our offense, keep their offense on the field and they did a nice job of that.  We were very fortunate early to block two kicks.  One of our corners Dawson Brimmer had two blocked field goal attempts in the in the first half that really kept the momentum on our side.  We came out and executed after halftime where we made some adjustments we came out and executed very well in the second half.  We went down to punch the first drive in and then had another long drive.  So, I just thought we came out in the second half and played much better.  Kind of wore them out at the end of the game.  That's a good football team with some wins.  I was happy with our efforts.”

          Norwalk (2-7,0-3) lost (47-20) to Tiffin Columbian in a Lake Division game last week.  The Truckers have scored only 76 points in nine games.

          Carter says they will be ready to play.  “Well, I'll tell you what you have got to know where #82 is at all times.  He’s a Big Ten football player for a reason.  I mean he's a good football player.  So, you have got to locate him each and every snap because if not he can score a touchdown on you at any point in the game.  I know they're doing a good job over there.  I know their staff well.  They're working at it, so I fully expect them to come in with a with a great game plan and focusing on the trying to get their kids a win here in week 10 and carrying them on from there.  So, we are trying to improve.  We can't take steps backwards, looking to continue to move forward here at the end of the season and then wherever we fall after that we fall,” said Carter.

          Carter says they want to be playing their best football right now.  “I think that's part of at the end of the season you have to be playing your best football.  Everybody says that at the start of the year.  You want to be playing your best at the end of the year.  We're here now, so we got to put our best foot forward.  We have got some injuries.  We have got some kids that are out, but those kids behind them are going to have to step up and play well and that's what we fully expect,” he said.

Published 10/24/24

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Clyde Moving Forward

          Clyde will at home for Huron in an “SBC” crossover on Friday night between very good teams that lost heartbreakers last week in division play.

          Huron lost (13-10) to Vermilion in a Bay Division game when the Sailora kicked a field goal with nine seconds left.

          Clyde was beaten on the final play (22-21) by Sandusky in a Lake Division game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says this one as particularly hard to take.  “They snapped it was four seconds left on the clock and the clock was running.  So, it was a crazy end of the game situation with stoppage on what was marked inbounds, but the clock stopped.  It was tough for our kids to handle that.  They got a play off at the end and I thought we did a great job defensively of getting to the quarterback and almost getting him to the ground and he kind of threw up a pass that wasn't really designed to go to a person and they just happen to have a guy standing there and the kid made a play in the end zone with no time remaining,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “It is what it is.  Our kids, we took them a little bit to get over that one, but bounced back and are getting ourselves ready for what ends up being a big game for us with a good crossover team in Huron.”

          Clyde (5-3) plays host to Huron (6-2) on Friday night.

          Carter says the Tigers will always give you a test.  “You always get a good Huron team and the fact that their kids do things right.  They play football the right way.  Coach (Sam) Hohler does a great job and they've been running the same thing for a long time over there and they do it really well.  So, we have got our hands full, we know that, but our kids are excited to get back on the field after last Friday's disappointment,” he said.

          Clyde is eighth in its division IV region and Huron fourth in its division VI region.

          Carter says it’s kind of a big game for both.  “I think it carries itself a couple of different ways.  It carries a lot of points for both teams when you're talking playoff positioning and it also gets you playoff ready by playing a quality opponent late in the year.  So, we're excited for a chance to get back out there, but we know we're going to have to play our best football in order to give ourselves a chance to win,” said Carter.

Published 10/18/24

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Clyde to Meet Big Play Sandusky

          Clyde makes the trip to Sandusky to face the Blue Streaks in a big game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          Sandusky shares the division lead with Perkins. Clyde is a game back.

          Last Friday, the Fliers buried Tiffin Columbian (33-14) on Friday night.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they made some key adjustments that allowed them to pull away in the game.  “I was proud of our kids for adjusting a little bit and coming in figuring some things out at halftime going back up really executing the game plan in the second half.  So, it's like I told you on Friday, I didn’t think we played too poorly the first half.  We just kind of shot ourselves in the foot with a couple penalties on some touchdown plays that got called back.  So, we had to get some things fixed at half.   I thought our kids did a pretty good job of that to get a win you know a Colombian team that has kind of been a pest for us in the past was a good thing for our kids,” said Carter.

          Clyde (5-2,1-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, visits Sandusky (4-3,2-0) on Friday night.  The Streaks cleaned Norwalk’s clock (42-0) last week in a division game.

          Carter says they are loaded with gamebreakers.  “They are about as athletic and it's about as a big play team and as I've seen.  They hit you from multiple different ways and multiple different athletes just on both sides of the ball and just cause a tremendous amount of problems.  A lot of their touchdowns are 50, 60, 70 yard touchdowns where you can be in the right place at the right time, but if you don't get them to the ground, you don't tackle well, it's going to turn into six points on you,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “They opened the season with three losses and they've won four straight.  They have got a couple of kids that they didn't have at the start of the year healthy and back playing.  So, we have got to work cut out for us going on the road, but you we're trying to put in a good week of work and get ourselves ready to go.”

          With that kind of big play potential, Carter says they have to be excellent tacklers.  “You have got to get all 11 guys to run to the football and not finish the play until the whistle blows it and the ball carrier’s down because you let up for a second, they break a tackle it's going to be a touchdown against you.  So, we have our work cut out.  The part that helps us defensively is to put together a good game plan offensively hanging onto the football and not turning it over.  I think that becomes crucial as well,” he said.

Published 10/08/24

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Clyde Set to Bounce Back

          Clyde plays host to Tiffin Columbian in a game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          The Fliers (4-2,0-1), #4 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, lost (28-7) Sandusky Perkins, #1 in that poll, last week in division play.

          Coach Ryan Carter sats they gave it all they had, but they couldn’t make enough plays.  “We played extremely hard.  We didn't play extremely well, but we played extremely hard.  It put our kids into a position where I felt like we had some opportunities to make that a really tight ball game.  It comes down to five or 10 plays here and there that you didn't make and they made.  You have got to give them credit for making those plays,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “We had to play before half to try to tie it going into half and their kid made a play and we did not.  There are no moral victories for us, that's just not something that our program is built on, but I thought our kids battled.  We fought them all night and we came up on the short end.  So, the bottom line is a loss is a loss we came up short and we have got to regroup and try to get after Columbian this week.”

          Tiffin Columbian (2-4,0-1) lost (41-13) to Sandusky in division play last week.

          Their record may not be as good as normal, but Carter says this is a typical Columbian team.  “You always see Tiffin type stuff on film when you watch them.  They're kids play hard, they're aggressive on both sides of the ball, especially defensively.  They come after you and put a ton of pressure on you.  They have a very solid program and they're good year in year out.  So, those kids take a lot of pride.  We know that it's a big rivalry for us and them and they don't like coming over to our place at all.  So, it'll be a tough situation for us to bounce back after last week, but trying to put in a good week of work this week and get ourselves ready to go for Tiffin,” said Carter.

          Carter says a win this week is very important to their season.  “That's the only thing that we can do.  We have got to put in a week this week and get ourselves better as a football team after the setback last week and try to get ourselves ready to go and get that good feeling back.  That's not going to be easy the rest of the way out with our schedule, but it starts this week at home against Tiffin and we'll see what we can get done,” he said.

Published 10/04/24

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Clyde Preparing for a Very Good Perkins

          In a key game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night, Clyde is at Sandusky Perkins.

          Both teams are ranked in this week’s Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division.  Perkins (5-0,0-0), is #1, and Clyde (4-1,0-0) is #5 this week.

          Last week, Clyde smoked Port Clinton (56-21) on Friday night.

          Coach Ryan Carter says it was a good way to bounce back after a (30-13) loss to Toledo St. Francis the week before.  “We just had to get back on track and get back out there in another Friday night after that loss to St. Francis, who has kind of turning out to be a pretty decent team as they get playing here, they beat St. John's this past week.  So, we just needed to play again get back out there, get that good feeling back and try to get some confidence going again.  We were able to do that.  I thought we got off to a good start.  I thought the defense played extremely well.  Really limited what they could do offensively and then we were able to put up some points.  Gave some up in the second half when we subbed a little bit, but overall, it was a good night,” said Carter.

          Last week was Carter’s 100^th win as the Clyde football coach.  He took them to a state title in 2019.  He also as 100 plus wins as the Fliers basketball coach.  A rare double these days.

          Perkins blacked Bellevue last week (43-0) to win their fifth straight.

          Carter says they are extremely talented on both sides of the football.  “I can say when you turn the film on everything is good.  I think any football team starts with their up front kids and I think up front on both sides of the ball it's best we've seen.  They are big, they're fast, they're strong.  A great tailback in the (Issac) Buntz kid.  You haven't even talked about Collier, who's the best wide receiver in our area along with some of their other kids,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “That's not even to mention defensively.  I think they're better defensively than they are offensively.  They're loaded on both sides of the ball and they fly now defensively.  It's really tough to move the ball at all.  To get first downs let alone put points up.  So, we know we have our work cut out for us.  We understand the task at hand.  We're putting in a week of work and trying to get ourselves ready to go and get after it on Friday night.”

          Carter says against them your execution must be very exacting.  “They score in a hurry and they turn bad plays on defense into touchdowns.  They turn you over.  There are solid special teams.  They just don't give you much to be honest with you.  So, very, very well constructed football team.  They do a nice job as far as getting their playmakers the ball in space and then tackling well in space on defense.  So, it's tough task, but like I said, we're going to put together a week and we're going to go up there and get after,” he said.

Published 9/25/24

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Clyde Needs to Get Back on Beam

          Clyde plays at home against the Port Clinton Redskins in an “SBC” crossover on Friday night.

          Last week, the Fliers were leading at halftime, but fell (30-13) to Toledo St. Francis.  It was their first loss of the season.

          Coach Ryan Carter says he doesn’t question their effort.  “Honestly, I thought we played a hard fought game.  We just didn't make enough plays in the second half.  When you turn the football over it really comes back to catch you.  So, we turned it over in the second half.  They kind of exerted their will on us a little bit.  They were pretty big up front and wore us down a little bit.  They made a couple plays at the end to stretch the lead out,” he told Swankonsports.com, “I was proud of our kids, they fought and they battled against what would end up being a bigger opponent for us.  So, we're going to bounce back.  We have got to respond to a different adversity than we've had so far this year and that's fully what I expect our kids to do this week against Port Clinton.”

          Carter says they have reviewed last week with the players and hopefully they have learned from it.  “I think it's something that you have to learn from.  You have to get better from it and you have to be more sound if you want to beat good football teams.  That's part of our preparation this week and that's part of our talk (Sunday) at my meetings and we have got to convince the kids of that.  It's not easy, but just like a win we spent 24 hours enjoying the win.  We are going to spend 24 hours getting rid of the loss out of our system.  Now, it’s week five we’re on to Port Clinton,” he said.

          Clyde (3-1), #5 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, is at home for Port Clinton (2-2) on Friday.  The Reskins lost to Ottawa Hills (37-30) last week.

          Carter says their defense will be challenged.  “They put up some points.  They put up a ton of points in all of their games, so we fully expect a battle.  With the exception of the Oak Harbor game, they've been right there in their games.  So, it's going to be a hard fought game.  Port Clinton is a traditional “SBC” school, so familiar with both sides.  It'll be a hard fought game.  We're looking forward to playing another one at home.  It's homecoming for us.  A lot of distractions this week, but our kids are excited to get back out there and try and get that bad taste out of their mouths from last Friday,” said Carter.

Published 9/18/24

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Clyde to Meet Explosive Toledo St. Francis

          Clyde is looking at likely their toughest challenge of the season on Friday night as they host Toledo St. Francis in a non-conference game.

          Clyde (3-0), #3 in the first Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, made a trip to Toledo last week and buried Toledo Waite (42-0) in a non-league game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they did what they had to do.  “I was a tough one to get up for.  They hadn’t had a whole lot of success yet and were pretty limited offensively of what they could do.  We went up, we got our work in and we got out of there healthy and get another win on the road and you'll always take it.  So, we have got our work cut out for us this week with a what ends up being a really good St. Francis team,” he said.

          St. Francis (2-1) smoked Brother Rice (MI) (49-28) in game last week in the Catholic High School League.

          Carter says they have a boatload of explosive players.  “Well, they just have some dynamic kids in their skilled positions. They're running back, a couple wide receivers are as good as we've seen and might see all year.  They are really fast kids, shifty, they do a good job up front.  They're very dynamic on the offensive side of the ball with what they run and what they do in showing you multiple looks and different formations and getting those kids the ball in space,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “We're going to have to be really good space.  We're going to have to be really good tacklers. We're going to have to be assignment sound.  We're going to have to have some things go our way in order to give us a chance to win.”

          Clyde beat St. Franics (22-18) in the opening game of the season in 2022.  St. Francis won (21-14) in 2021.

          Carter says to be successful on Friday night they must be sure tacklers.  “They have had a bunch of explosive plays this year for touchdowns and if you don't get them down it ends up turning into six.  So, you really have to be sound in what you do.  We're going to try to put in a good week of work and get ourselves ready to go,” he said.

Published 9/10/24

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Clyde Preparing for Athletic Team

          It’s a second team in a row out of the Toledo City League for the Clyde Fliers as they visit Waite on Friday night.

          They hammered Toledo Start (49-25) last Friday.

          Coach Ryan Carter was pretty happy, but he knows things were far from perfect.  “I thought we did well again.  I thought we did some things on both sides of the ball that I thought we were pretty effective at.  We got off to a pretty good start, but we had a couple of blemishes in our special teams, so obviously some areas to work on this week.  They had a couple of kick returns last week for touchdowns, so we have to clean that up, but continuing to work at it, continuing to get after it this week,” he told Swankosports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “It’s the same type of team this week with Toledo Waite.  Going up there is a difficult place to play.  Kind of just an odd place to play in the Toledo City League.  It'll be a challenge for our kids to go on the long bus trip and see how we come out.”

          Carter emphasizes this week their goal is to get better as a football team.  “That's been our theme this week honestly.  Wins and losses are going to take care of themselves, but we need to improve as a football team.  We need to get better each week, not stay the same, and try to improve from week to week.  So, that's been our goal this week and I felt like we've had a pretty good week of practice.  We'll see how it carries over on Friday night,” he said.

          Clyde (2-0) travels to Toledo Waite (0-2) on Friday night.  The Indians lost (41-6) to Sylvania Southview on week two.  Port Clinton smoked them (55-6) on the opening week.

          Carter says you always have to respect the athletes that Waite has on their team.  “All of those Toledo City League teams have kids that are athletes.  Fast, athletic kids, that kid that we don't usually see in our league.  So, a different type of style of football that they play.  So, it will be a challenge for our kids going on the road like I said difficult place to go get up and play for, but we're putting in a week of work and we'll see where we're at on Friday night,” said Carter.

Published 9/05/24

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Clyde Looking Good

          Clyde looks to continue its solid play as they host Toledo Start in their home opener on Friday night.

          Last week, they blanked arch rival Bellevue (34-0) on the road.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they played very well.  “We were pleased with the outcome.  Now, you go back and watch things on film and there are things you have got to work on and things have got to get better at and it's been a tough week to work on those things.  We've changed the schedule a few times due to some of the heat restrictions, so we're a work in progress this week trying to get ourselves ready for Friday night, the home opener against Toledo Start, looking forward to chance to play at home,” he said.

          Against Bellevue, the Fliers used to quarterbacks and Carter says that game plan went well.  “Honestly, I thought it turned out well.  It's not a traditional dual quarterback system in the fact that we play them at the same time, they're on the field at the same time.  So, it worked out, it's something that we've been playing with the entire offseason and we were able to debut it last week against Bellevue,” he told Swankosports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “We did some good things.  We have got some things we need to work on.  We also have got some things that we didn't use last week that we're going to use down the road.  So, I'm excited about both kids.  They're both great kids doing things the right way and hopefully they'll improve as the year goes.”

          Toledo Start lost last week to Norwalk (26-7) on the opening Friday.

          Carter says as usual they will feature some very good athletes.  “As a wise man once told me, this is best team we play all week.  It's a typical Toledo Start team in the fact that they're very athletic, they have fast, athletic kids.  Traditionally when we play them they have some kids that just jump off the page and that's no different this year.  They have got a quarterback that runs around really well, they have some really big kids up front.  So, we know we have got to work cut out for us anytime we play them, it's usually a pretty tight game.  So, we're looking forward to playing in our home stadium and getting off that home opener off to a good start,” said Carter.

Published 8/29/24

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Clyde to Clash With Rival Bellevue

          Clyde will tangle with longtime rival, and next door neighbor, Bellevue Friday night on the opening night of the high school football season.

          After a down year last fall, coach Ryan Carter says they have looked good in camp and they are blessed with a lot of experience.  “We’re happy in the fact that we got through both our scrimmages pretty healthy.  A couple of our main guys are banged up a little bit, but nothing putting anybody out right now.  So, in that aspect yes.  The other aspect, to be honest you just don't know with high school football kids until you get out there on Friday night you turn the big lights on and the games are for real you just don't really know what you have.  Now, I will say we have a ton of old guys returning.  I have a ton of letter winners back.  We have a bunch of guys that have played a bunch of football, but how they react on Friday over at hostile environment of Bellevue is yet to be determined,” said Carter.

          Both programs had injury ridden seasons a year ago.  Carter, who also played in this rivalry, knows what to expect from the Redmen.  “Bellevue is such a traditional program.  The fact that Ed (Nasonti) does such a great job and his staff always has their kids ready to play.  We have the upmost respect for their program we know that they're going to play football the right way.  Their kids are going to do things right.  They treat the game with respect and then they always put a great product out on the field.  They have kids that are very similar to Clyde kids.  They bust their tails, they work hard, they take great pride in their program, much like our kids do.  So, we expect a dogfight.  We expect a hostile environment that's tough place to play and we're going to have to play through a bunch of diversity try to give ourselves a chance to win,” he said.

          Clyde and Bellevue have split the last eight meetings, but the Fliers have won the last three, including (14-6) in last year’s opener.  Clyde is picked fourth in the “SBC” Lake and Bellevue third in the “SBC” Bay by a group of almost 30 media members.

          Carter says this game means a lot more than just wins and losses.  “You're playing that rival right out of the gate you have got to be ready to go.  There's added pressure during camp in order to make sure that your sound come week one.  You don't have a couple weeks where you can feel your team out.  You want to go out and play well against rival and that week one,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “It's an important game for us.  It's an important game for both towns.  Our communities and our towns take tremendous amount of pride in their kids and their athletics and in their school systems.  That's one thing that's awesome about playing your rival that's five minutes down the road is a lot of guys that work together and do things together and talk on a daily basis take great pride in this football game.  So, we’re not just playing for our own win and loss record, you are kind of playing for the whole community.”

Published 8/20/24

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Clyde Loaded With Potential

          Clyde is quickly becoming a football dynasty and they are looking forward to another very strong year this year.

          Coach Ryan Carter, who led the Fliers to the 2019 state championship, says there is a lot of excitement this year at Clyde.  “It is football season and that's exciting for everybody.  We're excited around here.  We have quite a few kids back, we have 20 seniors this year and almost 90 kids total nine through 12.  So, the program is looking good.  We're coming off of a year where we had just a lot of injuries that really hurt us.  So, we're trying to regroup, trying to get those kids back, a lot of those kids that were hurt last year are back, so we have got to stay healthy, but I like what we have seen so far,” said Carter.

          Last year, the Fliers battled through and injury riddled 2023 campaign, but Carter says they have a lot of guys back with experience and hopes this year they can stay healthy.  “You return your quarterback that you only played three games last year and you got a couple other kids that stepped in for him at the end of the year and one of those is back as well, so you have got some backfield depth back,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “I like the back end of our defense.  Our back seven or eight are all returners.  They're all pretty good and if we find a couple kids up front both ways I think we'll be alright, but that's what you have got to sort out through camp.  Like I said the more I do this the more I understand that a lot of it becomes health, a lot of it becomes how healthy you are all throughout the year.”

          Clyde again opens the football season with rival Bellevue on August 23.

          By virtue of calendar, football teams have a little extra time to prepare and Carter likes that time.  “I always like extra days.  Last year, was really, really short.  It was like we started and it was time to play against our rival Bellevue.  This year you get a little bit more prep time.  You get that extra work in.  This week's a big growing week for us.  We had an inner squad scrimmage on Saturday.  We like some things and there's definitely some things we need to work on.  Then we get a full week of two days in and have Eastwood come in on Saturday, so that'll be a good measuring stick for us,” he said.

Published 8/06/24

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Clyde Talking Defense and Rebounding

          Clyde will host Maumee in a division II sectional semifinal on Tuesday night.

          The Fliers, who lost 13 of their first 15, have won four of their last seven and coach Ryan Fretz says they have started to turn it around.  “The boys have really bought in.  It's been a process, as we know everything's a process, but it's been a process so far this year.  We've wanted small incremental growth.  We knew there was no quick way to gather success.  At the beginning, we knew we had a pretty tall mountain to climb, but it didn't stop our guys from doing it, it didn't stop our coaching staff from going as hard as we could with the boys involved,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday evening, “It wasn't pretty at first, but it's definitely been done the right way.  You can't hurry success and we've done it fundamentally, we've done it with some defense along the way and we've done it with buying in.  That's a testament to the boys on our varsity team just buying in and getting it done, especially in the second half of the season here.”

          Clyde (6-16) has Maumee (5-17) on Tuesday night.  The Panthers have lost their last five.

          However, Fretz says they can put some players on the floor.  “They have a little bit of everything.  They have got they have got two pretty quick guards, the Kubicz brothers and then they've got a 6’7” guy that plays inside, kind of with his back to the basket, but he'll step out and play around the top of the key and can see the floor really well and find you know the guys cutting back door.  I know they bring a pretty young shooter off the bench that can knock it down from outside.  Our main focus is going to have to be containing the two brothers.  I mean they can score, one of them is left-handed one of them is right, and they score from outside.  They can back door cut you, they can take it to the hole, and they got a nice pull up,” said Fretz.

          Fretz says their goals on defense are to control the guards and keep the big kid off the glass.  “I mean they're hard to press because they can slash and cut through any press you throw at them.  So, they're going to be probably our number one concern and then our second concern will be the big man and making sure we box out and get rebounds.  I mean if we can manage to do that, I think we get ourselves a pretty good chance,” he said.

Published 2/27/24

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Clyde has to Attack Sandusky

          Clyde hosts defending Sandusky Bay Conference champion Sandusky at their place on Friday night.

          Last week, Norwalk beat the Fliers (58-46) in a division game.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says the Truckers were able to take them out of what they wanted to do early in the game and they got too far behind.  “I think Norwalk did a fantastic job of hitting us with the defensive scheme at the beginning of the game that flustered us.  They made us take shots that we weren't supposed to be taking.  They challenged us and we ended up our shot selection was not good.  I think hats off to Norwalk for being able to speed us up and force us to take some bad shots.  I think at halftime we sat down and regrouped, refocused and we were able to you know get our minds right and we made a game out of it in the second half,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “I think Brayden Olson learned that he can do more for our team than just score the basketball.  He was able to set screens and get his teammates open, he put his teammates first and by having the ability to do that Brayden still ended up scoring 19 points for us, which is just about his average.  I mean we cut it to five twice in that game in the beginning of the fourth quarter.  We saw a lot of resolve in our boys through the second, third and fourth quarter, but I mean we have to come out ready to play basketball and be able to put four quarters together against a team and we're hoping to do that this weekend.”

          Clyde (1-3,0-1) is at home for Sandusky (4-0,1-0), #2 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division on Friday night.  The Blue Streaks edged Perkins (77-75) in their division opener last Saturday.

          Fretz says again Sandusky has players.  “They're just reloading.  I mean they've got a pretty strong junior class that goes really deep.  That class has been talented for a while.  You've got the (Jason) Henlon kid in it and the (Kobe) Brown kid.  They can get up and down the floor, they can score from two, they can knock it down from outside, they've got a pretty great supporting cast and they're going to bring the pressure.  I mean Sandusky pressure is the staple of what the program is.  It’s often replicated, but never duplicated.  I mean you can throw six, seven guys out there in practice and that's what we're doing to prepare for them,” he said.

          Fretz says to be successful against Sandusky you have to attack them offensively.  “We're trying to get our guys ready for the pressure that we're going to see, but the best way to attack Sandusky is to fight fire with fire.  In the times that I've been able to beat them when I've been at Clyde, I've given our boys the right to just go out there and play basketball.  You're not always going to be able to beat a Sandusky team by being methodical.  The way that they play defense doesn't allow you to do that.  You've got to be confident in the way you play, confident in the way you take care of the basketball and the confident in the way that you play defense and that's been what practice has been about this week. We're putting our guys in some pressure situations, they're growing, they're becoming more confident with the basketball and confident in our defensive effort.  We are looking forward to them coming to our place on Friday and us giving them a game,” said Fretz.

Published 12/21/23

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Clyde Expects a Transition Game Versus Ashland

          Clyde plays another Ohio Cardinal Conference team in a non-league game on Saturday night as they host the Ashland Arrows.

          Last Saturday afternoon, they lost (87-52) to Lexington.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they turned it over too much and took some bad shots.  “We hung with them for a quarter.  We hit a three to make it 15-13 and then there's size and physicality just kind of got to us in the second and we gave up 33 points in the second quarter.  So, you give up 33 points in any quarter, you're going to put yourself in a come from behind position no matter what quarter it is.  We turned the ball over in so many inopportune times, took some shots that might work against average teams, but not against the team that's giving you 6’9” and 6’6” out there.  Then we were trying to come from behind from there and Lexington is good, they've got size, they're guard play is pretty exceptional.  I mean I think our boys fought.  I mean we played the game with as much effort as we could of,” said Fretz.

          Fretz says they have come back this week and worked hard in practice to get ready for their game with Ashland.  “I'm proud of the guys in that shape and form.  We've learned some stuff in film sessions this week, we've moved forward, we've moved on, we've grown and can't wait to step out on the floor against Ashland on Saturday,” he said.

          Ashland (0-1) lost (39-37) to Norwalk last Friday night.

          Fretz says that kind of game is not what he expects from the Arrows come Saturday night.  “It was surprising when I saw that score, I was at least trying to think it was going to be in the 50s or 60s.  I mean Ashland's a team that typically likes to get up and down the floor.  I mean when we played them last year, it was a high scoring game.  It's always been a pretty high paced game, so to see the score like that was kind of surprising.  That score is not indicative of their style of play.  They are most certainly a team that likes to get up and go.  We expect them to transition out mighty fast.  We're going to have to be able to get back, match up, especially to the outside shooters,” he told SwankonSports.com on Thursday night, “They’ve got shooters out there that can knock it down and then they've got the big man inside that does a great job of sealing, getting open, setting screens, and setting ball screens.  So, if we can't get back and get matched it'll be a long night for us.  So, we've been working on that in practice this week.  Defensively, I think both Ashland and us kind of match up very similar with four guards around the big.  It should be a good game.  I think when it comes down to size wise, they're definitely not as big as what Lexington is, so we should be able to run some of our stuff and we're looking forward to it on Saturday.”

Published 12/8/23

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Clyde Needs to Stay Consistent

          Clyde plays its first game at home on Saturday night against the Lexington Minutemen in non-conference play.

          Coach Ryan Fretz likes the progress his team has made, but he says they must continue in the right direction.  “We're making the progressions that that we need to make.  They're not coming along as fast as I would like them to come along, but that’s not all of it's up to me.  As we get guys coming back from injury it changes the dynamics of the team a little bit and you have to make adjustments as these boys come back.  Something that might have worked when these boys weren't in might work now or vice versa.  We're making those adjustments as we got Brayden back and as we got Brennen back.  I mean looking to move forward with that we've had a great week of practice so far, we just want to make sure we can keep it up consistently as we get closer to Saturday,” he said.

          Fretz says there is always a lot of excitement surrounding the first game of the season, but they need to take the games one at a time with the same focus.  “I mean everybody in the state’s going to play a basketball game either Friday or Saturday for most part and half of your teams are still going to be undefeated after that and the other half of them are going to be looking at the 0-1 record.  I mean there's a lot of energy built up for that first game because of the unknowns, because some guys are playing different roles.  Like I said, the unknowns that are out there that you've been working so hard in the offseason.  You put in a lot of work over the summer,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “We at Clyde we did pretty good over the summer.  Had a pretty successful summer where we saw growth and we played some disciplined basketball and got better and this is where we make hay.  We get to go out there and finally put everything to the test.  So, that's why I think the energy is big and it's huge right now for us.  I just hope that it stays consistent the rest of this week through the game and even after the game.  Yes, game one is always a big one, but the basketball season is a 22 game regular season and it's definitely a marathon and not a sprint to get to March.”

          With the height and perimeter skills, Fretz knows that Lexington is going to be a big challenge for the Fliers.  “They're big and now we at Clyde right now if you look at our roster, we're not known for having the big, tall guys.  As you're sitting here looking at Lexington, I mean you see 6’4”, 6’6” and what Elijah Hudson's probably 6’8”, 6’9” in there.  I mean they can rebound, they can bang it inside and they can knock down shots from the outside too.  Their guard play is good, it's quick, they're agile, so they're guards can put some pressure on you.  So, they have a lot of weapons that you have to respect.  We're looking forward to seeing them come to our gym.  We're looking forward to the challenge, it's a great first game for us.  I mean Lexington's coming off the district championship game last year against Sandusky.  They've lost some guys, but they've done a pretty good job at just reloading.  I mean, we expect them to be a force to be reckoned with on Saturday right,” said Fretz.

Published 11/29/23

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Clyde Developing Some Players

          Clyde has some talent when it comes to basketball players and if they can get healthy they have a good chance to be really good.

          Right now, coach Ryan Fretz says they are trying to develop the muscles they need for basketball.  “I like the effort up to this point.  We have a lot of work to do to get in shape.  We've got all of our guys, except for one, play football, so they're coming off of football season.  We're taking the shoulder pads off because that's one of the things we always talk about is take the pads off and loosen up those shoulders, so we can shoot.  Our shots are typically flat during the first couple of weeks after we get our boys, but then we just put them through shooting drills and eventually they end up finding their shot.  It looked pretty good (Monday) at practice.  We're looking as quick as can be.  We're pretty athletic,” he said.

          Fretz they are dealing with injuries and again this season they just aren’t very tall overall.  “There are two things that kind of holding us back.  Number one is we've got some injuries.  We have got Brennan Wilson, who's still sitting there with the broken collarbone, who could be back here you know sometime here before the end of the month.  Then Brayden Olson is nursing his foot from a from a football injury.  Mason Flewelling tore his ACL in the Tiffin Columbian football game.  So, we've got three varsity guys that were going to get ample minutes that are sitting along the sidelines during practice.  Then the second thing is we're similar to where we were last year, we lack size.  We've got Cayden Perkins, who's about 6’1”, 6’2” and then we have a sophomore Chase Castle, who sits close to 6’6” maybe, he’s a big body guy, but he played freshman and a little bit of the JV for us last year.  So, he's got some development to do there.  Our three you know starters out, our three experienced guys have been sitting out for the last week and half,” said Fretz.

          One positive thing the injuries have done is allow the Fliers to develop some other players and this will eventually allow them to be a better team, according to Fretz.  “So far, it's allowed some of our younger guys, guys that aren't Brennan and Brayden Olson to step up and lead in other ways and that's what I'm extremely happy about.  We've got guys that aren't really talking, that aren't known to be your leading talkers, like Ben Wott, who's now a point guard and demanding the ball on offense and running the offense for us and he's talking out there.  Kam Shortridge has impressed the coaching staff a lot.  I mean I know he's coming off of a great football season where he was a leader for our football team and he's picked up right there for us on the basketball court,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday evening, “Then Cedric Messer is coming off of the football field and picking up right where he's left off with his leadership and talking.  So, even though we're down three guys, we've got three guys that have really picked it up for us and you're just seeing them grow and it gives younger guys a chance to get better to when we do get our full squad back this year, we're just that much better.”

Published 11/14/23

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Clyde Excited to be in the Playoffs

          Clyde travels to Rocky River for a first round playoff game in division IV on Friday night.

          The Fliers (5-5) broke a four game losing streak with a (45-14) whipping of Norwalk in an “SBC” Lake game on Friday. 

Coach Ryan Carter says they played well in the face of more adversity.  “I felt like we got off to a very good start.  Went three and out and got a very good drive put together early on and really built some confidence.  It's been one of those things this year, but in the first quarter we lost our tailback, Chancy Miracle, he couldn’t play the rest of the night and our starting wide receiver and safety in the first quarter as well in Brayden Olson, he didn't play for the rest of the night either.  Those guys are already backing up guys that have already been hurt,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “It was just one of those things where it was next man up.  It's been that mentality for us all year.  We really had some young kids step in and play well.  I'm not sure how many guys were going to get back for this week, but that's kind of been our theme all year.  I was proud of our kids for getting that week 10 victory.  I thought we really played inspired football.  We got to go on the road to a very good Rocky River team, but we're excited to be in the playoffs.  We're excited to be playing again this week and not turning our stuff in.”

          Clyde seems to have similar luck to park ranger Roy Sullivan, who was hit seven times by lightning.

          Carter says they are coaching their kids to have a positive response.  “I really haven't seen (any luck) yet through ten weeks as far as health wise goes.  It is what it is.  Our kids are battling and I've been very proud of our staff for continuing to work extremely hard and trying to get our kids ready to go each week.  It's been a battle, it's been tough, it's been a bunch of events for us the entire year, but we're trying to have a positive response in order to get the outcome we want,” he said.

          Rocky River (9-1) owns a seven game win streak and was the winner of the Great Lakes West Conference.

          Carter says they have a lot of weapons.  “They have only lost one game and that was to Perkins and obviously we know what Perkins has.  They put up points against Perkins, so very good, explosive offense, very good left tackle, very good quarterback, who can throw it and run it, running backs all over the place, wide receivers, they're very skilled offensively.  They have got guys that get after you defensively.  You turn the film on and they play with a tremendous amount of confidence.  You see them play and you watch them on film and they expect to win, they expect to win by a lot, and they expect to score a bunch.  So, we're going to have our hands full, but like I said, our kids are excited to be practicing (Monday).  We're going to go out there and put together a good plan and see where we end up on Friday,” said Carter.

Published 10/24/23

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Clyde Working Hard

          Clyde plays its final regular season game at home against the Norwalk Truckers in play in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference.

          It has been a year the Fliers (4-5,0-3) have been besieged by injuries.

          Coach Ryan Carter says it isn’t getting any better.  “That’s okay we're plotting along with our guys.  It is what it is.  I mean it's been tough, our guys have really battled.  They've went out and did everything we've asked them to do we're just you know we're a little short handed.  We lost another one last week, one of our defensive backs, and I mean it's just kind of a little bit of an issue for us right now.  We're not making excuses.  I've told you this before, nobody is going to feel sorry for us.  We're going to try to strap it up and get ourselves ready to go this week against Norwalk and finish out the regular season,” said Carter.

          When it comes to the Truckers (3-6,0-3), Carter says they have a good running game, but frankly their focus this week is on the Fliers.  “Well, they’re a very good running football team.  They have a couple of good running backs.  They are playing a couple of younger kids in their skilled positions.  Honestly, it is more about us right now and trying to find out exactly what we can and what we can't do and trying to do that to the best of our ability,” he said.

          Carter, who led Clyde to a state championship in 2019, says it is a situation where they have been forced to do a lot of adjusting during games.  “What's been hard for us is we've run into practices and developed a plan and got ourselves ready to go and then you get into the game and you lose a kid here, you lose a kid there and you have got to revamp some of those things and move some kids around,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “Part of that is trying to get kids comfortable in positions and we haven't had consistency in those positions to try to do that.  So, it's still a work in progress for us, but we're going to keep battling trying to a little bit better each day and make these kids best they can be by the end of the year.”

Published 10/19/23

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Clyde Trying to Get Better

          Clyde travels to Huron to face the Tigers in a crossover game in the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          Huron shares the lead with Edison in the Bay Division.

          Clyde (4-4) lost a gut wrenching game (32-22) to Sandusky last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they were knocking on the door.  “Well, it was tough.  We've been working really hard and trying to get some kids in there and stay consistent.  We've had kids in and out of the lineup.  It was one of those nights where we lost a few of our guys going into that game, so we had to move some positions around.  I thought our kids really battled.  We got fortunate on the last drive by Sandusky that they allowed us to have a little bit of time left.  Our offense executed really well got us down to the two yard line with about 40 seconds to go.  We just had one of those unfortunate plays.  Their kid made a play, you have got to give them credit, popped the ball loose and they returned it to the length of the field for a touchdown to end the game.  So, it was tough.  You would have liked to had a win to build your kids confidence, but I will say this our kids didn't stop playing, they haven't stopped battling.  It's going to take that same effort this week against what is a very good Huron team,” said Carter.

          Huron (6-2) overwhelmed Vermilion (56-0) in Bay Division play last week.

          Carter says the Tigers have a lot of tools.  “They are very fast and athletic kids in the skilled positions.  The quarterback is super dynamic with his legs and his arm.  They have a wide receiver that's just about as good as we have seen it in any games this year.  Big kids up front.  They do a ton against you defensively as far as bringing guys from different spots and causing you all kinds of problems,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “They have a tremendous kicker.  They're just solid and all aspects of the game.  They're very well coached and their kids play the game the right way.  It's going to take a monumental task for us to go up there and get ourselves in a four quarter ball game, but we're going to battle and get ourselves ready to go and see what happens.”

          Huron’s Beau Harkelroad leads the Bay Division in receptions (53), yards (848) and TD’s (11) this season.  Cody Scroggins leads in all of the passing categories.

          Clyde stands 12^th in its computer region and win gets them a bunch of the points, but Carter says their goal Friday is to get better as a football team.  “Well, it's always something we're looking at.  To be honest with you, we just have to focus on trying to get better as a football team, get some consistency and some positions, get some kids comfortable in the new roles that they're in and try to be better.  That's what we're trying to do,” he said.

Published 10/13/23

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Clyde Has to be in Top Form

          Clyde continues its tough schedule in the Lake Division of Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night as they host the Sandusky Blue Streaks.

          Last week, they gave up more than 450 totals yards in a (49-14) pounding by Tiffin Columbian in a division game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says Columbian played well and they did not.  “We ran into a team that played pretty well and we did not play very well.  You have got to give them all the credit.  They came out and executed well and did things well early on and really got us behind early and we never really recovered from it.  So, we have got to move on and try to get ourselves ready for what is a very good Sandusky team this week,” said Carter.

          Injuries have been part of the story for the Fliers this year, according to Carter.  “It's been a huge part for us, but no excuses, nobody's feeling sorry for us.  We’ve had upwards of 15 kids that have that have hit the sideline for us and not been available for us.  So, it's tough it's a difficult situation, but it is what it is.  Like I said, nobody's going to feel sorry for us.  We have got to move on and play with the kids we have, try to get the kids we have ready to go for what is a very good Sandusky team this week,” he said.

          Clyde (4-3,0-2) plays at home against Sandusky (4-3,1-1) on Friday night.  The Streaks laid waist to the Norwalk Truckers (48-12) in a division game last week.  They have scored at least 30 points in all their games but one this year.

          Carter says they have some gamebreakers, no doubt.  “They are very explosive offensively.  They have some big play capability out of their quarterback, out of their wide receivers and out of their running backs, so you have multitude of things you have to try to defend,” he told Swankonports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “Then they put a lot of pressure on your defensively.  So, coach (Lucas) Poggiali does a nice job with that program.  We're going to have our work cut out for us trying to get ourselves into a fourth quarter game.”

          Carter says you really have to be good on defense.  “It's easier said than done because you can be in the right spot and they can make you miss and they did that on film with all the games that we've watched.  So, you have got to be sure, you got to be sound and you have got to play up to your potential in order just to give yourself a chance,” he said.

Published 10/04/23

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Clyde Faces Another Athletic Team

          It’s big game Friday afternoon in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference as Clyde is at Tiffin Columbian.

          It is an afternoon game starting at 4:30.

          The Fliers (4-2,0-1) dropped a game last week (31-7) to unbeaten Sandusky Perkins in Lake Division play.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they played hard and were right in the game. “It's crazy to say this in a 31-7 game, but our kids came out and played hard, we battled, we had a couple of turnovers early on honestly it was more them making plays than it was us not doing things well.  They made a couple of really nice interceptions on balls that were kind of 50/50 balls and they made the plays and kind of jumped out on us a little bit.  Then we kind of played even from there.  It was 21-7 at the half.  We gave ourselves a chance and coming out in the third quarter we had a chance for an interception right off the rip, first or second play of the second half and we didn't make that play,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “Whereas I think if you can get it to 21-14 and put a little pressure on them.  They're an outstanding football team.  They put a lot of pressure on you in kind of different ways.  So, you have got to give them all the credit in the world.  They played well and they have been playing well, but like I said I was happy with our kids effort.  We have got to get a little bit better technically, but it wasn't for lack of effort.”

          Tiffin Columbian (5-1,1-0) rallied to beat Sandusky (42-35) in a division game last Friday.

          Carter says the Tornadoes too have a lot kids that pressure a defense.  “Well, it doesn't get any easier for us.  They're just about as good as Perkins to be honest with you.  They are very explosive offensively and they just absolutely kill you on a number of different things when they have the football.  A great quarterback that throws it to athletic wide receivers.  They put you in a bind with what they do offensively.  Then when they turn and hand it off one of the better runners in the league in the Brockinton kid.   So, you just have a hard time slowing them down.  It's just one of those games where you're coming off of a tough game and you got another one right back at you.  So, we have got to go to their place in a different starting time, but we're going to embrace the moment.  We're going to go and see what we can get done and try to play as hard as we possibly can for four quarters and see what happens,” said Carter.

          Carter says they have to be position and try to make plays.  “Well, you have to be really good.  They can make plays because they're going to have kids in the position for 50/50 balls and they have really athletic kids.  So, you know it's a tough situation, but you have got to go out and you have got to play every snap and try to see what you can get done,” he said.

Published 9/28/23

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Clyde Has a lot to Stop

          There are going to be a lot of prize fights in the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division this year and the first comes Friday night as Clyde hosts Sandusky Perkins.

          Both teams have enjoyed outstanding seasons so far.

          Clyde (4-1,0-0), #4 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, beat Port Clinton (34-13) in a crossover game last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they played pretty well.  “Well, you know I was pleased, we had replaced a bunch of starters in that Port Clinton game due to some injuries.  I was pleased, I thought we came out and played really, really well defensively, we moved the football, got it up 21-0 in the first half.  We turned the football over right before halftime and they scored, capitalizing on a turnover and making it 21-7 and we knew we were in a ballgame.  Came out the second half and I felt again played very well.  We didn’t give up a score to the very end.  I was pleased with us going on the road.  That old school “SBC” feeling playing at Port Clinton.  Anytime you can go on the road and get a win you're going to take it, especially coming with the type of games we have coming left in our schedule,” said Carter.

          Last week, Perkins (4-0,0-0), #1 in our poll, smoked Bellevue (49-0) in their crossover.

          They really haven’t been challenged this year and Carter says there is a good reason for that.  “Well, it's pretty much everything.  You turn on the games and it's tough to find weaknesses with them.  They look like a very veteran group when in reality they're very young, but they look like they played together for a long time and have been doing things together for a long time,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “They do things really well and in every facet of the game.  They are extremely fast, big up front, skilled kids, their quarterback is skilled both running and throwing, they have dynamic athletes on the outside and in the backfield.  So, it's going to be a monumental task, but you know that's why they play the game.  We're going to strap it up, we're going to come Friday and we're going to do what we can to try to keep ourselves in the game.”

          Isaac Bunts has run for over 450 yards and 10 touchdowns this season from his running back spot for Perkins.  Logan Leach, the Perkins QB, has accounted for 18 scores.

          Carter says they want to control Leach, but that’s not easy.  “Well, I mean it's tough because if you try to take away pass looks, they run the football, they run it with (Leach) and the (Isaac) Bunts kid are both really good at running it.  If you try to load up the box and take away run looks, he's really good at throwing it to a bunch of good athletes on the outside.  So, it's pretty much pick your poison, but like I said our kids are excited for the challenge and we're going to see we can get done on Friday night,” he said.

Published 9/20/23

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Clyde Looking For Some Answers

          Clyde, after its first loss last week, is dealing with some personnel issues as they get ready to face Port Clinton on the road in a non-conference, or “SBC” crossover, on Friday night.

          They had their chances last week, but lost to Youngstown Cardinal Mooney (36-26) in a game played at Ashland University.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they couldn’t cash in the big play when they needed it late.  “Honestly, I thought it was a very good game.  We had a couple of two-point conversions to tie it in the fourth quarter.  They got two scores late that put it out of reach for us.  I was very pleased with how competitive our kids were and how we really competed the entire night.  Now, with that said you never are positive with a loss coming out, but I was happy with how hard our kids played and the amount of experience they gained from that game,” said Carter.

          Carter says they will grow as a team because of last week.  “I think it did make us better and I think it's going to down the road.  Now, you come out of there a little bit more banged up than you were going in, but that's part of high school football.  We have got to figure it out go on from there,” he said.

          Clyde (3-1), #4 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, plays at Port Clinton (2-2) on Friday.  The Redskins were belted (50-14) by Liberty-Benton last week.

          Carter likes the chance to get to play the Redskins again.  “Well, it's been a while since we've played them, so it'll be good to get that old “SBC” feeling back and go to Port Clinton and play a team that we have a very big tradition with, but we just haven't played them in the recent past.  So, we're looking forward to it,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “They are a very good football team, they do things very well, a good running back, some very, very good size up front and they're very big.  So, we have got our work cut out for us, but we have got some work to put in this week ourselves and trying to get ourselves ready to go with a couple of replacements we have got to come up with.”

          Carter says Port Clinton has the potential to score some points, but right now they are more concerned about themselves.  “I think they have some big play capability and I think they have some very good schemes on both sides of the ball.  So, we're going to put in a good week of work and try to get ourselves ready to go,” he said.

Published 9/12/2023

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Clyde to Play Mooney at AU

          Clyde mixes it up with Youngstown Cardinal Mooney in a non-conference game to be played at Ashland University on Friday night.

          The Fliers (3-0), #1 in the first Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, hammered Toledo Waite (42-14) on week three.

          Coach Ryan Carter was happy with their focus.  “It was a similar score, but I tell you what I thought we just played much cleaner football.  I thought we played better.  We came out really established ourselves early.  We had a good drive the first drive going and that did result in a fumble, but our defense really played well.  We were able to put up a couple scores and get it to a running clock game at halftime.  So, I was happy with our kids focus, it was better than week two, and that's what you're trying to do is improve each week,” he said.

          Mooney (1-2) lost (21-14) to Steubenville last week.

          Carter says the Cardinals are a physical bunch that has a lot of depth. 

“You can't really look at their schedule so far.  I mean they have played the good of the good.  You play Cleveland Villa Angela/St. Joe, you play Steubenville and you play lake Catholic, I mean those are all three very quality teams.  They've been in every game.  The St. Joe was a little bit lobsided, but the Lake Catholic game they win by three and Steubenville I think it was a 21-14 final,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday evening, “They are solid football program.  They do things very, very well.  Their kids play extremely hard.  They are very big up front, which is going to present some problems for us.  So, we have got our hands full and we’ve got our work cut out for us.  We know that, but our kids are excited about the opportunity to play a great program like that and also in a college stadium, college atmosphere and our kids are looking forward to it.”

          Carter says they are going to have to try and defeat Mooney’s size with their speed.  “I think you have got to be really smart with your guys.  You have got to move them around and try to call cause some confusion.  Same thing offensively, I think you have got to try to spread them out and get their big guys out in space and try to make them run.  Now, they play a lot of guys that are one side of the ball players, so that concerns us as well.  Where you're wearing down some of our big guys that play both sides of the ball.  So, we know it's going to be a task and we understand that, but we're trying to put in a good week of work get ourselves ready to go,” said Carter.

Published 9/06/23

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Clyde Working on Getting Better

          Clyde takes on its second straight opponent out of the Toledo City League as they host Waite Indians in a non-conference game.

          Last week, they hammered Toledo Start (44-12) on the road.

          Coach Ryan Carter says it wasn’t their most impressive performance, but they got out of the Glass City with a win.  “Like I told you last week, we needed to get past that Bellevue game and get on with the rest of the season.  We had a tough time doing that last week and that showed early on in our game against Toledo Start.  We didn't play particularly well offensively.  I thought our defense really held it together pitching a shutout in the first half against them.  We were able to get a little bit of momentum going.  We hit a big play over the top for a touchdown halfway through the first and then kicked a field goal right before halftime to make it 17-0 at half,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “I felt like we needed to play a game to get that out of our system move on and it took us a little while to do that, but anytime you go on the road get a win, you'll take it.  So, we're moving on to week three trying to get ourselves better this week.”

          Waite was whipped by Sylvania Southview (51-14) on week two.

          Carter says they have a quarterback that’s a potential big play maker.  “They have a very athletic quarterback.  A kid that really worries you when you turn the film on.  A very good scrambler, runs extremely well, does a good job of extending plays.  So, you definitely have that to chase around it and try to figure out.  I think it's going to be a lot like last week the fact that we need to go and do what they do and improve it and try to become a better football team and focus on ourselves, which we've done this week so far in practice,” he said.

          Carter says when defending a kid like this, you have to be disciplined on defense.  “We do a lot of things as far as on the back end as far as locking on the man in your area, whether you're in zone or man, it doesn't matter, you have got to lock onto a guy.  You can't go chase the quarterback because he'll just dink it over the top of you.  Then you have got to have great pursuit by your other guys.  Your defensive lineman and your linebackers really have to all run to the football and try to gang tackle.  That's easier said than done, but you have got to kid that's really fast and elusive, but we're working on that this week and trying to get ourselves ready to go,” said Carter.

Published 8/30/23

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Clyde Must Move on

          Clyde, after a big win over rival Bellevue last week, plays at Toledo Start in a non-conference game on Friday night.

          The Fliers (1-0) beat Bellevue (14-6) last week and coach Ryan Carter says they played well, but they have to forget about that now.  “When you open up with your rival like we did you're pleased to get out of there with a win no matter what it is.  Going back and looking at it with our kids, I thought we did a very good things and we definitely have some areas we need to improve in,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “It was a tough bounce back this week trying to get our kids prepared for week two and get week one out of their system. We're currently in the process of working on that.  So, it's a different animal playing rival week one.  We were very pleased to get out of there with a win, but we got to move on to week two.”

          Carter says they have to be careful not to be so happy with what they did last week that they forget to focus on Start.  “That's the whole key is you have got to get better each week.  I think I said this to you after scrimmage one, my belief, and our belief in our program, is that should make your most progress between scrimmage one and scrimmage two and then game one and game two.  We are right in the middle of that right now, so we have got to keep progressing if we want to be a better football team at the end of the year than we were to start and that's the process we're in right now,” he said.

          Start (0-1) suffered a (27-0) setback to Norwalk last week.

          They struggled a little against the Truckers, but Carter says the Spartans have big play potential.  “They have athletes like they always do.  They have kids that are that are big, strong, physical kids.  They struggled against Norwalk to move the football, but they have some weapons offensively, so we have to make sure that we are ready to go.  It's our first road game of the year.  We have got to go to Toledo Start, which is never easy to make that long trip.  It’s supposed to be warm here towards the end of the week.  So, we have got a couple things working against us, but we're trying to put in a good week of work and get ourselves ready to go,” said Carter.

Published 8/24/23

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Clyde Opens With Arch Rival

          Clyde begins the high school football season with a big one as they entertain the arch rival Bellevue Redmen on Friday night.

          With Bellevue moving to the Bay Division, the schools are no longer in the same division of the Sandusky Bay Conference, but that doesn't lessen the intensity of the rivalry.

          Clyde coach Ryan Carter says it seems like they just played Bellevue.  “We played them week 10 last year, so quick turn around to try to play them week one this year.  So, different type of schedule this year and it'll have a different feel with week one.  In my tenure, we played them in week three and then in week 10 and now we're moving into week one.  So, it's always going to be a great game, both teams are always very up for that game no matter when you play it.  They do a great job over there, they have a great program, and we're looking forward to the opportunity to open up the season in our stadium against our arch rival,” said Carter.

          Carter says Bellevue has a number of weapons and combinations they have to be prepared for on Friday.  “A lot of the same traits and qualities that we saw with week 10 last year are what we're seeing again early season this year.  They've had a quarterback in the (Jax) Lapata kid that has played for them for a couple years now.  Very, very good running quarterback, very ample throwing quarterback, but his main weapon is to run the ball when he's in the game.  Then they bring in another kid in the (Ashton) Martin kid, who's a tall lanky, kind of a pocket passer, so they'll spread you out and try to go five wide on you and hit you with some more pass stuff when he's in the game, “Then they'll play the Lapata kid at running back with the Martin kid at quarterback.  So, you've got a lot of different looks, a lot of different things that you have to prepare for this week.  So, we got our hands full.  We have got our work cut out for us and we're going to try to put in a good week of work and get ourselves ready go.”

          Clyde won last year (13-12) and Carter says typically that is the kind of game these two teams play.  “We have talked about it all week with our kids.  Little things end up being the difference in this game with special teams.  Obviously, early on in the season you have a number of kids that are playing for the first time on Friday nights, so you know a little mistake here, a turn over there, a missed assignment here or there in these type of games when you're playing a good opponent and a quality football team that you can't make if you want to win.  So, we're trying to get ourselves ready this week and you know we'll go at it on Friday night,” he said.

Published 8/15/23

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Clyde Coming Along

          Clyde, a traditional football power, will put a team on the field this year that is both young and experienced.

          They host arch rival Bellevue in their season opener next Friday.

          Coach Ryan Carter likes the way his team has been showing improvement during the preseason.  “Our progression has been pretty good to be honest with you.  We have got a long way to go before we get ourselves ready for Bellevue in a week or so, but I like the way our kids have worked.  I like what our coaching staff is putting in and what our kids are getting out.  It's been a good camp so far, it's been short, but we're going to finish up this week with two a days.  We're going to scrimmage on Thursday against Kenton and then we'll get ourselves into a game one week prep, which is Bellevue for us,” said Carter.

          Carter says they have a lot of kids back that played varsity football last year, but they are still underclassmen.  “The kids are chomping at the bit to do something different other than two a days and what we've been doing.  We have kind of a weird mixture this year.  We have quite a bit of experience back, but they're still not old experience,” he told Swankonports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “We played a lot of freshmen and sophomores last year, so we have got a lot of sophomores and juniors that have played varsity football, but they're still not that senior level.  So, we have got a good senior class, it's small, but it's been they've been doing a good job of leading throughout two days so far.”

          Carter says this season the Fliers are still searching for an identity although they have been doing a lot of things well.  “I think it’s yet to be determined.  I like what we’ve did with our run game up front.  I think our offensive line has come a long way in the last couple of days.  Our progression with our running backs and our skilled kids has been good too.  Defensively, I think we're learning a new scheme, we're learning some different stuff and our kids have really bought into that and they're really adapting to that well,” he said.

Published 8/10/23

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Clyde Walks Off Rival Bellevue

          The division II district semifinal between arch rivals Clyde and Bellevue remained scoreless until there were two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning when Caden Bumb dropped an RBI single into shallow centerfield to the give the Fliers a (1-0) win.

          Clyde will play Ontario, who beat Shelby (7-2) in the second semifinal, for the district title at Fremont Ross High School on Saturday afternoon.

          Cole Schwochow led on the seventh with just the fourth Flier hit off Bellevue starter Tyler Ray.  He moved to second on a sacrifice by Mason Flewelling.  Drake Guhn struck out for the second out of the inning, but Bumb delivered.

          “What a ball game.  Again, now the third time with them it's been a one run game. Both pitchers had unbelievable stuff you know.  In that type of game, it's nice to be home team I guess, that's all I can say,” said Clyde coach Drew Linder.

          Bellevue only got two runners as far as second base off Schwochow.  Their best opportunity came early when they had runners first and second with two out in the second, but couldn’t get the big hit.

          Bellevue coach Andy Dennings says with a stiff wind blowing in all day it was tough to get anything going.  “We competed hard.  Both kids threw the heck out of the ball.  When you have guys like that out here and playing in these kinds of conditions.  Not much is going to fly with the wind dead in your face,” he told Swankonsports.com after the game, “It was just a matter of who could get one out there when we had some guys on.  We weren't able to do it and they got one in the last inning and that's the story game really.”

          Schwochow and Ray were both terrific.  Schwochow struck out six of the last nine Redmen he faced.  Ray three times, in the second, fourth and six got out of jams with multiple Fliers on base, there were three ducks on the pound in the sixth, but Ray struck out Grayson Morgan to end the inning.

          Linder says both pitchers had their best stuff.  “I want to say they both had double digits in strikeouts or it had to be close. We have struggled all year hitting.  We tried all week to prepare for Ty Ray we still didn’t look like we knew what we were doing even preparing for one guy we knew about.  So, we got one in the end when it mattered I guess,” said Linder.

          Schwochow had 10 K’s, Ray had nine.

          Linder said before that bottom of the seventh, he had rather simple instructions.  “Get somebody on and over and pray for a hit basically.  So, that’s how it went down,” he said.

Published 5/26/23

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Clyde Getting Ready for Streaking Tiffin

          Clyde pays a visit to Tiffin Columbian, a winner of their last seven, for a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game against the Tornadoes on Friday night.

          In what was a tournament preview last Saturday, Port Clinton edged the Fliers (63-61) in a nail biter.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says the Redskins made the big play at the end.  “We got off to a great start against Port Clinton hitting shots from outside, but I mean there's a reason they're seeded higher than us.  I mean they were able to just expose some of our weaknesses that we still have defensively and come back in the second half and take the lead.  We weren't able to get a shot off at the end.  I mean Adam Thorbahn is a first team All District six player for a reason. I mean we had trouble stopping him and they we were they were able to hit the Beasley kid on the back door cut with 13 seconds left to go and walk off winner on senior night.  So, we get them again, but that's next week,  We are trying to focus on a on a tough Tiffin Colombian team coming up here coming up here this Friday,” he said.

          Clyde (4-17,2-9) plays at Tiffin Columbian (17-4,8-3), #4 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, on Friday night.  The Tornadoes beat Vermilion (62-39) in their last division game last Friday.

          Fretz says his team has been scoring more points in recent games, but Columbian scores in bunches too.  “We've been scoring a lot better here recently since the last time we've played them, but I mean when you look at the score the last time we played they had us by 30.  We were only able to score in the 30s,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “I mean they have they can bring length at you.  I mean they're tall across the board.  It’s tough to get shots off against them.  They can challenge you at the rim.  On the flip side of it when we're a little shorter at the guard position you know 5’10” and you're closing out on a 6’4” shooter I mean you can get a hand up and it still doesn't make that much of a difference.”

          Columbian won the first game (66-35) on January 5.

          Fretz hopes they can offer more on a challenge this time.  “I mean we've got our work cut out for us on Friday going into their place on senior night.  The last time we gave Logan Beaston his career high and he knocked down a bunch of trees.  I mean they'll be a tough nut to crack, but that's what practice is for.  I think we're a better team heading to Tiffin on Friday.  I know Tiffin's been playing better as well.  I think we'll give them a run for their money and if we bring our “A” game we can we can make it tough for them,” said Fretz.

Published 2/15/23

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Clyde Needs to Continue to Get Better

          Clyde, after getting a much needed win on Saturday afternoon, play at home against Edison in a non-conference game or “SBC” crossover on Tuesday night.

          The Flyers beat Perkins (89-72) in a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game on Saturday.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they shot the ball well as a team for one of the first times this season.  “It was definitely something that we've been waiting for and really working towards.  We were firing on all cylinders for that first half that we played.  I mean it's one of the better first halves of basketball games I've been a part of coaching in my career.  I mean we were knocking down shots, we were playing good defense, we were limiting Perkins to one shot and getting rebounds.  I mean we've got shooters on the team and we haven't had a game yet where all the boys had hit and we just kept telling ourselves as a coaching staff and the players there's going to come a time where we're all knocking them down. Low and behold we were not just knocking them down on the offensive end, we played defense as well and limited to Perkins to one shot,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “Then we might have to take some tough shots they weren't always falling and we were grabbing rebounds.  I mean that's been a big thing of ours here recently is improving our defense, especially going into February and tournament time.  So, we were able to build a lead and then hold on as Perkins blitzed us and trapped us and threw everything at us in the second half.  I mean we were able to finish it out and come away with a pretty big victory.  Probably the biggest of the year for us this year and I mean the boys were happy, coaches were happy and got to enjoy that that win.”

          Clyde (3-14) is at home for Edison (2-14) on Tuesday night.  The Chargers lost (62-60) to Oberlin Firelands last Saturday.

          Fretz says they are dangerous because they can make three point shots.  “They are similar to us.  They've got three good shooters on their team that are knocking it down from outside you know over 30% and two of them that are over 35%.  If they're all hitting, they're a tough team to play.  They've hung with a lot of teams.  I know they're going to come in here competitive, they're going to come in here hungry and they play from beginning to the end,” he said.

          Fretz says after that first win they must continue to improve.  “We've got to be able to continue to get better.  Yes, we got a win on our end and we can't let that go to our heads.  We have to come in focused.  We talk almost every day and we probably said it five times during the Perkins game, the score is always zero to zero and our record is always 0-0 and our biggest opponent this year has been ourselves.  We play ourselves every day in practice and we play ourselves every day in the game and that's showing a lot of growth for our team.  So, that's what we've been focused on (Monday) at practice and moving forward,” said Fretz.

Published 1/31/23

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Clyde Learning How to Handle Pressure

          Clyde plays a pair of non-conference games this week as they travel to Toledo Bowsher on Tuesday night and host Tiffin Calvert on Thursday night.

          They lost (78-70) to Sandusky in a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game on Saturday night.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they certainly played a better second half in handling the Blue Streaks pressure.  “We're a young team that's still growing up and you know actions speak louder than words.  I've had to say that a couple of times during the first half and at halftime during the Sandusky game.  Our boys, even though they said they weren't scared, we played scared against the Sandusky pressure.  They get a 20 point lead at halftime and then we talked realistically in the locker room at halftime about the difference between saying you're not scared and your actions and playing scared.  The ability to be able to break their pressure.  I mean Sandusky does a great job of bringing pressure and once you do that you look up at the second level and you find number of open guys.  We came out and started on a pretty quick 8-0 run there to start the second half.  I mean we were able to go toe to toe with them, but we spotted them 20 points in the first half.  So, I mean it's really hard to come back from 20 points.  I'm happy with how much we grew in that game,” said Fretz.

          Handling pressure is something that only experience teachers you, according to Fretz.  “I've coached against Sandusky teams for seven years.   I know what to expect.  You know how the games are typically going to go.  I could tell the boys everything in the world of what to do, what's going to work, what's not going to work, but you don't understand their pressure and their style of play until you actually experience it.  I'm just proud of our boys.  They experienced it for a half and made their adjustments and stepped up and I mean competed in the second half against one of the better teams, if not the best team in our in our division,” he said.

          Fretz says dealing with pressure is something that they will see again Tuesday night against Bowsher.  “Same story, they are very, very athletic and very quick.  They have got a big man that can play inside.  They're going to press us the whole game.  They've got the Dante Mays kid that it feels like I've been coaching against for forever.  He's a quick kid that can just light it up from outside.  He's got a drive or pull up.  I mean they pose a little bit of an issue for us on defense with their quickness,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “If we can play like we did in the second half against Sandusky and prove that we've learned something and we've developed that next step in those fundamentals have been able to break the press I like our chances.  I like our ability to shoot from outside, our ability to attack and make reads.  I mean we're looking forward to heading up to Toledo (Tuesday) evening and taking on the Blue Racers of Bowser.  I mean showing pretty much that are rising to the challenge.”

Published 12/20/22

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Clyde Must Play Four Quarters

          Clyde is at home for the first time this year on Thursday night as they host Vermilion in a Lake Division game in the Sandusky Bay Conference.

          Last week, they lost a division game to Norwalk (63-44) on Friday night and a non-conference game to Ashland (71-60) on Saturday night.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they are making progress, but they aren’t quite there yet.  “We took a step in the right direction after getting blasted by Lexington, which is a really great team in our area.  I mean we're beating Norwalk at halftime, but you know you see it when you're going up against teams that have been practicing much longer than then you have.  We're still young and still getting our legs.  I mean our defensive game plan worked against Norwalk for the first half, but once they were able to start pounding it inside and getting the lead we had to come out and guard them and then that that kind of hurt us there.  I mean right now we're still like we can put a half together, but we just can't keep it consistent through the whole game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “We can box out and rebound for a half, but then can't do it in the second half and that's how Ashland got us.  They're big man just started rebounding and took over the game and when he starts to rebound and take over the game you have to focus on him and then their thousand points scorer goes off on you for a bunch of free throws.   So, that's what we're working on still building, still growing and I think we're taking it one step at a time and looking to put a full game together against Vermillion on Thursday finally at home.”

          Clyde (0-3,0-1) is at home for Vermilion (2-4,0-1) on Thursday night.  The Sailors got walloped by a very good Sandusky team (90-47) last Friday in a division game.  The lost (66-42) to Lorain Clearview in a non-league game on Tuesday.

          Fretz says they do a lot of good things.  “Well, I mean I watched him play Sandusky the other day and it was a two point game with about 2:00 minutes to go in the second quarter and then all of a sudden Sandusky you know just turned it on and blew it open.  So, I mean Vermilion has got some talent, they're pretty good around the perimeter.  They have got a couple guys that that can shoot the ball from outside.  They have got some guys that can drive.  They can bring pressure at you.  I think we see a couple of different things from them.  It should be a pretty good game.  I know you have got two teams here that are you know hoping to scratch out an SBC Lake win, which is a hard thing to do this year in in the Lake Division.  So, we expect them to come in here ready to play ready to bring it at us,” said Fretz.

          Fretz says they have to play 32 minutes on Thursday night if they are going to win.  “We're down a little bit you know Abe (Morrison) is out with his with his ankle.  We have got pretty much the seven man, seven and half, man rotation that we're that we're working on.  We're still growing and we know you hope that we all show up and we can put a half, not a half, put a full game together against a pretty solid Vermilion team that is also in in the growing stages and still learning about themselves,” he said.

Published 12/14/22

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Clyde Wants to Force Tempo

          Clyde visits Norwalk for its first game in the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division on Friday night.

          They are at Ashland for a non-conference game on Saturday night.

          Last week, in their first game of the season they were dismantled (80-40) by Lexington in non-league play.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they have a number of guys that are trying to figure out what this varsity game is all about.  “We are definitely still in the infancy stage of our season.  For a number of our players that was their first varsity experience.  They are in the infancy stage of their varsity careers at Clyde.  It was definitely a slap upside the face I guess you could say.  We sat down and watched some film and there are some things that we did okay, but there were a number of things that we practiced that we were doing well that just did not translate onto the court against Lexington,” said Fretz.

          Fretz says they are always looking for improvement and the game last week shows them a lot of areas where they need to get better.  “Some of that was our inexperience in the first game, but you have to give hats off to Lexington.  That is a really good team.  They have size across the board.  They took it to us and didn’t let up.  It was a great learning experience for us.  You get back in the film and get back in practice and I think we had a decent week in practice this week preparing for Norwalk,” he said.

          Norwalk (2-1,0-1) hosts the Fliers on Friday night.  The Truckers were edged by Tiffin Columbian (50-49) in a division game last Friday.  They beat LaGrange Keystone (40-39) on Tuesday in a non-league game.

          Fretz says this game is going to be a lot about tempo.  “We are hoping to make it another close game.  We know they are going to try and control tempo and slow it down.  They are a pretty methiodal team.  They love to play the possession game, not have a lot of possessions.  We like to pick up the pace a little bit, especially on the offensive end of the floor.  At the same time, we have no problems just strapping it in and playing defense.  These guys are buying into our defensive philosophy.  One day at a time we are getting better,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday evening, “We are going to have to bring a good defensive game against Norwalk.  They have the (Ben) Rothhaar kid inside that is pretty solid, a pretty good point guard in (Ashton) Coe and then the (Bredyn) Demuth kid has been playing really well for them on the wing.  So, they kind have a great three headed monster headed at us.  Then Mason Gamble, their slasher.  It is tough for all of our young guys to guard.  Just hoping that we can stop them and beat them up the floor and score on them in return.  We have our work cut out for us here.”

Published 12/09/22

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Clyde Faces Big and Talented Lexington

          Clyde tips off the boys’ basketball season on the road at Lexington in a non-conference game on Saturday night.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they are looking forward to playing someone in a different colored jersey.  “They are ready to go.  We are putting some more things in this week.  The boys are focused.  You can just tell that they itching to put the game jerseys on and get out there on the floor.  It doesn’t really matter who it is against.  We are ready to reap some of the benefits of the hard work that we have put in since we have gotten the boys back from the football season,” he said.

          There are a lot of question marks with this team, according to Fretz, he says they have a lot of kids that just haven’t played much varsity basketball.  “That is more so with this group with Clyde this year then we have had in a while.  We graduated nine seniors last year.  We have a handful of new guys that we are reloading with.  We have seen what we can do in scrimmages.  We have seen our growth.  We have gotten used to the speed of a varsity basketball game, but at the same time we are not getting reps.  So, there are a lot of these boys on the team that haven’t seen a lot of action on the varsity level.  So, there are a lot of what ifs for us when we go out there and against a very tough Lexington team on Saturday,” said Fretz.

          Lexington has also not played a game as of yet.  They open the season on Friday night at West Holmes in “OCC” play.

          However, Fretz says he knows they are loaded.  “They are going to be pretty big.  More than likely the biggest team that we see all year.  They have 6’4”, 6’6”, 6’7”, 6’8” in their lineup.  They have a handful of guys returning from last year’s district final team, they ended up losing to Huron.  They are well coached.  Coach (Scott) Hamilton does a great job with the boys.  They are fundamental.  They play fundamental defense.  They set great screens on the offensive end.  They run their offense methodically and they do it exceptionally well.  Then when you add the size that they have.  They are not just a good team in the area, but I think they can be pretty good and can make a deep run in the tournament,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “We are going to be outsized at pretty much every position, but that doesn’t stop us from game planning to use our strength to try and attack some of the areas that they might not be as seasoned and try and create some mismatches at times.”

Published 12/01/22

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Clyde Has the Pieces

          Clyde was a team that relied on a lot of seniors last year so in turn will have a lot of new faces this season.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says these are kids that have been looking forward to getting on the floor in varsity action.  “We gave them some time off after football and we have now had our guys for four days. We have done a couple of morning practices as well.  I like the grit that they have.  They are showing up and working hard.  We have guys on our team that have been waiting for this opportunity because we had nine seniors last year that graduated.  They have been waiting for this opportunity and now the ball is getting dropped in their hands.  I am loving the energy I am seeing out of our seniors,” he said.

          Fretz says they have got the players to plug into positions that he thinks can do what is ask of them.  “We have one lone junior and then our sophomores.  Our junior in Ben Wott and then our sophomores that are playing with us coming from our JV team are giving us good times.  They are our ballhandlers and our shooters and they are our basketball players.  They love playing basketball.  Couple that with our seniors,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “Abe Morrison, he is a bigger guy for us, rebounding guy.  The Adam Kauble, who is a post player for us and Cole Schwochow, who is our garbage man for us, gets on the floor, takes charges and gets rebounds for us.  We have a lot of pieces to the puzzle and we are just trying to put the pieces together in practice and not a lot of time to do it.  We are going to make it work as well as we can.”

          Clyde is slated to open the season on December 3 at Lexington in a non-conference game.  Their first contest in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference is December 9 versus Norwalk.

          Fretz says understanding roles is important to all teams, including the Fliers.  “The quicker that we can learn our roles, define our roles and then fill our roles and it is important that we accept our role, sometimes that can be half of the battle too.  What I like about this group is they know their role already.  They know what they are going to be asked to do and what they are going to be expected to do.  So, we are just getting the reps.  That is what preseason is about getting those reps in.  Whether it is a drill in practice or the scrimmages we have this weekend and next week.  Those opportunities are huge for this group here that hasn’t got to do a lot of that with each other.  We are looking forward to what these guys can do together,” said Fretz.

Published 11/16/22

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Clyde Plays Confident Norton

          Clyde hosts Norton in a regional quarterfinal in division III on Friday night.

          In their playoff opener last week, Clyde (8-3) outscored Oberlin Firelands (63-35) to advance in the tournament.

          Coach Ryan Carter says the two turnovers they forced in the game were a big factor in its outcome.  “I was happy with our kids.  I’ll tell you what that Firelands team came out and they ran their stuff and they put up some points.  It was back and forth their first a while with a lot of points scored.  It was fun for the fans to watch.  I don’t know how fun it was for me to coach it.  Really the difference in the game was we got a couple of turnovers.  They turned the ball over a couple of times and we didn’t and that was really the difference in the game,” said Carter.

          Abram Morrison threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns against Firelands.

          Norton (9-2) belted Bay Village Bay (35-2) in their playoff opener last week.

          Carter says this is a team that believes it is going to win every time they hit the field.  “I’ll tell you what, they didn’t lose many games last year and they haven’t lost very may this year.  They have kind of got that tradition of winning right now.  They have a couple of classes coming through that are used to winning.  I think that is the feeling you get when you turn on the tape with them,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “They expect to win, they play with a chip, they play with an edge.  They play hard and they do things very well.  Their kids are fast.  They have some long, athletic kids on the perimeter that scare you, so we have our work cut out for us.”

          Norton has not allowed more than two scores in any game over their last six contests.

          Carter says they have a lot of two way players that are very good on both sides of the of the ball.  “They are pretty good on both sides of the ball to be honest.  They do things hard.  They have some kids that are very, very athletic.  They play a lot of two way players.  They have a lot of the kids on the offensive side that are doing a lot of the work on the defensive side as well.  It is definitely going to be a challenge for us, but we are happy to still be playing, especially at home,” he said.

Published 11/03/22

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Clyde Must Defend Wing-T

          Clyde will be at home Friday for a first round playoff game in division III as they host Oberlin Firelands.

          They secured a home game this week and perhaps one next week with a (13-12) win over Bellevue in a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game last Friday.

          Coach Ryan Carter calls it a great win for them.  “I feel like we are playing better each week, but you never know when the playoffs roll around.  You have kind of an unfamiliar opponent.  We were very, very pleased to go on the road, beat our rival in a very close, tight football game.  That was great for our kids and great for our program.  It really boosted us computer point wise and jumped us all of the way where we have a home game,” he said.

          Clyde (7-3) entertains Oberlin Firelands (7-3) on Friday night.  The Falcons has lost their last two, (42-28) to Black River and last week (29-28) in double overtime to unbeaten Columbia.

          Carter says they are a wing-T team that is going to try and keep the ball away from them.  “Watching both of those games they didn’t play particularly bad.  They lost a double overtime game and a game to Black River, who played really well that night.  We have our work cut for us,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “When you play a wing-T team in the playoffs it always scares you in fact of how many possessions are you going to get.  You don’t want to turn the ball over and give them a longer time with ball.  So, we have our work cut out for us, we know that.  We are extremely happy to be in the playoffs and with an opportunity to host a home playoff game.”

          Carter says they have not seen a lot of wing-T this year, so they are going to need to prepare hard for a team that has five times scored more than 38 points in game this season.  “They have a very good running back, a good jet kid, and they do a good job running their stuff.  They have scored a ton of points.  It is a different animal for us.  We don’t see too many wing-T teams throughout the year, probably back to the Eastwood scrimmage for us to see a wing-T team.  Norwalk ran a little bit at us on week nine, but not a true wing-T like we are going to see this week.  It’s a different animal, but our kids are excited to be playing at home and still playing week 11,” said Carter.

Published 10/26/22

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Clyde Plays Disciplined Bellevue

          Clyde completes the regular season by making the short trip to Bellevue to tangle with the Redmen in the “Route 20 Rivalry” on Friday night in play in the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division.

          Last week, Clyde rallied to beat Norwalk (35-28) in a division game.

          Coach Ryan Carter is impressed with how the winless Truckers continue to play hard.  “I was very impressed with how their kids kept playing.  They have some skilled kids.  Their running back really did a number on us.  You can tell their kids are just playing hard and doing things like a team trying to win.  It was something we knew going in, but we were fortunate to get out of there with a win.  I was happy with our kid’s execution.  It is like that in our league and Norwalk is no different,” he said.

          Clark Norman had four short TD runs for the Fliers.

          Clyde (6-3,2-2) plays at Bellevue (6-3,2-2) on Friday night.  The Redmen beat Sandusky (34-14) on Friday night.

          Carter says this is a typical Redmen team, one that plays hard and is disciplined.  “You see a very, very typical Bellevue team.  They are hardnosed, very well coached football team.  Their kids play football the right way.  They do things very hard.  They typically run the football a lot and they are doing that again this year.  They do things that good football teams do,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “They don’t turn the football over.  They play sound defense, they stop the run.  Like I said, their kids play hard.  If you do that nine chances out of 10 you are going to give yourself a chance.  You see a very disciplined football team that is well coached.”

          With this being the last game of the regular season, Carter says it’s a good way to prepare for the playoffs.  “It is basically playoff mode for us and it the same for them.  They playoffs start a week early for us.  We are going to play a quality football team and like I said, does things the right way.  You don’t have to worry about any non-sense.  It is a good, clean rivalry.  Our kids want to win in the worst way and so do theirs, but they are doing it the right way and playing football hard and trying to do it on the field and not worrying about all of the other stuff.  It is a great way to end the season.  We have a ton of respect for their program and what they do over there,” said Carter.

Published 10/19/22

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Clyde Preparing For Dangerous Norwalk

          Clyde travels down the road to Norwalk to face the Truckers in a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game on Friday night.

          They broke a two game losing streak in the ultra tough Lake Division with a (34-7) win at home against Sandusky last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they needed that win after two tough losses to the division co-leaders.  “I was pleased with us coming back.  We had two weeks in a row where we played Perkins and Tiffin, two very good teams and I didn’t think we played poorly, we just didn’t play well enough to win.  We needed to get back in the win column to make ourselves feel good again.  We were able to bounce back and get that against Sandusky.  Now, we have a new challenge this week in Norwalk, who played Perkins really well last week.  You can tell their kids haven’t quit and coach (Jason) Ziegler is doing a nice job,” he said.

          Ziegler, the former head coach at Perkins, replaced Todd Fox, who was placed on paid administrative leave due to some discipline issues.

          Carter says it was a boost in confidence to the team.  “I thought we didn’t play too bad against Tiffin and Perkins, even though the score didn’t dictate that, but the kids don’t see that.  There is no such thing as a moral victory, especially with a kid.  So, we needed to bounce back.  We played well against Sandusky.  We still have some areas to clean up.  We have to get better in some areas.  We are still turning the ball over too much for my liking.  We were able to get a win on our homecoming day here at Clyde.  Now, we are onto week nine already and Norwalk this week,” said Carter.

          Clyde (5-3,1-2) plays at Norwalk (0-8,0-3) on Friday night.  The Flyers came within a whisker upsetting Perkins last week, losing (21-19), missing on a two-point conversion in the final minutes of the game.

          They are not to be taken lightly, according to Carter.  “It was a very good effort by them.  You can tell that their kids are still playing very hard.  They play very inspired.  Coach Ziegler has changed some things around.  You can tell their kids are still playing to win football games.  They have some talented football players.  Their running back jumps out at you.  He runs the ball extremely hard.  They have some kids that can take the top off.  They play really hard defensively,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “I have watched a lot of film on them.  We have watched a bunch of their early games and they weren’t playing too bad, they were just playing a very tough schedule.  We know we have our work cut out for us going on the road the last two weeks of the year with them and finishing up with Bellevue.”

Published 10/12/22

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Clyde Has to Make More Plays

          Clyde is home Friday night for the Sandusky Blue Streaks in a game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference.

          They are looking for the first win in the division after losses to Perkins and Columbian, the co-leaders in the division.

They lost (35-7) to Tiffin last week, but coach Ryan Carter says they were in the game into the final minutes.  “It was 7-6 halfway through the third quarter.  They scored to make it 14-7 and we still had opportunities.  We missed a couple of plays.  Early on in the fourth quarter we were reaching for the pylon to score a touchdown and fumbled the ball through the end zone.  That would have made it a one score game with about six minutes to play in the fourth.  Yes, the final score was 35-7, but we had opportunities,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “They are a good football team, they played very well, but I was not disappointed in our kids effort, we just have to execute a little bit better.  It came down to a handful of plays where you have to give them credit, they made plays, we didn’t make plays and we didn’t get the ball to bounce our way.  You can’t do that against good football teams and expect to win.”

          The Lake Division is the best big school football conference that we cover and Carter says if you don’t play clean football it is difficult to win.  “That is what we have fallen into the last two weeks is we have played pretty sound football.  We just haven’t made enough plays and the other team has made plays, you have to give them credit.  In the Perkins game and in the Tiffin game, it came down to a handful of plays and we didn’t and that’s the difference in the football game.  We are trying to regroup.  We have a tough Sandusky team coming in this week.  It’s homecoming and we have to try and put a good week of work in.  Sandusky is doing things really, really well.  Their new coach, you can tell the kids are bought in.  They are playing hard, they are doing things the right way.  I have been very impressed this week watching them on film,” said Carter.

          Clyde (4-3,0-2) hosts Sandusky (3-4,1-1) in a Lake Division game on Friday night.  The Blue Streaks blew out Norwalk (45-7) last week.

          Carter says the Streaks are athletic and they run the ball very well.  “We’ll see some spread, but they will bring a tight wing in, they will bring two backs in.  They probably have one of the most dynamic rushers in the league in the Armstrong kid.  If he has a crack or seam if he has room to run at all, he is very fast, elusive and tough to bring down.  Their quarterback is doing a nice job of running the ball.  They have receivers on the outside.  They are putting a lot of pressure on you defensively.  So, we have our work cut out for us, we know that.  We are focused on trying to get a win after these last two losses and finish out these last three games of the season on a high note,” he said.

Published 10/04/22

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Clyde Faces Balanced Columbian

          Clyde hosts Tiffin Columbian in another big one in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          Last week, in their division opener they lost (24-13) to Sandusky Perkins.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they had their chances to win, but they didn’t take advantage.  “We just didn’t make enough good quality football players to give ourselves a chance to win that game.  We played decent, but we had some opportunities that we let get away from us.  You can’t do that against good football teams and Perkins is good.  We let opportunities get away from us late in the third that would have potentially tied the football game and Perkins took care of business from there on out.  I wasn’t disappointed in our kids effort, we just need to execute a little bit better,” said Carter.

          Clyde (4-2,0-1) is at home for Columbian (5-1,1-0), #2 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, on Friday.  The Tornadoes smoked Sandusky (41-6) last week.

          Carter says they are just very good all over the place.  “They are a very good football program and they do things very well on both sides of the ball.  It starts offensively with them.  They stretch you thin in a lot of areas.  They have ran the ball very well this year along with being a very good throwing team.  They put a lot of pressure on you defensively,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “They are just a good overall football team and we have our work cut out for us.  It is one of those weeks where we have to play sound just to give ourselves a chance.  We are going to have to shore some things up this week and get ready to go.”

          Tiffin leads the Lake Division in rushing yards this year (1,480) and that has been a difference for them this fall, according to Carter.  “It is something they have committed to and they are doing a much better job running the ball than they have in the past.  So, that balance really becomes hard to defend.  So, we have our work cut out for us, but our kids are going to come back and try and bounce back from last week and get ourselves ready to go this week,” he said.

          Columbian is a team that likes to blitz and bring a lot of pressure and Carter says they have to handle that.  “It is very traditional for them defensively.  They bring a lot of guys to the line of scrimmage to try and confuse you and do a lot of different things up front with their athletes.  They are very good at it.  They do a good job of bringing people and putting pressure on you and make you make bad decisions.  If you are able to handle that you can have some success, but if not it can cause you to have some very negative plays,” said Carter.

Published 9/27/22

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Clyde Must Contain Perkins Speed

          Clyde pays a visit to Sandusky Perkins for a big game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          Both teams would be considered competitors for the division title.

          The Fliers (4-1) beat Toledo Scott (34-16) despite six turnovers.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they made mistakes, but they recovered pretty well last week.  “We didn’t play our cleanest game obviously, we turned it over a bunch, and put our defense in a bad spot a number of different times and I thought we really responded well.  We are not going to be able to turn the ball over like that in any of our five remaining games and give ourselves a chance.  We have five good opponents starting this week on the road against a very explosive Perkins team,” said Carter.

          Perkins (4-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, rallied in the final minutes to knock off Huron (29-28) in a crossover game in the “SBC” last week.

          Carter says the Pirates are loaded with speed.  “Their speed and athleticism is the first thing you look at when you watch them.  They have multiple athletes at each level offensively and defensively.  They put so much pressure on you with their speed.  So, I think that is one of the bigger things you have to counter act,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “You have to hang onto the football.  You can’t turn it over because they are going to score their points without you giving it to them in good spots.  So, we have to play a much cleaner game and we are working on that this week and try and get ourselves ready for Friday night.”

          Perkins also beat Elyria Catholic (42-41) in overtime in week two.  They have made a lot of big plays on both sides of the ball.

          Carter calls them aggressive. “I think they are one of those teams that really rely on explosive plays on both sides of the ball.  They try and put some pressure on you on both sides and then they take their shots offensively.  So, you have to try and limit those big plays and make them drive the field.  It does open up some opportunities for some big plays for yourself both offensively and defensively,” he said.

Published 9/21/22

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Clyde Has to Stop Big Play

          Clyde wraps up the non-conference portion of its schedule at home Friday against the Toledo Scott Bulldogs of the Toledo City League.

          The Fliers (3-1) crushed Toledo Start (44-0) last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they got back to playing well after a (23-13) loss to Norwayne on week three.  “We were really looking at that one as a bounce back week.  It was our first game on the road of the season.  So, we had some things we were looking at with a young team and trying to bounce back and also going on the road.  So, I was pleased with the way we have played.  We have some room for growth.  I was pleased with our bounce back after the Norwayne game,” he said.

          At the beginning of the season, Clyde had a lot of first time starters, but Carter says those kids are no longer inexperienced.  “It’s week five, so honestly those young guys aren’t young anymore.  I told them the other day in practice, you are not young and inexperienced anymore.  We have five games under our belt, we have played on Friday nights, we have had close games and then we had a blowout.  So, they have been through both sides of it, so the excuse of being young is no longer.  Moving forward we have to continue to grow.  We have to continue to get better and we are trying to do that each day in practice,” said Carter.

          Toledo Scott (3-1) beat Vermilion, of the “SBC” Bay, (18-7) last week.  Clyde beat the Bulldogs (48-6) last season.

          Carter says they need to contain Scott’s big play ability.  “We played them last year and they had a good record going in as well.  We understand that they have a tremendous amount of athleticism.  They have some playmakers.  So, we really have to focus on them driving the length of the field and put long drives together because we feel like if we can do that, we like our chances.  We can’t give big plays, we can’t give one play touchdowns or turn the football over a bunch.  It is a different type of challenge for us,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “We are back at home, back in our comfort level and we will see where we at (Friday) night.  It caps off our five game non-conference schedule and we know we have a grinder ahead with the five conference games.  We are looking to end this first part of our season on a positive note and then get ourselves ready for league play.”

Published 9/16/22

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Clyde Has to Get Back on Track

          Clyde has been home for the first three weeks of the season and their first road trip is Friday night when they go to Toledo to face the Start Spartans.

          After winning their first two, they lost last week (23-13) to Norwayne, out of the Wayne County Athletic League.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they didn’t play the kind of football they need to play in terms of the energy they were playing with on each down.  “We played what I thought was a very good team in Norwayne, but it was one of those games where we just didn’t play with a whole lot of energy from the beginning.  They played very well, executed very well.  We gave ourselves a chance late in the game.  We got it to a one score game with about five minutes to go and couldn’t get a stop.  They kicked a field goal and made it 23-13 and that’s how it ended.  So, proud of our kids for continuing to battle.  We just need to play with a little sense of urgency than we have had last week,” said Carter.

          Carter says this year’s team is not as explosive as some he has had and they need to play with enthusiasm on every play to be successful.  “We have talked about this with our kids.  You have to play with an edge.  With the amount of skilled kids that we graduated, we are going to have a hard time generating points from time to time.  So, if you don’t play every single possession and every snap with a sense of urgency you are going to dig yourself a hole and it’s not going to be easy for us to dig out of holes,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “We have our work cut out for us.  We are going to put some work in this week.  We play a very athletic Toledo Start team.  They have not played really well record wise or score wise yet, but athletic and dangerous and it our first road trip with a young group.”

          Start (0-3) were beaten by a combined 161-6 by three pretty good teams in Toledo Whitmer, Fremont Ross and Toledo St. Francis.

          Carter says they are athletic and capable of the big play.  “They have athleticism.  Toledo Start always plays a very tough non-conference schedule and they get in the Toledo City League and win four our five games.  They have the capability, they just have had trouble putting it together.  They have had some injuries to some key guys early on.  We have to go there and get back on track from last week and try and play a little better football,” he said.

Published 9/06/22

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Clyde Prepares for Explosive Norwayne

          Clyde is at home for the third straight week as they entertain the Norwayne Bobcats out of the Wayne County Athletic League in non-conference play.

          The Fliers (2-0) got past Holy Name (22-18) last week in a non-league game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says their execution could have been better, but their effort was tremendous and that was the difference.  “After going back and watching it a couple of times and evaluating it we didn’t play a tremendously clean game.  We cut down our turnovers form week one, which I was very happy with the improvement with that, but we still made a ton of mistakes,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “We still have a ton of areas to grow in, but our kids just played hard and gave us a ton of effort.  We were able to make enough plays and hold them out there at the end to get a win against what I feel is pretty good Holy Name team.”

          Norwayne (1-1) was edged in the end last week by (36-35) by Canton Central Catholic.

          Carter says make no mistake about it, this is very good football team.  “They are very good.  I told our kids this week that this will be the best team we have played so far.  They are solid in every facet of the game.  They do things the right way.  You can tell they are very well coached.  They put a lot of pressure on you in all three areas of the game with their kicking game and then offensively and defensively and they have some very, very good athletes.  So, we have our work cuts out for us, we know that.  We are trying to put in a good week of work and get ourselves ready,” said Carter.

          Over the last several years Norwayne has been involved in a lot of what could be described as shootouts.  Carter says they Bobcats are never out of a game.  “They are very explosive offensively with their running back and their quarterback and a couple of the weapons they have outside they can score at any point and time.  They just run their stuff so well.  Offensively, they just read everything and try to put their kids in the best spot every single play.  We are trying to prep for that and trying to get our kids ready to go.  We will see where we are at come (Friday) night,” he said.

Published 9/02/22

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Clyde Plays a Very Good Holy Name

          Clyde welcomes Parma Heights Holy Name to their place for a non-conference game on Friday night.

          They needed some big plays in the fourth quarter to rally past Toledo St. Francis (22-18) last week.  Quarterback Abram Morrison scored with 3:38 to play to give the Fliers to final advantage.

          Coach Ryan Carter says some young kids played with a lot of heart.  “We were extremely pleased getting out there with a win.  You turn the ball over five times, you don’t expect to the football game, but our kids got really tough and really gritty in the second half.  We were able to put a drive together late and get a stop late.  It was against a team that honestly we haven’t been able to close on.  We played St. Francis the last couple of years and they nipped us in the fourth quarter because we haven’t been able to close out games.  This year’s team really showed some heart and some toughness in the fourth quarter.  We got a couple of plays by some young pups and I was extremely proud of them,” said Carter.

          Holy Name (1-0) trimmed Parma Padua (21-16) last Friday to open the season.

          Carter says they have some home run hitters.  “They are an unfamiliar opponent for us with it being the first time we have played them.  Watching them on film they are very dynamic.  They have a running quarterback that is getting some “D-one” looks.  They have a 240 pound tailback standing next to him that can really plug it up in there and is a very shifty kid for home big he is.  They play the game very hard.  You can tell they are well coached,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “They have been in the regional finals the last couple of years in division III.  We have our work cut out for us, we know that.  We are trying to prep ourselves the best we can and fix some of our issues from week one.  You can’t turn the ball over against these guys and their quick strike offense.  You have to hang onto to it and play great special teams and hope you can limit some their looks because they are very dynamic on offense.”

          Carter says with a lot of young players this is going to be a challenge, but they are looking forward to it.  “We play a very tough non conference schedule.  Our first three games with St. Francis, Holy Name and then Norwayne, we knew we were going to have our work cut out for us, especially playing four or five sophomores on both sides of the ball.  We have some areas we need to get better in.  I say every year that you make your most progress from scrimmage one to scrimmage two and the game one and two.  We need to grow this week and get better and if we do that hopefully we can put ourselves in a position where we have a chance in the fourth quarter,” he said.

Published 8/25/22

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Clyde Concerned With Fatigue

          Clyde kicks off the high school football season on Friday night by hosting Toledo St. Francis in a non-conference game at Robert Bishop Stadium.

          As he has been saying this season, coach Ryan Carter says they are inexperienced in many areas, but he believes they are getting better each day.  “We are progressing as I said last week.  It is going to be a work in progress for us and our schedule doesn’t do us any favors to try and get our feet wet.  We have our work cut out for us, we know that.  I felt like we improved from our Eastwood scrimmage to our Huron scrimmage.  I felt like we did some things well, but definitely still have some areas that we still need to sure up and get ourselves ready for Friday night,” he said.

          The first game of the season always seems to have a different energy associated with it and Carter says that is really the case when you have a lot of first time varsity players.  “Especially when you have a lot of kids that haven’t played a whole lot on Friday night.  You can scrimmage all you want.  We turned the lights on last week on a Friday night and at like a scrimmage is the real thing, but it is different when you are playing for real and they are keeping track, so I know we are going to have some young kids out there that are going to be getting some first game experience.  So, it will be good for them, but you expect some jitters and you expect some errors, but hopefully it doesn’t cost us too much,” said Carter.

          Toledo St. Francis beat Clyde (21-14) in 2021, one of only two regular season losses for the Fliers a year ago.

          Carter says he is concerned about the advantage in depth that St. Francis possesses.  “They are a big, strong physical team.  They had our number the last couple of years, the last couple of times we have played them.  The biggest thing we need to guard against that has hurt us against them in the past is their depth.  They basically have an offense and a defense and we are running some of the same kids our there on both sides of the ball.  We are trying to limit our guys playing both ways and it’s difficult and try and get those guys breaks so we are not running out of steam in the fourth quarter is hard,” he told Swankonsports.com on Sunday night, “So, that is one of the biggest things we are going to have to guard against this week.  We have to go out and battle.  It’s at home and it will be a week one exciting game.  We are going to give it everything we have got.”

Published 8/15/22

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Clyde Young But Improving

          Clyde has built a tremendous football tradition and this year they are working with a number of inexperienced kids after a very good senior class graduated.

          They open the season at home against Toledo St. Francis next Friday.  That is followed by home games with Parma Heights Holy Name and Norwayne.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they have been working on a lot of fundamental things in preseason camp.  “We are in the process of getting ourselves ready.  It has been a good two a days for us, but we just had so many young kids that we really have just been putting in the time and effort just getting our kids to be a little more comfortable at playing offense and defense.  We don’t have a whole lot of returning experience, so we spent a lot of time with our kids over the last couple of weeks just trying to get them as comfortable as possible,” said Carter.

          Carter says they have talent they just have to put their players in situations they will face during the season.  “I think all of my groups freshmen on up are very talented groups, but we have to get them out there on a Friday night and see how they are going to react.  Talent is one thing, but having kids and seeing how they react to adverse situations always determines the player in my opinion.  So, we have to get out there and see how they react and see how they respond,” he said.

          Clyde scrimmages Huron on Friday night and Carter says getting used to playing against guys in other uniforms is important to this year’s group.  “Our scrimmages are huge.  We had Eastwood last week and that was a very good gauge for us because that is a very solid program and they do a great job over there.  Our kids got to see that game speed with somebody else as opposed to our own guys in practice,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “Then we have a very good Huron team (Friday) that will be a different type of test than the Eastwood offense defending the spread rather than the wing-T.  We have our work cut out for us because they have the Hohler kid and some other great athletes.  It’s a great gauge of where you are at and you learn from the film.  You try and learn from each day in practice.  That is really our motto this year.  We are trying to go day by day and get a little bit better each day.  Hopefully we will be ready to go next week.”

Published 8/12/22

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Clyde Plays Familiar Foe in Port Clinton

          Clyde plays Port Clinton, a team they played two weeks ago, at Toledo Bowsher Friday night in a sectional final in division II.

          Clyde (12-10) beat the Redskins (69-49) on February 12 in a crossover game in the Sandusky Bay conference.

          Two years ago, Port Clinton upset Clyde in a sectional game and coach Ryan Fretz says they remember that well.  “I think both us and Port Clinton have a handful of wins under their belt.  It is two teams that have grown.  We have both lost a handful of games.  It should be a good “SBC” duke it out kind of battle.  I really like our experience on our team.  A lot of those guys have playoff games under their belts and they have lost that game.  We played Port Clinton two years ago at Bowsher on this same court and they upset us.  There are still a lot of guys that have that taste in their mouths that were on that team when they were sophomores,” said Fretz.

          Fretz says they have to take advantage of the opportunity given to them on Friday night.  “Last year, it was a loss to Tiffin Columbian and all these guys were on that team losing in a sectional final.  Here we get a chance in another sectional final against the team that upset us two years ago.  Granted we are two different teams now, but I like our chances with our experience and guys that know how to play with more of an even keel two years later with experience under their belt,” he said.

          Port Clinton (14-9) beat Maumee (39-37) in a semifinal this week to advance.

          Fretz says they have the kind of players that can stretch your defense and be tough to guard.  “They have a number of pieces to really make you guard them in all aspects of the game.  They have a ballhandler in Tyler Webb that can handle the ball.  He can attack and he can also knock it down from three and pretty deep as well.  They have another player in Adam Thorbahn that can score from anywhere on the court.  He can knock it down from outside, he can hit a pullup jumper, he can post up with his back to the basket.  Then they have the (Brayden) Spencer kid that can shoot from the outside,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “So, if you help on him too much in the post they are going to hit Spencer on the back side.  Their role players do an excellent job of setting screens and bringing the ball up the floor, handling the ball, and making good passes to their scorers so they can put it in the hoop.  Both Ween and Thorbahn average 15 a game.  So, they are a team well coached.  They do what they do well, which is play a half court game and that is what we expect them to do.”

Published 2/25/22

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Clyde Has Tough Defensive Assignment in Tiffin

          Clyde squares off with Tiffin Columbian in a game that will determine who finishes in second place in the Lake Division of the Sandusky on Friday night in Clyde.

          After a (66-49) loss to Bellevue in a division game last Friday, the Fliers rallied to stomp on Port Clinton (69-49) in a crossover game on Saturday night.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they shot better and it was a good bounce back win for them.  “Our boys they were focused and the coaching staff was focused.  It was good that we got into a game right away and got to kind of forget about it.  We talked a little bit Saturday morning at our shoot around.  We focused and came out and let it fly and shot the ball.  We hit from the outside and the defense was good enough to contain the (Adam) Thorbahn kid from Port Clinton and also keep their guard Tyler Webb to his average.  They are a good team.  Port Clinton is well coached and they execute extremely well,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “I am happy with the way the boys responded.  We could have gone one of two ways, but our seniors stepped up and said that one is over with with Bellevue and let’s get this one.  We came out and put four guys in double figures and got the job done.”

          Clyde (12-9,8-3) hosts Columbian (16-5,8-3) on Thursday night.  The Tornadoes beat Bellevue (46-38) on Tuesday night in a division game.

          Fretz says Tiffin is athletic and when they make outside shots, they are really tough.  “It’s a great game to play right before we enter the tournament.  It’s two of the higher seeded teams, the three and the five in our district.  I don’t know if there is anything we don’t know about each other being so close and so familiar with each other.  It’s kind of two different teams though.  They like to spread the floor our, they like to trap, they have length, everybody they can put on the floor and can shoot from the outside, so it posses a matchup problem for us,” he said.

          Columbian won the first matchup (82-68) on January 6.

          Fretz says they have to react well to the Tornados changing defenses.  “We are going to have to execute on both ends of the floor defensively we are going to have to make sure we stick to our assignment.  On the offensive end of the floor, I mean their defensive pressure and the way they can change defenses.  We have to be on point and that is what our focus has been this week.  It is no easy task trying to prepare for a team that is this athletic and can put points on the board.  They are really scarry when they start knocking down shots from the outside,” said Fretz.

Published 2/16/22

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Clyde Faces Rival Bellevue

          Clyde plays at home against Bellevue is a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game on Friday night in a battle between longtime rivals.

          The Fliers (11-8,8-2) continue to trail Sandusky by a game in the division standings and will need Norwalk to beat the Blue Streaks on Friday in order to have a chance at winning a piece of the division title.

          The had a seven game win streak snapped by Huron as the Tigers hammered them (60-37) in a crossover game on Saturday night.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says hey just didn’t play up to their recent standards.  “We didn’t play well and a lot of that is a credit to Huron.  I mean they came into our place and took it to us.  We gave them a run in the first quarter and they ran away with it after that.  They are a well oiled machine.  They are well coached and well balanced.  If you focus on one kid somebody else can over for them.  We didn’t play our best or shoot our best.  For us to even be in that game or have a chance we were going to have to play well and we didn’t do that,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday evening, “Huron walked out of there prepped and ready for the tournament and we walked out of there with out tail between our legs and having more work to do and another mountain to climb.  We got back at it in practice (Monday).  One step at a time and we will keep getting better.”

          Clyde beat Bellevue (60-48) on January 22 and the Redmen (10-8,4-5) have not loss since, including a (50-39) win over Oak Harbor in their crossover last Saturday.

          Fretz says both teams will come out doing everything to win.  “Neither team has lost much since the last time we played.  They are going to coming prepared an ready to go.  We probably had the most focused practice we have had all year (Monday).  Our boys really responded to coming back and getting it.  We got after it pretty good and plan on doing the same thing (Tuesday).  It ain’t going to be an easy game on Friday against a rival.  They are going to throw everything at us and we are going to throw everything at them.  I expect a dogfight, I expect a battle,” said Fretz.

          Fretz says Bellevue has some guys that can make plays and score the ball.  “Tyler Ray torched us for 28 last time.  The two Martin boys are well rounded basketball players that are continually growing fundamentally throughout the season.  They are the senior leadership of Deegan Horn.  They are a tough game.  We were able to play well against them at their place.  We just have to replicate that or a step better really,” he said.

Published 2/08/22

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Clyde With Big Win; Looking Forward

          Clyde has given itself a chance to get a piece of the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division title after a big win over Sandusky.  They play Perkins on Tuesday night.

          They trial Sandusky by one in the conference standings.

          The Fliers beat Sandusky (69-64) on Saturday night.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says it was a great overall effort.  “I was extremely pleased with the way our boys played.  They bought into the game plan.  You can try and emulate Sandusky’s pressure in practice and we had our JV’s doubling us all week and putting the pressure on us.  It still hits you like a ton of brinks when they bring their defensive pressure to you.  We knew going into there that we were going to fight fire with fire and attack their press and attack their pressure.  We ended up with 48 points in the paint.  We were able to limit their transition and their points off turnovers.  I think our guards Jaden, Kaiden, Andrew, Brady, Kyle, and Griffin took care of the ball extremely well and we were able to battle with all through out.  We had a couple of runs in the third and fourth quarters to put us on top,” said Fretz.

          With the win, Fretz says they need someone else to beat the Blue Streaks.   “It was a great win for us, a great win for the boys.  It was a great atmosphere at “The Hanger” in the student section and it was great to see the place popping again.  I am proud of the way our boys played.  It gives us a hope at a league title, but we still need help moving forward, let’s be honest,” he said.

          Clyde has division games left with Perkins, Bellevue and Tiffin Columbian.  Sandusky has Perkins and Norwalk.

          Clyde (10-7,7-2) plays host to Perkins (4-10,2-7) on Tuesday night.  Perkins has won two of its last three, including (46-44) over Oak Harbor on Saturday in a crossover game.

          Fretz says they must be ready for a Perkins team that is showing a lot of improvement.  “I expect them to keep getting better.  Coach (Scott) McVeigh is notorious for doing that with his Perkins teams.  They always play better as the season goes with their style and the way they play they continue to get better.  They have got some young talent that is getting better.  They have some size inside that can rebound.  You look at them and you watch them on film and you are sure they are not a four win team, but yet you look at their record and it’s 4-10.  That is not even indicative of what kind of team they have,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “They are so much better than what their record shows.  That is the team we expect to see (Tuesday), a hardnosed Perkins team that is going to play tough defense and execute their offense and bring it to us on our home floor.  Our boys are prepared.  We had a good day of practice (Monday), a focused day of practice.  We are ready to take it to the Pirates.”

Published 2/01/22

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Clyde Confident and Focused

          Clyde, the closest challenger to Sandusky in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference, play the Blue Streaks at home on Saturday night.

          They trail by two games.

          A loss would put Sandusky in a position to win the division title pending the result of their Thursday night game with Norwalk.

          However, first the Filers will play at Edison (2-13) in a crossover game on Thursday night.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they can’t sleep on the Chargers.  “We kind of discussed that (Wednesday) in practice and during scouting report.  We have to show up to play.  We have been in this position before.  Two years ago a lot of guys that our on this team went over to Vermilion against a team that was just itching for a win, they were 0-18, and they get us.  So, a lot of our guys still remember that.  That is the beauty of high school sports.  Really your record does not matter.  We are dealing with high school boys here and, yes, you want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but you really never know that is going to happen,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “Again that’s why we play the game.  You look back at Edison’s first half against Huron it was a one-point game.  Edison is primed and they are looking for a win and we expect their best game.  We are focused on going in there and playing our best game as well.”

          Clyde (8-7,6-2) plays at home against Sandusky (13-3,8-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, on Saturday night.  The Blue Streaks beat Tiffin Columbian (82-68) last Friday to solidify their standing.

          Fretz says Sandusky has great depth and athleticism.  “Sandusky is just playing extremely well right now.  Their depth, their athleticism and their defense.  The way they took it to Tiffin last week.  It’s a tough matchup for us.  We know they are going to come and get us in full court.  Every day in practice you prepare for the teams that you are playing that week.  This week it was preparation for Edison and Sandusky,” he said.

          Fretz adds that Sandusky takes advantage of mistakes.  “We are doing things that we need to do to put ourselves in position our home floor Saturday to be competitive.  The boys are focused.  They are really buying in.  We had good wins over Vermilion and Bellevue this past weekend.  I think we are hitting our stride, but again we just talked (Wednesday) that we are not going to get complacent.  We are going to keep building and working on our weaknesses.  Sandusky has done a great job of exploiting weaknesses of other teams and the exploited us the first time we played them.  We will be ready for them, but it won’t be an easy task,” said Fretz.

Published 1/27/22

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Clyde Faces Double Weekend in the Lake Division

          Clyde, two games back in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference, plays at home against Vermilion on Friday and at Bellevue on Saturday in division games this week.

          They stayed in the division race with a big (53-50) win over Norwalk last Friday.  They trail Sandusky by two.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they are coming together and getting some good contributions from their bench.  “We had a good week last week with wins over Perkins and Norwalk.  The guys are really buying into to what we are coaching and our game and to our defensive schemes and concepts.  It is leading to points on the other end of the floor.  I am not going to lie we are having big guys step up.  Guys coming off the bench that are stepping up and getting things done for us.  Griffin Noftz and Andrew Kauble and Jarrin Bulger will come off the bench for us and brings us just as much defensive and offensive prowess as our starters do.  It makes us eight deep and it allows us to rest guys throughout the game.  We are starting to kind of catch our flow here and come into things.  We are looking forward to the double weekend with league games this weekend and hopefully we can use that depth to help us out,” said Fretz.

          Clyde (6-7,4-2) plays Vermilion (2-11,0-7) on Friday night.  The Sailors have won two of their last three, including a (63-52) win over Lorain Clearview in a non-conference game on Tuesday.

          The Fliers beat them (74-44) on December 16, but Fretz says they are clearly better.  “They handled Clearview extremely well (Tuesday) night.  I just got done watching that game.  They put a pretty big whipping on them.  Donnie Lewis is playing well for them, Ben Rini plays well for them.  Both of them can play inside and out a little bit.  Their guards are so much improved from what they were at the beginning of the year with their ability to handle pressure.  I know the Wells kid has been playing for them the last couple of games.  They played Perkins pretty tight.  They were pretty close there with Sandusky for a while.  Sandusky had to really turn up the pressure to put Vermilion away at the end of the game,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “Coach (Kurt) Habermehl does a great job with them.  It is definitely not a team you can overlook.  We are just happy to finally play a home game after being of the road for the last month.  It has been 31 days since we played at “The Hanger”, so we are looking forward to hosting Vermilion and our boys are itching to get out there on our home floor.”

          Bellevue (6-7,3-4) plays host to the Fliers on Friday night.  The Redmen picked up a (50-37) win over Perkins on Friday night in division action.  It’s the first meeting between the schools this year.

          Fretz says Bellevue has a good combination of talent.  “Bellevue is not like their teams of the last couple of years.  They are definitely playing well this year.  They are firing on all cylinders.  They have the weapons.  They have a big man inside, they have some length, they have the guards that can handle it.  They will pressure you, they will throw different traps at you, different defenses.  They are just so well organized on offense.  They will be a test for us at their place Saturday night as well.  Our boys usually get up for a Bellevue game, a rivalry game for us,” he said.

Published 1/19/22

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Clyde Must Continue Good Play

          Clyde kept themselves in what is going to be a competitive Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference with a win on Tuesday and they have a tough assignment on Friday as they travel to Norwalk to meet the Truckers.

          Clyde (5-7,3-2) beat Perkins (68-51) on Tuesday night.  They trail the Sandusky Blue Streaks by two games.

          It was a night when they were hitting on all cylinders, according to coach Ryan Fretz.  “We came out really strong and got it done on the defensive end, which we have been preaching on and focusing on a lot here recently.  That led to our offensive attack mode and it led us to some shots from the outside.  When we are hitting them, we are hitting them.  We have been up and down this year so far.  As we continue to play, we have been shooting better throughout the season.  (Tuesday) night we were just clicking on all cylinders and playing really well,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “We got off to a great start and were able to hold on to it throughout the whole game.  Perkins is a tough team.  They are big and I think our boys did a really good job of kind of drawing their bigs out and that let us attack latter on in the second half.  I am proud of our effort and proud of the way we executing our defensive and offensive game plan and I think we have things rolling pretty good right now.”

          With So many teams it seems in the race in the Lake Division, Fretz says it’s going to come down to consistency.  “That is pretty much any high school basketball team they play well and they don’t play well.  You look at Tiffin, they score over 80 points on us and Beaston goes for her career high of 33.  I thought we played a pretty good game and they just played like crazy.  Norwalk one ups that and goes into their place and beats them after losing to Port Clinton not too many nights before.  The high school basketball teams that can string together some consistency here down the stretch will put themselves in good position,” he said.

          Norwalk (7-5,4-2) beat preseason favorite Tiffin Columbian (56-55) in a division game on Tuesday night.  Clyde won the first meeting between the two (42-40) in overtime back on December 10.

          Fretz says when you play Norwalk you know it will be a fundamental test.   “After (Tuesday) night’s game with Perkins, we are like, we played really well tonight and then you start to focus on who you have next and it’s Norwalk.  What did Norwalk do?  They beat Tiffin, ooohhh…. When Norwalk is playing well, they are tough.  It’s not an easy place to play over there.  They definitely have a home court advantage.  They play defense.  They are well coached.  They have some big guys inside, they rebound the basketball, they are fundamental.  So, it’s not an easy task to have to go over there and playing a team that is coming off beating one of the better teams in the league,” he said.

Published 1/13/22

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Clyde Takes on Talented Tiffin

          Clyde plays down the road at Tiffin Columbian in a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game on Thursday night.

          Over the first nine games of the season coach Ryan Fretz says they haven’t always been ready to be at their best.  “When we show up to play, we can be pretty lethal, but that is when we show up to play.  The games that we didn’t show up to play, in the majority of them, we put ourselves in bad positions and weren’t able to come out victorious in the end.  I would like to think when we played Rossford, we showed up to play and we took a really good team down to the wire in a competitive game on their home floor.  So, that has been the most impressed I have been with our guys and happy with their effort and the way they played the game in game that we lost.  Up until that point, all of our losses had been because we didn’t play the best,” said Fretz.

          Clyde (4-5,2-1) plays at Tiffin Columbian (8-1,4-1), #2 in the Swnakonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, crushed Vermilion (81-41) in a Lake Division game last Wednesday.

          Fretz says Columbian has a lot of players you have to guard.  He says they have no weaknesses.  “No rest for the weary in our schedule.  They are tough, they have a lot of weapons, a lot of guys tat can score.  They will throw a bunch of different things at you defensively, but they are just so dangerous in transition, they are dangerous from outside the arch.  They like to crash the boards, they are well coached, they return a lot of guys.  Just extremely tough to guard,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday evening, “You can pick one guy to try and stop and somebody else could step up and take over for them.  There is a reason they only have one loss and that is to a good Sandusky team.  It’s tough to play at their place and it is not going to be an easy one for us, but we are putting in the work this week to prepare.”

          Transition is something Columbian looks to do and Fretz says you have to make that your top priority and sacrifice some other things.  “Other than to send all five guys back when we shoot and don’t go for any offensive rebounds it is tough to do and that is how Tiffin is so good because they can score 15 to 20 points a game just in transition.  If you want to stop transition, you have to be ready to give up not going for offensive rebounds.  That is why they are such a good rebounding team too because you have to pick your poison there.  I don’t know if there is any way to stop them in transition without giving up something else on the court.  They are just so good at leaking guys out there and getting down the floor,” he said.

Published 1/04/22

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Clyde With Two Challenges

          Clyde comes off two nail biters last week, one up and one down, and plays two games on the road in the Sandusky Bay Conference this week.

          They play at Vermilion on Thursday and at Sandusky on Saturday in Lake Division games.

          The beat Norwalk (42-40) in overtime in a Lake Division game last Friday and then lost (64-62) to Ashland in a non-conference game on Saturday.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they know what they have to do to win and they did that on Friday.  “For us only being three weeks into our practicing season here we have really been put to the test in our first three games with Lexington, Norwalk and Ashland.  Our boys have really put a focus on the little things like rebounding and playing defense.  I think we were able to accomplish that Friday night against Norwalk,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “It was our first double weekend and followed it up with a great Ashland team on Saturday.  They came in guns a blazing ready to go and we are losing at the end pf the first quarter 25-13.  Luke Denbow had a lot to do with that.  He is such a phenomenal player.  He can shoot it from the outside.  He can get by you and draw the help.  He really makes Ashland go.  Our boys really buckled down and we ended the second quarter on an 18-2 run.  From there it turned into a defensive battle in the second half.  We ended up on the wrong side of that one.  That doesn’t take away how proud I am of our boys just battling and sticking to the game plan the second half and really making it a good game against Ashland.  We forced them to beat us in different ways not just Denbow or the outside shot.  We are looking forward to a couple of “SBC” game this week.”

          Clyde (1-2,1-0) plays at Vermilion (0-5,0-1) on Thursday.  The Sailors lost a crossover game to Port Clinton (46-34) on Monday night.

          Fretz says the have to make Vermilion play faster than they want to.  “Coach (Kurt) Habermehl will have them prepared and ready to play any game.  I know they are missing the Wells kid right now.  Their guards are learning the game, kind of a baptism by fire.  They have played some tough teams as well.  They have played Amherst Steele, they played Sandusky last week.  They took on Oak Harbor the other day.  They are going to be tested.  We have to play them at their place.  They are pretty methodical with the ball.  We are going to have to get out and speed them up a little bit and see how their guards can handle pressure.  They have two good post players inside.  They are tough down inside and we don’t want to set sealed by either of those two guys, so we are going to want to pick up the pace a little against Vermilion,” said Fretz.

          With Sandusky (2-2,2-0) on Saturday, Fretz says they will face a team with a lot of skill.  “I have got to see them a couple of times.  I got to see them against Ashland and thought the game was going to be up and down than it was.  They have the ability to trap you full court and half court, play half court man, full court man, drop back play some zone.  They have guys that can shoot from the outside.  The Alexander kid is really good.  They have a couple of guys that can score from the inside.  So, it is one of your typical Sandusky teams.  Coach (DeMar) Moore is doing a good job there.  It is not going to be an easy one for us.  It’s always a tough one, but our boys always look forward to playing Sandusky,” he said.

Published 12/15/21

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Clyde Wants it Fast

          Clyde plays its first game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night when they host the Norwalk Truckers.

          They host Ashland in a non-conference game on Saturday night.

          They lost their first game (57-43) to Lexington last Saturday in a non-league game.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they just ran out of gas.  “I think the effort was there for our players for all four quarters.  We started off slow, which we were kind of expecting as a coaching staff it was our first game jitters against their third game.  Looking at it across the board we had only been going at it for two weeks.  We had two scrimmages and Lexington has been going at it for four, five weeks.  It is not an excuse, it just reality.  So, when we stepped on the floor it took us a minute to get used to the game atmosphere, but by halftime we were up and it was a one possession game in the third quarter.  Then you could see the fatigue catch up.  With physical fatigue comes mental fatigue.  We had about three bonehead plays that led to a nine point swing.  From there you are trying to come back with dead legs and mental fatigue and that’s tough to do.  Our boys were resilient, they tried their best, but Lexington is a great team and there was no catching up,” said Fretz.

          Norwalk (1-2,0-1) lost to Tiffin Columbian (57-52) in a division game on Friday and then beat Ontario (49-40) in a non-conference game on Saturday.

          Fretz says this is a typical Norwalk team.  He says Ian Minor is a very versatile player.  “It the same thing as always.  They are always well coached, always fundamental, and they play tough.  They could lose a starting five and be a team to be reckoned with.  It is never an easy matchup, it is never an easy game for us.  They have got Ian Minor, who has been playing point guard for them, he has been playing the five man for them.  I mean he is a basketball player one through five,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “Coach Gray does an excellent job of developing his role players and he gets those players to fill those roles extremely well.  When you can get a team together like that and you get the time to work with them.  We got to watch them against Tiffin on Friday and they held the lead for most the of the game.  They lost their legs and Tiffin was able to knock down some shots at the end.  Norwalk is the real deal.  It is going to be a tough one for us on Friday.”

          Fretz says against Norwalk they want the tempo to be quick, but that is not easy to do.  “We sure don’t want to play slow.  We have some depth and I think that is a luxury that Norwalk doesn’t necessarily have, but it is easier said than done.  It is not a secret that you want to get Norwalk to play fast, but saying it is one thing and going out there and force them to play fast is another thing.  I have been trying to do that now for the last five years and most of the games we have played against Norwalk have been in the 40’s and 50’s.  We figure if we can get it up in the 60’s it gives us a chance.  So, we want to run it and we will find out on Friday is we are in shape to do it,” he said.

Published 12/07/21

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Clyde Faces Defending State Champs

          The last two state champions in division IV square off in a regional semifinal on Friday night at Napoleon High School as Clyde meets Van Wert.

          Clyde won the state title in 2019, meanwhile the Cougars won it last year.

          It took double overtime for Clyde (10-2) to get past Shelby (42-35) in a quarterfinal last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says he kids had to dig deep.  “For us to make enough plays to get it done in that game after going back and watching it a couple of times was just a tribute to our kids.  Shelby played a great game and like I said Friday night, we just happened to make one more play than they did.  They had a great football team this year and we were fortunate to come out of their with a win,” he said.

          Kadin Olsen picked off a pass in the end zone to secure the win.  Michael Daniels ran for 266 yards and two touchdowns.

          They have a lot of seniors on their team and Carter says that is a plus for them in high pressure games.  “I think it definitely helps.  We have been in some tight games.  We have been in some big time games like that.  Most of the kids that I have as seniors now played in the state championship game two years ago.  We played four games deep in the playoffs last year, so they have been in big games.  They have seen both sides of it.  They know how to react and you don’t get a whole lot of nervousness out of our kids when we get in games like that.  I think that definitely helps.  It doesn’t always turn out that way.  There were some plays in that game where if one little thing goes here or there we are on the short end and Shelby is moving on.  So, it was a great high school football game,” said Carter.

          Van Wert (11-1) outscored Wauseon (53-20) last week.  The Cougars have scored over 50 points five times this year.

          Carter says they have a lot of weapons and they are physical.  “They are pretty good all over the field.  Offensively, they do a number of different things to you.  They can run the ball.  They will run the quarterback.  He is a big kid, does a great job of throwing it and running it.  They kind of take whatever you give them.  If you play pass, they will run the quarterback up in there.  They have a great running back that they had last year in the state championship game.  They stretch you a number of different ways.  The quarterback’s older brother plays wide receiver for them and has had a big time year.  They have athletes all over the place,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday afternoon, “Same thing defensively, they do a great job.  They bring most of their offensive and defensive line back from their state championship team.  We have our work cut out for us they are an excellent team that plays with a lot of confidence.  They are very well coached, their kids play the game the right way.  We have a tall task, but we are trying to put in a good week of work this week and get ourselves ready to go.”

          Carter says they have faced a lot of very good quarterbacks this season, but this week is going to be a different challenge with Aiden Pratt.  “We have faced some great quarterbacks all year in our league and even in the playoffs, but he is a different type of kid.  You don’t see a whole lot of quarterbacks that play defensive end and he does a great job at defensive end, he comes off the ball and takes on double team blocks.  St. Mary’s Memorial is a wing-T team, line it up and bring it right at you and that was a great football game and he lined it up in there and took on double teams all night.  A tough, hard nosed kid and you can see that across the board with their kids.  They play very hard,” he said.

Published 11/11/21

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Tackling Huge for Clyde

          Clyde will host the Shelby Whippets at home on Friday night in an excellent regional quarterfinal game in division IV.

          The Fliers (9-2) shared the title the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference and Shelby (9-2) won the title outright in the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference.

          Last week, Clyde smoked Galion, of the “MOAC”, (56-7) in a first round game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they got a lot of kids in the game.  “I thought that was one of the biggest things that I took out of last week is we were able to get every single kid on the sideline in the game, including all of our freshmen.  So, for them to get Friday night experience and play in a playoff game in a home atmosphere, that was awesome.  We just came out and played really well early.  Got off to a really good lead.  We were fortunate to get a couple of turnovers and turn those into touchdowns.  We got off to a good start and were able to carry that into the second half and able to get a bunch of kids in, which is always awesome,” said Carter.

          Clyde beat Shelby two years ago on the way to a division IV state title and the Whippets returned the favor last year at Skiles Field.

          However, Carter says this year’s Whippet offense is a lot different than the one they faced over the last two years.  “They are a doing a bunch of different things.  They do a bunch of different things offensively that really cause you problems.  So, it is one of those things that where we have seen them over the last two years, but they are much different this year than they have been in the past.  Their offense is just explosive,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “You just look at their sheer numbers alone will scare you enough to not want to go out and play defense.  They do things very well, they are very well coached.  Their kids play the game the right way.  We have seen that the last two years.”

          To have a chance to slow the Whippets down, Carter says you have to keep them in front of you and tackle very well.  “I don’t think you can take them out of what they want to do.  You just have to try and slow them down.  I think a couple of things.  I think you really have to play assignment sound.  You have to keep everything in front of you and you have to try and tackle really well.  If you can tackle well in space, then you can give yourself a chance, but honestly nobody has been able to slow them down all year.  So, we are going to have to play our best football game this year just to give ourselves a chance,” said Carter.

          He says on offense you have to put points on the board because Shelby is to no matter what you do.  “They are going to score points no matter how well you are going to play.  So, offensively, you are going to have to move the football and put up points when they present themselves.  If you turn the ball over and you don’t play sound in special teams, they turn those into points in a hurry on you.  We have our work cut out for us, we know that, but we are trying to put in a good week of work to try and get ready to go,” he said.

Published 11/04/21

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Clyde Hosts Dangerous Galion

          Clyde, the second seed in region 14 of division IV, will be at home for the Galion Tigers of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference on Friday night for a first round playoff game.

          It was a tremendous win for the Fliers (8-2), #2 in the final Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the league school division, last week they beat rival Bellevue (14-6) to earn a share of the Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division title with the Redmen.

          Coach Ryan Carter judged their play as outstanding.  “I was extremely proud of our kids last week having to play a rival on week 10 in a meaningful game with the championship on the line for us to come out and play as well as we did, especially defensively, I was super proud of our kids.  I didn’t think we played too badly offensively.  Now, we made a couple of critical errors, turned the football over, had some bad penalties, but we moved the ball okay against what I felt was a very good Bellevue defense,” he said.

          Bellevue is the leading rushing team in the division and Carter says they were able to make them throw more than they wanted to.  “I felt like we were able to tackle in space really well and that’s big against them.  If you can limit them to what they get and tackle you are going to be a heck of lot more effective.  They were able to do some things I just felt we were able to lock them down in certain situations and take a few things away from them try and get them out of character a little bit, which is obviously running the football and try and force them into some more pass situations.  I think its huge if you can win on first down against them and get them into second and third and long it is definitely a help to your team,” said Carter.

          Galion (4-6) fell to Marion Pleasant (26-12) last week and they are facing some injury issues.

Carter says Galion will show them a lot of things and they have to be ready to adjust.  “Going in we have seen a multitude of things from them as far as what they do.  Jut a bunch more different looks than what we are used to seeing in our league.  One week they will run one thing, the next week they will throw something different.  Same thing on defense,” he told Swanknsports.com on Thursday afternoon, “They have played some base, but they have also walk up where they bring everybody.  I don’t know if they have something necessarily that they hang their hat on, but they definitely have some athletes and they do things at a high rate of speed.  They have some kids out there that can really run and some big kids up front.  We are up for the challenge, we will see what they present on Friday and try and make adjustments from there.”

Published 10/29/21

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Clyde Plays Bellevue for a Share

          In one of the premier football games in North Central Ohio Friday night the Clyde Fliers host Bellevue in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference with the division title on the line.

          Bellevue already has a share and Clyde gets a piece if they win Friday.

          Clyde put themselves in position by beating Norwalk (41-14) last week.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they got off to a good start and had good focus.  “I was pleased with how we came out and really had focus against Norwalk and established what we wanted to do early.  Defense got us off the field early and then we were able to get up 7-0.  I think that is key against a team that I think had played pretty well all year they just hadn’t had some breaks go there way.  So, you didn’t want them to have confidence and getting off to a good start was important the other night,” he said.

          Clyde (7-2,3-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, hosts Bellevue (8-1,4-), #2 in our poll, on Friday night.  Bellevue pounded Sandusky (52-7) last week.  Jax Lapata replaced Deegan Horn at quarterback after Horn was hobbled with an injury and he ran for 184 yards and four scores.

          Carter says Bellevue is just good all over.  “They are a very, very good football team.  They are very well coached.  Coach (Ed) Nasonti does a great job with his program.  Their kids play the game the right way.  They are extremely disciplined and they play hard.  They have a ton of senior talent this year.  Their offensive and defensive line really make them go.  They are a run first offense as coach Nasonti has traditionally been over there.  They get pressure with their down four and drop everybody else in coverage,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “So, they make it very difficult on both sides of the ball.  We have our work cut out for us we know that.  They haven’t played a real close game since week one.  I know they played Shelby in a close game, but that was more of a shootout.  Since then, they have just been steamrolling teams.  We are playing meaningful football games late in the season and our kids are excited about that.”

          Bellevue has great skilled players, but to have success against them, Carter says you have to sort of get a deadlock up front.  “It is difficult to create a stalemate up front they are that good.  It doesn’t matter which one of their quarterbacks plays, they both run it, they both throw it, they have capable wide receivers, kids that go out and get it.  A bunch of kids at the defensive back position that are skilled athletic.  But, they really get it done up front.  Their running backs do a great job of blocking, their tight ends do a great job of blocking and their front five.  We have our work cut out for us getting stops, but our kids are looking forward to the challenge,” said Carter.

          Bellevue has won three of the last four meetings, Clyde winning in 2019 when they went on to win the division IV state title.

          Carter says this is an intense, but clean rivalry.  “It is a great rivalry and they play football the right way at Bellevue.  They do things soundly and their kids are hard nosed tough kids and we feel like we have some of those kids as well.  It will be a fun atmosphere on Friday night and we are going to put in a good week of work and try and get ourselves ready to go,” he said.

Published 10/19/21

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Clyde Takes on Dangerous Norwalk

          Clyde, in second place a game behind Bellevue in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference, plays host to the Norwalk Truckers in a division game on Friday night.

          They were one of the schools last week that had to come back Saturday afternoon and finish their game, which had been delayed the night before by lightning.

          They beat Sandusky (33-14) in a division game.

          Coach Ryan Carter feels they handled the situation very well.  “Honestly, that is my first experience with that.  I played a lot on Saturday when I was in college, but that was the first high school game that I have had to come back and play.  We have done that before at Clyde High School, but not when I was coaching.  It was really a different experience for us.  We tried to take as much information form Friday night as we possibly could as a staff.  Piece it together,” he told Swakonsports.com on Tuesday night, “We had our kids in early the next morning to really try and make as many adjustments as we could.  I really felt we went back and played well on Saturday.  We got off to a good start our first drive that we had the ball coming out after half.  We drove down and scored a touchdown.  It was just something that was different for our kids to play in the afternoon, but I thought they responded really well.”

          Clyde (6-2,2-1), #3 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, is at home for Norwalk (1-7,0-3) who was beaten by Perkins (35-7) last week.

          Carter says they expect a tough game against the Truckers.  “Their record is not indictive of how they have played.  They have played a very tough schedule.  They have played a lot of very good football teams very close.  So, we are not looking at it like it is a week where we can get healthy or anything like that.  We are looking at it like we are going to have to scratch and claw to get a win because coach Fox’s teams traditionally get better as the season goes.  You can tell from watching their kids play they have not quit playing.  Their coaching staff does a great job of keeping their kids motivated.  So, we have to play well and we know that going in,” said Carter.

          Norwalk’s offense has been hampered by turnovers and the like this season.  Carter says their defense has played a lot of very good offenses very well this year.  “We think that their defense is the highlight of their team.  They do a great job defensively.  Their kids really come off the ball.  They are always in the right spot.  They make you earn everything.  They have some capability offensively, but their defense really gets after you.  We have our hands full on both sides of the ball,” he said.

Published 10/13/21

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Clyde Takes on Athletic Sandusky

          Clyde, a game behind Bellevue in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference, plays at Sandusky in a conference game on Friday night.

          Last week, they outscored Tiffin Columbian (42-39) in a division game to keep themselves in the race.

          Coach Ryan Carter says it came down to one play.  “I was extremely proud of our kids for bouncing back and the week we had after that Perkins game.  Our kids really responded and had a great week of practice. We knew it was going to be a battle every time you play in our league, in our division.  We came out and we really battled, Tiffin is a great team, and I thought our kids battled the entire night.  It came down to we just made one more defensive play than they did with a pick six there in the fourth quarter,” he said.

          Abe Morrison made hat interception return in the fourth quarter.

          Running back Michael Daniels ran for 207 yards and three TD’s.

          Clyde (5-2,1-1), #4 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, plays at Sandusky (3-4,1-1) a (26-13) winner over Norwalk last week.

          Carter says they are a football team capable of big plays at any time.  “They are a very dangerous football team.  They have athletes and they have kids all over the field that can score at any point and time, so we are going to have to run to the football and definitely be assignment sound.  The Franklin kid is an experienced quarterback.  They have athletes around him,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday afternoon, “They do a multitude of things offensively and same thing defensively they put athletes out there and they really run to the football and do a nice job up front.  We have our work cut out for us.  It is a road game for us.  We don’t traditionally play well in Sandusky.  We are going to have to go there ready to play.”

          The Blue Steaks haven’t been as consistent as they would liked to have been this year.  They are last in the division in total offense.

          Still, Carter says the potential is there with the kind of athletes that they have on their roster and they are going to have to win the one on one plays.  “There are times when we have to make one on one tackles and there are times when we have to make one on one plays it just the nature of the game anymore where they can isolate you we are going to have to go up and be good players on the ball and try to make one on one plays.  We are going to have to do that, it is going to come down to that and some points and time.  We are fully aware that we have to look at those things this week and hopefully we can put in a good week of work and get ourselves ready,” said Carter.

Published 10/06/21

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Clyde Focused on Tiffin

          It is battle two in the war that is the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference as the Clyde Fliers travel to Tiffin to meet the Columbian Tornadoes on Friday night.

          Clyde lost (21-20) last week to Perkins in their opener in division play.  Perkins running Collin Nemitz, who had 194 yards on the night, scored on a TD run with 1:20 left to give the Pirates the lead (21-14), but Clyde would get a score on a pass from Jaden Cook to Andrew Kauble with 11 seconds left.  They went for two and didn’t get it.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they battled all night, but just came up short.  “Those games are great, but when you come out on the short end it is not quite as fun.  I thought we played very hard.  I thought our kids executed well.  They came in with a little different game plan and it took us a couple of quarters to figure it out, but I thought our kids battled.  We had a couple of kids that were down and I thought our backup kids came in and really battled.  They just made more plays than we did.  They are a good football team,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday afternoon, “You have to give them a ton of credit.  They have a great running back and they did a nice job of coming back.  We got up 14-0 going into the fourth quarter and they made some plays.  We scored late and went for two and it just didn’t work out for us.”

          Carter says they have to focus mentally.  “That’s tough coming off a loss like that and to boot you have to go back and play a very good team like Tiffin.  We have to put that out of our head.  We have to have a good week of practice and get ourselves ready for Friday night,” he said.

          Clyde (4-2,0-1) is at Columbian (4-2,1-0) on Friday night.  The Tornadoes blitzed Sandusky (40-13) in their division opener.  The schools share the #5 spot in the latest Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division.

          Carter says Tiffin has a number of weapons.  “They are very, very good offensively.  Two outstanding quarterbacks, a great running back and good kids up front.  They have one of the better linebackers and runners in the league in the (Brody) Conley kid.  They have athletes all over the field.  They stretch you a bunch of different ways.  We have our work cut out for us, we know that.  Like I said, we are trying to bounce back and get some of our guys healthy and try and hit this home stretch playing the best football that we can play,” said Carter.

          Columbian plays two quarterbacks a lot in Brayden Roggow (1,159 yards, 13 TD) and Logan Beaston (654 yards, 6 TD) and the Tornadoes have the most politic passing attack in the division at 302 yards per game.

          Carter says they have to prepare for and difficult to defense.  “Well, it becomes tough, you have to prep in a couple of different ways.  They are both really good and they both do some unique things.  It’s not easy and you can’t just focus on their quarterbacks because they have a great running back and some skilled receivers.  We are putting in a good week of work and try and get ourselves ready for Friday,” he said.

Published 9/28/21

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Clyde Must Score

          Clyde hosts Sandusky Perkins in a key game between 4-1 teams on the first week of action in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          The Fliers (4-1,0-0), #4 the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, have won four straight games after pounding Toledo Scott (48-6) last Friday.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they had to go up there and play well and they did that.  “We were very pleased to get out of there with a win and play as well as we did.  You cut the season into halves and you go the first five and go 4-1.  I don’t think we played poorly week one, I have said that before, we just came out on the short end.  Then you turn around and play against a Scott team with four wins you have to go up there and play well.  There were a lot of computer points for us and we knew that,” he said.

          Carter says they understand that the Lake Division is a war every week and they have to be ready to play.  “Now, we are into our league and you have to play great football night in and night out in order to get yourself a win.  Starting this week against Perkins everybody is good, everybody has got guys.  We are looking at them and just trying to figure out what we can do and what we can’t do because they have a great running back in the (Collin) Nemitz kid.  They have two 6’3”, 6’4” wide receivers that they can throw it to.  They have kids on defense that are good players.  We have our work cut out for us and we know that going in,” said Carter.

          Nemitz ran for a school record 402 yards two weeks ago against Ashland and 288 last week in a (35-20) win over Huron.

          Nemitz has 937 yards rushing and 11 TD’s this year.

          Carter says this game really isn’t about stopping him or Perkins (4-1,0-0), #5 in our poll.  “I think what you have to do is you have to move the ball and score points because they are going to move the ball.  I think we have played great defense and I think our defense is very good, but they are going to move the ball on you.  They are going to make plays on you.  They have kids at every level, at every position.  You are just not going to be able to hold them down,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “So, you have to move the ball, you have to score, you have to put pressure on them all of the time and hope your defense can come up with a couple of stops.  I don’t know the exact numbers, but he has had 700, 800 yards the last two weeks just running the football.  Plus, they have those receivers that can go up and get it.”

          Perkins had given up some points the first couple of weeks, but Carter says their defense has steadily gotten better.  “I’ll tell you what they have improved.  The Yingling kid plays defensive end, a very strong, tough kid to block.  They have a great linebacker.  The Weyer kid that goes sideline to sideline.  They have some younger kids in the back end that do a nice job covering you up.  They do a good job on both sides of the ball.  You have to give Jalen (Santoro) credit, he as done a nice job coming in there, they have athletes, and he has harnessed them and they are doing a good job, so we know we have our work cut out for us,” he said.

Published 9/21/21

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Clyde In a Groove

          Clyde takes a three game winning streak on the road to play the Toledo Scott Bulldogs in a non-conference game on Friday night.

          On week four, the Fliers hammered Toledo Start (42-14) in a non-league game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they executed well and they got a lot of kids into the game for meaningful minutes.  “We had a lot going on last week with our stadium dedication and all of that stuff.  I just felt our kids came out really focused on the task at hand, which was playing football against a bigger school than us.  I was proud of our kids.  Sometimes those distractions can get the best of you and I thought our kids came out and played extremely well early,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “We built ourselves a very good lead early on and we were able to carry that into the second half.  We got a lot of kids in in he second half, which is always huge especially in a running clock game.  We were able to play our seconds quite a bit and they kind of held their own and I was pleased with that as well.”

          Carter says a key to their season so far is they have been improving each week, which is always the goal.  “I keep going back to this, I don’t think we played poorly week one, we just got ourselves a little wore down and we learned from that.  I thought we have progressed from week one and you have to continue to do that.  We are fighting a few injuries, like everybody is this time of year, but I have really been pleased with the progress of our kids.  Week in and week out we are improving in practice and improving in our games.  I think that is the whole key,” he said.

          Clyde (3-1), #5 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, plays at Toledo Scott (4-0) on Friday.  The Bulldogs beat Vermilion (25-13) last week in a non-conference game.

          Carter says they are playing with confidence, which makes them dangerous.  “They are very athletic and they are playing with a lot of confidence.  I think that is the biggest thing when you turn on the film.  They have guys that they are very confident in what they are doing.  They have athletes as they always do, but now I just think they are playing with confidence this year.  We have our work cut out for us going on the road against a 4-0 team that is number two in our region.  So, we are looking forward to the task.  We are looking forward to going to play a game that has meaningful points and I think our kids will be ready for it,” said Carter.

Published 9/16/21

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Fliers Must be Sound Tacklers

          Clyde continues its non-conference play this week as they host the Toledo Start Spartans.

          The Fliers (2-1), #5 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, played another excellent football game last week in downing defending Wayne County Athletic League champion Norwayne (29-10) last Friday.

          Clyde gave up 336 total yards and 17 first downs, but allowed only one touchdown to explosive Norwayne.

          Coach Ryan Carter says road wins are always big.  “I was pleased.  Going on the road against an unfamiliar opponent that was very good on both sides of the ball.  Anytime you can go on the road and get a win, you are going to take it and we were able to do that last week and that was huge,” he said.

          After a (21-14) loss to Toledo St. Francis on week one, the Fliers hammered Ashland (34-0) and Carter says they got better last week too.  “I always say your most improvement is from week one to week two and I thought we got a little bit better in week three as well,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday, “We have a couple of key injuries this week that I am a little bit worried about.  Hopefully, we can find some kids to fill in there a little bit and they are going to have to step up.”

          Start (0-3) lost to Toledo St. Francis (15-13) last week.

          Carter knows they are in for a challenge.  “That is our common opponent and they only lost 15-13 and St. Francis beat us.  So, we not taking anybody lightly.  They are a division I team that has a lot of kids, so we have our work cut out for us.  We always play tight, close games with Toledo Start and I expect nothing different this year,” he said.

          Start can be particularly dangerous on broken plays and Carter says they have to good tacklers against these guys.  “They are going to be spread, but thy have a nice running quarterback and if their first option is not there, they do a great job of scrambling and breaking down and really getting you to try and tackle in space against some athletes.  So, we are going to have to sound in our assignments and also tackle well in space,” said Carter.

Published 9/10/21

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Clyde Must Stop Big Play

          Clyde, of the Sandusky Bay Conference, visits Norwayne, of the Wayne County Athletic League, for an interesting non-conference match up on Friday night.

          After losing (21-14) to Toledo St. Francis on week one, Clyde thrashed Ashland (34-0) last week, allowing only 68 total yards and scoring 27 points in the first quarter.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they came out ready to play.  “I thought we responded pretty well after week one.  I didn’t think we played poorly in week one, we just got ourselves a little wore down and we didn’t respond to that really well.  I think we came out and really set the tone on Friday night.  I felt we played well offensively early, got a couple of fortunate turnovers, some short field to work with and really capitalized on them.  I thought our kids responded really well last week,” he said.

          Norwayne (1-1) also responded last week in outscoring Canton Central Catholic (57-35) to even its record.

          It’s the first meeting between the schools and Carter says you can tell the Bobcats are well drilled.  “They are a very good football team.  We are not very familiar to them.  We have watched a ton of them and tried to get as much information as possible.  When you watch them, they do things very, very well.  All three facets on the game.  They are really technically sound and do things the right way,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “You can tell the little things are taken care of in their program.  That’s why they have been good year in and year out.  They scored a ton of points last week.  They play a good brand of football, so we have a long trip and we have our work cut out for us.”

          Norwayne is explosive and Carter says they have to contain the big play and avoid turning the ball over.  “I think last week they were tied or pretty close to even going into the fourth quarter and then just exploded in the fourth quarter.  So, you have to prevent big plays, you have to be sound in special teams, and you have to be able to hang onto the football because if you turn it over, they capitalize pretty fast,” he said.

Published 9/02/21

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Clyde Faces Another Playmaking Quarterback

          Clyde hosts Ashland in game Friday night between two good teams that lost on week one.

          Toledo St. Francis beat Clyde (21-14) and Dresden Tri-Valley edged Ashland (35-28) on the opening week.

          Clyde lost when St. Francis completed a TD pass with just over 2:00 to play in the game, which happened one play after the Fliers were called for pass interference, giving St. Francis a first down at the Clyde 27.

          Coach Ryan Cater says they just didn’t make enough plays in the second half.  “I thought, honestly, we played very well early on.  We were up 14-0 at the half.  Our defense played very, very sound in the first half.  We just came out in the second half and just didn’t make enough plays and they got the momentum turned a little bit.  We couldn’t finish drives, we couldn’t sustain momentum.  We had a couple of opportunities, we missed a field goal and two other drives that we got in the red zone and couldn’t score.  You just can’t do that against good football teams, so hopefully we learn from it, hopefully we improve, and move on this week because things don’t get any easier.  I think this Ashland team, even though they lost week one, is very, very good,” said Carter.

          Ashland lost when Tri-Valley broke the tie with just over three minutes left on a short TD run.

          Carter the Arrows quarterback Landon McFrederick, who had three scoring passes Friday night, is very elusive and is a playmaker.  “I think they stretch you so many different ways.  They put pressure on your defense from start to finish.  They have a very good running back, I call him a running back, they go five wide and then motion a kid back into the backfield, and he really runs it hard.  Their quarterback I think throws the ball well, but I think he puts so much pressure on you running and scrambling.  You can have a good play and defend it very well and he can make a play out of it just by using his legs.  We know we have our hands full coming in trying to stop them,” he said.

          Carter admits it is difficult to contain players like McFrederick because you can do everything right on defense and it doesn’t matter.  “It is very hard, very tough.  We have struggled with scrambling quarterbacks for the longest time.  I think it’s everybody.  When you can make a play when there is not a play there, when you can run around and extend a play by either throwing it or running it, you become very, very dangerous.  I don’t know the answer,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “We have done multiple things as far as trying to keep our ends wide and keep him in the pocket, send extra people, but you still have to get him to the ground.  Then you are putting your secondary in some stress.  We are really going to try and run to the ball, try and be as fast as we can, try and get as many hats on him as we can, and just do our best to get him to the ground.”

Published 8/24/21

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Clyde With Veteran Group

          Clyde expects to be good this year and they will get their first test on the road Friday night as they play Toledo St. Francis at the Glass Bowl in a non-conference game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says the Fliers have looked good so far, but when the games count it can be a different experience.  “We just want to get out and get under the Friday night lights and see how our kids react.  We have a ton of experience.  We have a bunch of kids back, but you don’t really know until you get out there and roll it out.  We have had a couple of good scrimmages, but playing Toledo St. Francis in the Glass Bowl is going to be a totally different task for us.  So, we are trying to put a good week in this week and get ourselves ready for Friday night and we are excited for the opportunity,” said Carter.

          St. Francis has a new coach this season and Carter says they have a kid at quarterback that can be difficult to stop.  “They have very good athletes.  They have a really big quarterback that runs and throws it.  With coach (Bruce) Gradkowski it being his first year things are going to be a little bit different as far as offense and defense,” he told Swankonsports.com, “Basing it off their scrimmage I think they have kept it pretty simple, so we are not really 100 percent sure what to expect, but we are going to try and be ready for whatever and try and put our kids in a good spot.”

          With the Knights being somewhat is a question mark, Carter says they have to be able to adapt.  “It is definitely something where we are going to have to adjust on the fly.  Like I said, we have a veteran group and we have kids that have been in games like this before, big games and big atmospheres and big stadiums, so we are hoping our kids respond positively,” Carter.

          Going on the road and playing in a college stadium can be eye opening for some players, but Carter thinks they will be ready for the challenge come Friday night in their first one.  “These kids that have played football played four playoff games last year and the year before played in the state championship game.  These kids have been in game like that.  We have played long seasons in big stadiums and we have traveled, so we have hope our kids respond and it doesn’t really phase them,” he said.

Published 8/19/21

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Defense the Key for Clyde

          Clyde has the personnel for another very good football team this season capable to competing for a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division title and making a long playoff run.

          The preseason is a week shorter this year, but coach Ryan Carter says they have taken to that well with a veteran squad.  “With a short preseason we have really tried to force feed some things in there and I have a veteran group, so our kids have picked that up pretty well.  We had a scrimmage against ourselves last Saturday and then we scrimmaged Eastwood (Tuesday).  We did some good things.  We have some things we need to work on, but overall, I was pretty pleased to just get a look at my guys on film and be able to show them a few things that we are talking about.  Being able to hit somebody different is always big for our guys,” said Carter.

          The Fliers have a second scrimmage on Friday against Huron before opening the season against Toledo St. Francis at the Glass Bowl on August 20.

          Carter says they expect improvement Friday night.  “I tell our kids all of the time you make your most improvement from scrimmage one to scrimmage two and then game one to game two.  So, we have a lot of areas we need to get better.  We need to see some more live bullets as far as against somebody else, with officials, with a time clock running, and some things like that.  So, we are looking to make strides.  I think Eastwood is going to be a good football team.  We face another good one Friday against Huron,” he said.

          Carter says they will have the ability to score some points with a balanced offense this year, but he says at times they are going to have to rely on what should be an outstanding defense.  “I tell you what, I think is going to hold true pretty much all season.  Our defense, I think has the makings of being pretty good if we can stay healthy.  We have two inside tackles that were all-state kids last year and an inside linebacker that was an all-state kid last year.  We bring back eight starters from our defense last year that I thought was pretty decent last year.  I think we are gong to have to hang our hat on our defense, especially early on,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday evening, “I like my pieces on offense.  We are back to the spread, we are out of the wing-T a little bit.  I think we are going to have to get back to that mixture and being able to change things up and do both.”

Published 8/12/21

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Clyde Can’t Wait

          Clyde will be at home for Toledo Woodward in a first round tournament game in division II on Tuesday night.

          If they win, they will advance to play fellow “SBC” Lake Division member Tiffin Columbian (18-4) on Friday night.

          They beat Sandusky Perkins (60-59) in a division game last Thursday.  The Fliers (9-9) have won four of their last last five games.

          Coach Ryan Fretz feels they are at the top of their game.  “With adversity that this team has gone through this year with COVID and a handful of injuries and the different quarantines for us to end the season the way we did winning a handful of games, even our losses were close.  We have definitely hit our stride at the right moment and we are hoping we can keep that going forward come (Tuesday) night and going forward the rest of the week,” he said.

          Fretz says they have good chemistry right now and that is a plus in tournament.  “When you look at our losses, they are to really good teams.  You are talking Rossford, Colonel Crawford, both state ranked, Tiffin Columbian and Norwalk are solid teams as well.  We have been competitive in all of those games at one point.  This team is special because they have grown so much from start to finish.  They are ready to play.  You could feel it in practice (Monday) they are so ready to get out there,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “We were moving the ball so well in practice.  The communication was there, they chemistry was there.  I know (Tuesday) might be a long day in school for them, but you can tell they are itching to play and see what they can go out there and do.  I think we have a shot to make a run, but we have to start with Toledo Woodward first.  They are a pretty athletic team coming to our place.  We are going to give it our best.”

          Toledo Woodward (2-10), out of the Toledo City League, is going to be somewhat of a mystery, according to Fretz.  However, he does add they have been able to put together a good scouting report.  “They played so many games in a short amount of time and they haven’t played since February 8.  You don’t know if it is COVID or they just decided to play city schools.  When we came back from a quarantine and were down for a handful of weeks it takes a little bit to get your shot built back up again.  We have seen a handful of pieces of film on them.  They like to press, they like the running game.  We are going to try and run with them.  I think our boys are pretty fundamental.  We can find open spots against their press.  If we have to slow it down are guys are good enough to slow it down.  We have ballhandlers that can handle a zone.  We might see a 2-3 zone from Woodward, we have see some zone on film.  If we have to go zone to slow them down, pack it in, and make them beat us from the outside, we will do that too,” said Fretz.

Published 2/23/21

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Clyde Hitting Its Stride

          Clyde has won four it last five games and it likely playing its best basketball of the season as they host Tiffin Columbian in a Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game on Friday night.

          They play a crossover at Port Clinton on Saturday night.

          Last week, they belted Bellevue (87-58) on Friday night and handed Perkins their only loss in the last month (57-56) on Saturday night.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says his kids are hitting on all cylinders.  “Our boys are playing really, really well right now.  I am proud of how they have come together.  We are peaking at the right time and thing are starting to click with our offense.  They are starting to pick up things that we are working on this year.  Defensively, I think we have enough concepts in and we have practiced it enough because we have had enough time in the gym here recently, knock on wood, we have gotten better at that too.  Then it is a great group of boys coming to practice trying to get better every day.  That showed in our game against Bellevue,” he said.

          Last week, Fretz says their energy was the difference.  “We tied a school record for threes and I think we broke the school record for assists against Bellevue.  The boys just played possessed that night with rival being in town and playing at home.  I can’t be more proud of the boys and the way they played that night.  To put it all out on the line on Friday night and then turn around and do it again on Saturday against a red hot Perkins team.  It was a good game.  Even if I wasn’t coaching that game it would be a great game to watch.  We got down early, got down 11 points.  We didn’t bring the energy, you could tell.  We started manufacturing energy in that second half.  We knocked down some big shots and got some good defensive stops.  Held on long enough at the end to be able to be victorious over Perkins.  A double weekend, we will take it, and take two wins, and prepare for Tiffin,” said Fretz.

          Clyde (7-8,4-5) entertains Tiffin Columbian (16-3,8-2), #4 in the Swankonsports.com boys’ basketball coaches poll in the large school division, on Friday night.  Columbian is in second place in the division, a game behind Norwalk.  They beat Vermilion (62-54) last Friday.

          Fretz says the Tornadoes have a starting lineup with a lot of different skills.  “They are tough to guard because they can all drive, they are good at getting to the hole.  They are pretty good at knocking down outside shots.  Defensively they can pressure you, they have multiple presses that they will throw at you.  They have athletes, they are long, they get deflections and they are incredibly good in transition.  So, we are going to have to play our best against them at our place to give them a game.  They have their three guys that play extremely well in Beaston, Reaves, and Burns.  They do a lot of scoring for them, but that is not to say that the other guys, their role players, can’t step up and get it done,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “They have been able to do that down the stretch for them.  I know the Burden kid at point guard is shooting well from outside and handling the ball extremely well.  The Meyers kid inside can finish around the hoop.  They bring some guys off the bench that just bring energy.  We are getting ready to take on a team that is also red hot on our home court and give them a game and knock them even further away from winning the league.”

Published 2/11/21

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Clyde Trying to Get its Legs

          Clyde won both of its games last week, breaking a five game losing streak, and play at home against Norwalk, weather permitting, in a big game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference on Tuesday night.

          Last Thursday, the Fliers beat Edison (57-30) in a crossover game and then downed Bellevue (57-45) in a division game on Saturday.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they finally have smile on their face.  “We have played some pretty good basketball over the last two games.  The boys have come together and really bonded together.  Going 0-5 in any sport, losing five in a row, it stinks and it had been a while since we had won.  Getting a win against Edison and then following that up with a win against a pretty tough Bellevue team that has taken some our league teams down to the wire we were extremely happy with.  The boys are happy.  We are not content with the way we are playing, we still have some work to do, but we are taking steps in the right direction and at this time of year that is what it is about,” he said.

          Clyde (5-7,3-3) plays at home against Norwalk (9-7,6-1), the Lake Division co-leader, on Tuesday night.  The Truckers lost a non-conference game to Shelby (59-42) on Saturday in their last start.

          Fretz says they do a lot of things well, which is what he said going into their last meeting, won by the Truckers (58-46) on January 23.  “About the same thing it was the last time we played them.  You have to stop Gehlhausen, he is their number one ballhandler, Chapin can score pretty much anywhere on the floor, Minor is a pretty decent rebounder inside, they have got guys that can knock down shots and play defense.  They are a pretty good, well rounded team that you would expect a team coached by Steve Gray to be, well rounded, fundamental and able to get the job done.  There is a reason are leading the league right now with Tiffin.  We expect a half court game and it is tough to beat them at their own game, but we are sure as heck going to try and do it,” said Fretz.

          Norwalk plays really good defense, their opponents make just over 40 percent of their field goals.

          Fretz says they must make open shots when they get them, something they have not been doing, especially from deep.  “The teams in our league have trouble scoring against them.  They are the best league defensive team out there and it is just hard to dissect that defense.  It has hard to do it with quick hitters and plays because that is what they are good at too and that is what they are good at defending.  So, we have really got to be creative and really have to find ways to dissect that defense,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “That is why they have been good over the last couple of years.  Credit to their boys for buying in, but when push comes to shove (Tuesday) we are just going to have to knock down shots and that is something we have been struggling with since we came out of quarantine and rightfully so.  We are waiting to get our legs under us.  21% against Sandusky, 23% against Norwalk the first time we played them from three, last week, I think it was 18% against Margaretta, 13% against Edison and low and behold we shot 28% against Bellevue on Saturday, so that is a step in the right direction and we will take it.”

Published 2/02/20

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Clyde Wants to be Physical With Margaretta

          After a long break due to quarantine and playing two games last weekend, the Clyde Fliers play three more this week with Margaretta on Tuesday and Edison of Thursday in cross over games and Bellevue on Saturday in a Lake Division game in the Sandusky Bay Conference.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says it was great to get back to playing games.  “It was awesome to be back on the floor.  It was a great week of practice leading up to it.  Even the two weeks we were off we did a lot of stuff and a lot of practices virtually.  A lot of team building activities and mental activities, but to get back out on the court again was a great feeling,” he said.

          Clyde lost both games in division play last week to Sandusky (64-61) in overtime on Friday and (58-46) to Norwalk on Saturday.

          Fretz says the effort was clearly there, but you could tell they didn’t have their legs and that showed in their perimeter shooting especially.  “The boys execute our plan against Sandusky.  We put four quarters of basketball together, which is what you have to do to beat a team that is hot.  Granted we stopped them 10 points at the beginning of the game because when you come out of a quarantine and you haven’t played for 20 days its still hits you and it hit us a little bit.  Our boys were resilient and by the time we went into halftime we were down three points.  We fight back and sent it into overtime, had a chance to win it at the end of regulation, took the lead in overtime.  We really played four tough quarters of basketball and didn’t come out on top in that one.  Give Sandusky credit in that game,” he told Swankonports.com on Monday evening, “It is just such a tough place to play at Norwalk.  Norwalk is playing so well right now.  The way they dissect anything you throw at them, whether it is zone or man, you can try and run on them and they send guys back.  We got them on the night after they lost to Tiffin on the buzzer beater.  Our boys played hard, but having to play back to back games like that coming out of quarantine.  We shot 21 percent from three against Sandusky and 23 percent against Norwalk.  Some of that is the defense that both teams play, but some of it is the legs from not being in shape.”

          Clyde (3-6) plays at home against Margaretta (9-5) on Tuesday night.  The Bears beat Edison (86-42) on Friday in a game where Jake Leibacher broke the school scoring record and then lost a tough one to South Central (45-44) on Saturday night.  Leibacher is the leading scorer (21.6 ppg) in the Bay Division this year.

          Fretz says they want to take the ball to the rim and be physical.  “It’s another tough one.  We have a tough schedule and Margaretta is playing extremely well.  I know Leibacher just broke the school record.  He scored 45 points on Friday.  They dropped a tough one to South Central on Saturday.  We are looking forward to playing them in our gym.  It’s always a battle between Clyde and Margaretta.  I think we can use are physicality and look to go inside.  We are definitely looking to be physical against them, but they are definitely a very quick, very finesse and skilled team.  All of their guys can shoot from the outside and all of them can pass the ball and cut.  They are really tough to guard in their offense,” said Fretz.

Published 1/26/20

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Clyde Must Handle Sandusky’s Athleticism

          Clyde plays up at Sandusky against the Blue Streaks in a Lake Division game in the Sandusky Bay Conference on Thursday night.

          It will be one of those games that helps decide who is a contender early in the season.

          The Fliers blew out Vermilion (66-46) in a division game last Friday.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they were able to come out and play their kind of basketball.  “We really rode our boys hard in practice last week and they wanted to be pushed and they wanted to improve.  With most teams you see the most improvement between week one and week two.  Hats off to all of the boys on our varsity team, they really worked hard last week.  Fundamentally we got better, we got more in shape, offensively we got much better, we were able to put the ball in the hoop, and our transition game looked good, our secondary offense looked good,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “Right now, I am liking the way our boys are playing defense.  We had some guys step up like Shane Holman, a senior, and Jayden Cook, also came in, he is a guy that you can have the ball in his hands, you can have him off ball, and he is going to do great things for you on the offensive end of the floor.  His on ball defense is top notch for us right now and he was able to pester the Vermilion guards pretty good.  Our whole team defense against Vermilion, I was proud of our boys Friday night.”

          Clyde (1-1,1-0) plays Sandusky (0-1,0-1) on Thursday night.  The Blue Streaks are the defending Lake Division champs.  They lost last Friday (73-62) to Tiffin Columbian in a division game.

          Fretz says going to Sandusky, or just playing the Streaks for that matter, is always tough.  “If we play like that again against Sandusky we will be in the game, but it’s not any easy task ever going up against the Blue Streaks and we are working to take them on, but they going to be tough to play,” he said.

          Sandusky is a young basketball team this year, but Fretz says their players have the same kind of skills that they always seem to have.  “You know what you are getting when you play Sandusky.  They are as athletic as all get out, they get up and down the floor, you know they are going to push it, they have scrappy guards, there is usually a guard that is a go to player, that can knock it down form outside, that can drive on you.  Offensively you really have to be able to handle their defensive pressure.  On the defensive end of the floor if you get up in them too much they go around you, they are that quick.  You lay off of them too much they can knock down open shots.  We have to pick and choose our battles defensively and who we go after and who we lay off of.  Offensively, if we execute, we should be okay if we handle the pressure, we should be okay.  We are confident in our boys, confident in what we can do and I think it will be a pretty good game,” said Fretz.

Published 12/16/20

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Clyde Needs to be in Better Shape

          Clyde has this week to prepare for its next game as they host Vermilion in a Lake Division game in the Sandusky Bay Conference on Friday night.

          Last Saturday, they opened the season with a (63-47) loss to a very good Tiffin Calvert team out of the River Division.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says they learned they were not yet in the kind of shape they need to be in, especially to play their style.  “I thought our buys played well in the first quarter.  They came out with energy we want to play with and we got some good looks and did what we needed to do.  We quickly learned what happens after just three weeks of not being in shape.  We are not where we need to be yet.  Calvert started chipping away at stuff in the second quarter and then they went on a run in the third quarter and we dug ourselves a hole that was too deep to come out of.  Our boys saw that we are still out of shape and we have to keep working harder, so we can stay in games and play the way we want to play through the whole game.  It is all about sustaining that energy, sustaining that defensive intensity and that constant attacking notion on offense.  That is something that we will eventually get to,” said Fretz.

          Fretz adds that they did some good things against Calvert that they can build on too.  “At the same time, I take nothing away from Calvert, they played really well and made great adjustments to our defensive schemes.  They have two guys that are tough basketball players and I think Calvert will do great things, but I am looking forward to seeing what our guys do after getting after it in practice this week.  We saw great things in our game against Calvert,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday night, “Jaden Cook played extremely well, especially down the stretch attacking for us.  Brady Wilson had 14 points and eight boards.  That was somebody that played both varsity and JV last year.  We have guys that are in different roles for us that are stepping up and getting things done.  We didn’t have the best shooting night.  Our two senior guys that were out there were 2-21, so if we knock down a couple of shots and that will come as we get into basketball shape things will look a lot better for the Fliers.”

          Vermilion (1-0,0-0) beat Oak Harbor (62-45) in a crossover game on Tuesday night, the Rockets are in the Bay Division.  Vermilion then plays Fremont Ross on Wednesday night before they get to Clyde on Friday, assuming there aren’t any health issues for either side.

          Fretz says it will be interesting to see who has the legs.  “As we speak right now, I am sitting here watching them play Oak Harbor form their home gym.  The good thing is I can set in my office here and do an interview and watch Vermilion at the same time.  They play again Wednesday and then they get to come and play us.  Right now, we are just lucky to be out there on the floor.  If we get a chance to play Vermilion on Friday, we will take it.  Both teams want to play that game.  We can’t wait to play.  Who knows what happens between then and now and I still think we are a little out of shape.  Who knows what Vermilion looks like being their third game in four days, but the fact is the boys get to play basketball and at this point in our season that is what counts,” said Fretz.

Published 12/09/20

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Clyde Dealing with Some Issues

          Clyde starts its season on Saturday night at home against Tiffin Calvert in a cross over game in the Sandusky Bay Conference.

          Coach Ryan Fretz says during the preseason they have been forced to find a way to handle almost everything imaginable.  “We have probably experienced about everything you could experience in the month of November dealing with COVD-19, dealing with quarantines.  Our football team played on October 30 and by November 1 we have guys that are in quarantine and we made the best of it.  We practiced with nine guys and got stuff done.  When the football guys got cleared, they came and we started practicing.  We are kind of used to this in Clyde and that is why we don’t schedule opening games for the opening weekend because the chances of you playing those games with our great football program since I have been here is about 50/50.  We take things as they come and it is a situation that our program has been in before.  Instead of the boys playing football they were in quarantine.  We were able to send them practice plans.  They worked out and they were able to know what we were doing in practice and kept up with it.  We have been through that gambit already and I’m sure we are going to be through it again at some point just like every other program is.  We’ve moved scrimmages, cancelled practices.  Everyday you wake up you just plan for something new, something different to happen.  It’s not the typical normal that we are used to, but when you get that chance to walk out there on the court you are thankful that part of the game of basketball remains normal.  I know our boys and our coaching staff we appreciate that opportunity and the privilege of just being able to play the game,” said Fretz.

          It has been difficult to get all of the players on the floor this season so far and Fretz is more than a little concerned about the playing shape his players will be in come Saturday.  “It has been a struggle.  We have three of our 11 right now with injuries that haven’t practiced yet and we are out of shape, so in the style of offense that we run and the style of defense that we play we have to be in shape.  To get in shape you need a good two to three weeks to get there.  There is a difference between basketball shape and football shape and any other shape you are in for other sports.  Basketball you have to be able to play offense, defense and it happens really fast.  That has been out key focus is getting into shape.  If high school boys who are our shape physically it is going to drain on them mentally and they don’t make the best decisions when you can’t keep up physically.  That has probably been our biggest hurdle so far this year,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday, “The eight guys we have going right now in practice have done nothing but show up and push themselves through everything because they know where we need to be.  The execution is starting to come, (Tuesday) was a great day of practice for us and we are looking forward to (Wednesday) and eventually playing Calvert on Saturday.”

          Tiffin Calvert comes calling on Saturday and Fretz says this will be big challenge for them despite the fact that they are playing a smaller school.  “They are good.  Take divisions are throw them right out the door, division II, division IV, it doesn’t really matter when it comes to this game on Saturday.  They have a lot of their guys returning from a regional semifinal team.  They beat us last year at our place.  I can tell you our boys are still pretty sourer about that.  They didn’t want it to happen, but it happened.  They are tough all of the way around.  They are well coached, they have a great coaching staff on the varsity bench and their players just know the game.  We know we have our work cut out for us.  It’s not a cupcake, it is not and easy division II versus division IV game.  We have to bring out “A” game to be in this one in the end” he said.

Published 12/02/20

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Clyde Meets Shelby in the Playoffs Again

          Clyde, the defending division IV state champion, heads for Shelby in a regional semifinal matchup on Saturday night at historic Skiles Field.

          Clyde (6-3) scored on a Jaden Cook to Griffin Noftz TD pass with just over a minute to play to beat Huron (28-21) in a quarterfinal game last week.  The Fliers led (14-0) at the half and (21-7) in the third quarter before the Tigers tied it up with a couple of scores.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they had to dig deep to get the win.  “I was proud of our kids and to go on the road against a team that hadn’t lost a game.  I thought we played very well early.  They kind of got the tide turned a little bit in the second half and we had a hard time slowing them down.  We made enough plays down the stretch.  I really feel that our group really grew throughout the year to win a game like that.  Earlier in the year we played some games like that and fell short.  I felt we grew enough to win a game like that and made enough plays down the stretch to get it done,” he said.

          Shelby (8-0), #2 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, took a (49-13) lead and went on to punish Oberlin Firelands (49-26) last week.

          Carter says the Whippets are a confident team that enormous talent.  “They are a very good football team and we know a little bit from last year and obviously they have some different personnel, but they do have some of the same guys.  The thing about them is they are very hard nosed, tough kids and when you combined that with the talent level that they have right now you are going to get undefeated teams.  They have a great running back, a kid that we saw last year.  Their quarterback is doing a good job right now with his arm and his feet and they have weapons on the outside.  Then their defense is so stingy.  They have a defensive end, the Albert kid, that is one of the better athletes in the area.  He causes a whole lot of problems in the run and pass game and some guys on the back end that really cover it up.  It’s going to be a task for us,” he told Swankonsports.com on Tuesday evening, “We have to go on the road, another grass field, it is not easy to go to those when you are used to playing on turf and go on the road against a team that hasn’t lost and plays with a lot of confidence and very well coached.  We are looking forward to the task.  We are trying to put in a good week of work this week, get ourselves ready, and go up there and give it all we’ve got.”

          Last year, Shelby lead Clyde (21-7) at halftime in a regional semifinal, but the Fliers outscored the Whippets (28-0) in the second half to secure the win (35-21) and advance.

          Carter says there are lessons to be learned form last year, most notably how dominate Shelby was in the first half.  “I don’t think it is any factor in the game Saturday night, but they were pretty much dominating us in the first half last year.  We couldn’t get anything going on either side of the ball.  We couldn’t slow them down and couldn’t get anything going offensively.  So, our kids remember how tough their kids were and how talented they were and how difficult it was to stop them last year and how difficult it was to get anything going offensively.  You revert back to the familiarity of the kids playing on that team.  Last year was different, we were on a neutral site, it wasn’t on their home field where they are comfortable on the grass.  It will be a task for us, but we are looking forward to it,” said Carter.

Published 10/28/20

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Old Rivals Clyde and Huron Meet in Regional Quarterfinals

          Clyde heads down to road to play Huron in a regional quarterfinal game in division IV on Saturday night.

          This used to be an every year game until the Sandusky Bay Conference broke into divisions in 2017.

          Last Saturday, Clyde ran for more than 300 yards in a (28-15) win at Wauseon in a second round game.

          Coach Ryan Carter, who led the Fliers to a division IV state title last season, says his kids were outstanding last week.  “I was very proud of our kids last week in just the way that game played out and how talented they were and us to go on the road to get out of there with a win was huge.  We had found something early on and thought we could run the ball a little bit.  Our running back Michael Daniels was just doing a heck of a job of getting extra yards,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “Our line was doing a great job and our outside guys were doing a great job blocking.  We mixed in enough throws to keep them off balance.  I was really proud of way our guys really ground one out.  Our defense played phenomenal against what I thought was a very, very talented Wauseon team.”

          Clyde (5-3) had been averaging almost 200 yards passing going into the game and Carter feels that’s what Wauseon expected them to do.  “I think they came in and played us to pass and we started running the ball and they never really got out of it, so we didn’t really get out of it.  We really controlled the clock and kept their offense off the field, which is what we wanted to do,” he said.

          Daniels ran for 312 yards and three scores last week.

          Huron (7-0), #5 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, led (37-0) at halftime and went on to beat Bryan (44-22) in their second round game.

          Carter says the Tigers have always had athletes and now they have some excellent players in the trenches too.  “We have scrimmaged them the last couple of years and we used to be common opponents, we used the play every year in the old “SBC.”  They are a typical Huron team.  They do things the right way.  They are very well coached.  Their kids play extremely hard.  They have a traditional program over there.  Sam (Hohler) does a great job.  Their kids play extremely hard and they are extremely talented.  They always have talented athletes across the board.  Now, they mix in a pretty big offensive line and they become really good and that’s why they are undefeated,” said Carter.

          Huron quarterback Cole Parker has thrown 15 TD passes and ran for an additional eight.  Carter says they will have to account for him.  “He will hurt you both ways and we have seen a lot of that this year with guys that have run and thrown it.  They do a nice job of mixing in both run and pass.  Another thing that they are very good at is special teams.  So, we are going to have to be on our “A” game.  We are going to have to go with everything we have on the road again to try and compete and get ourselves into a four quarter game,” he said.

Published 10/22/20

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Clyde Plays Talented Wauseon in Second Round

          Clyde, the defending division IV state champion, plays a second round playoff game on Saturday night at Wauseon against the Indians.

          Last week, the Fliers (4-3) scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and five in the first half on their way to a (42-6) shellacking of Lorain Brookside in a first round game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they could breath a little easier for once.  “I was pleased with the way we came out and started that football game.  We have played in some tight games and it was nice to have a game where we got off to a comfortable lead and were able to play a lot of people in the playoff game and have a home playoff game.  It is always a goal of ours to play at home in that first round and we were able to do that this year,” he said.

          Jaden Cook, who led the “SBC” Lake in passing yards. threw for 133 and three TD’s last week.

          Wauseon (5-1) comes in with an impressive body of work, including wins over Liberty Center (30-16) and Patrick Henry (51-7), their only loss coming in their last regular season game before the playoffs against rival Archbold (36-35) two weeks ago.

          Carter says they compare to anyone they have seen this season.  “They are about as good as we have seen.  They have very, very good athletes all over the field starting with their quarterback, who was a wide receiver last year.  He had almost 300 yards as a receiver receiving last year.  He really runs around and makes plays.  They have other wide receivers that are very, very talented.  They have some big up front people,” he told Swankonsports.com on Thursday night, “They are extremely talented.  They play very well.  They lost one game by one-point to their rival Archbold.  They are about as talented as we have seen.  They are pretty good on both sides of the ball, especially at home on their grass field we have our work cut out for us.”

          When you have a mobile quarterback that can throw on the run, Carter says that really stretches your defense.  “It is a very tough situation and you can be in the right places and have very good coverage and have good pressure on him and he can run around and make plays.  He slings it from every angle and throws it into tight windows.  He is really good.  We have our work cut out for us, we know that, but we are looking forward to playing in the second round and try and go up there and get something done,” said Carter.

          Clyde has three losses, but they have led every game they have played in the second half against a tremendous schedule.  The Fliers are number one in the Lake division in offense this season and number two defense.

          Carter says they going to go to Wauseon with all guns blazing.  “We have told out kids, they have to be able handle us as well.  We have some very good athletes.  We have some good kids that can get things done on both sides of the ball.  We are going to go up there with every bullet we have and give it all we have and we will see where it falls in the end,” he said.

Published 10/16/20

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Defending State Champion Begins Playoffs

          Clyde won the division IV state title in 2019 and they begin defense of that title at home on Saturday night against Lorain Brookside in a first round playoff game.

          The Fliers finished (2-3) in the juggernaut of a league in the Like Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference, just like they did last year.

          Coach Ryan Carter says actually the Fliers (3-3) have played some very good football.  “We have not been disappointed in how we have played with our 3-3 record.  Our three losses have been to three really good teams and three really good programs and we have led in all three of those games in the second half.  We have got to get a little more healthy and we have to figure out how to finish a few more drives and few more games.  We are playing with some young kids and experience based off of some injuries, but we are excited to be in the second season and we are going to see how it shakes out on Saturday night,” said Carter.

          Clyde led Lake Division champ Bellevue (7-0) at halftime last week before falling (16-7) to the Redmen.

          They lead the league in passing yards this season.

          They graduated a lot of players form that state title team last year, but Carter says this year’s group knows what it takes to win playoff games.  “You can look at that is say those kids were around that experience, but until you get out there and do it for yourself there is really nothing like game time experience.  We know we are going into the playoffs with some different kids that hadn’t played a whole lot of playoff football, but at the same time they got to see it last year, they got to be around it, and they understand what it takes to move on,” he said.

          Brookside (1-5) has lost its last four, including (31-0) to Columbia last week.

          However, Carter says this is a team that can make some plays.  “We have looked at their record and everything that they did and they have some really good athletes.  Their quarterback is a really good athlete and runs the ball extremely well and plays safety for them.  He really comes downhill and really takes some shots on you.  They have some pieces.  They been in some games.  They played a Keystone team that was undefeated to a 28-14 game.  We know it doesn’t matter when you are in the playoffs.  We have been on both sides,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday night, “We have been an eighth seed that has beaten a one seed.  We have been a one seed that has lost to an eighth seed.  So, it does not matter what seed you are or what your record is coming in.  This year being completely different with everybody getting in we are going to have to play great football in order to advance.”

Published 10/06/20

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Clyde to Try and Ruin Bellevue’s Party

          Clyde and Bellevue are rivals both with solid football programs and they get together Friday in Bellevue for a Lake Division game in the Sandusky Bay Conference.

          These teams already go after each other like a couple of pit bulls scraping for a steak and now add to it the fact than Clyde is the only thing that stands in the way of an outright title for Bellevue.

          Clyde (3-2,2-2) dropped a (30-14) decision to Norwalk in a division game last week, but coach Ryan Carter says where ahead in the fourth quarter and things got away from them.  “We were leading in the fourth 7-6 and they kicked a field goal and made it 9-7.  We just had some unfortunate drives and some bad things happen to us there in the fourth and they put a couple of touchdowns on.  I was proud of the way our kids played, we just didn’t finish drives, we didn’t make enough plays and you have to give some of that credit to Norwalk as well, they played a pretty good game,” he said.

          Bellevue (5-0,4-0), #1 in the Swankonsports.com football coaches poll in the large school division, beat Sandusky (38-7) last week to grab a piece of the title.

          Keegan Ray, the Bellevue quarterback, leads the division in rushing yards with 726 and Carter he is a tough runner and he is hard to stop.  “They are very big and experienced up front and they have a very good quarterback.  They are just managing the game very well right now.  They are keeping offenses off the field.  Their defense is playing extremely well because they don’t have to play very much,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday night, “They are running the ball, they are grinding out first downs, they are running the quarterback a ton, he is very talented.  When you jam the box and put too many in there, they can throw it really well too.  They are multifaceted.  It is definitely going to be a challenge for us on the road, but it’s a rivalry game and we are looking forward to playing on Friday.”

          Carter adds that Ray likes to be physical and run between the tackles.  “He grinds it out.  He is looking to get four, five, six yards, instead of the home run every time.  He keeps it in there tight, he does not like to bounce where you can get yourself in trouble.  He is not trying to outrun anybody.  He has a great feel to their offense and what they are trying to do, what they are good at, and what they can be productive with.  He is experienced.  Coach Nasonti does a great job with his program.  His quarterbacks have always ran it really well.  We have our work cut out for us just trying to slow them down,” said Carter.

          Clyde is second in the division in run defense, giving up about 120 yards per game.

          The Bellevue defense leads the division in total defense and they allow just over three yards per rush.  “They stop the run with their down guys and the linebackers, so they don’t have to bring extra guys in the box, which allows them to cover it up behind.  It is tough sledding, we know that.  We are going to try and figure a few things out and try put our kids in the best situation we can,” he said.

Published 10/01/20

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Clyde Tangles With Norwalk

          Clyde and Norwalk has been one the best games in North Central Ohio in recent years and Friday night should be no different as they meet at Whitney Field in game in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference.

          Both trail first place Bellevue by a game and the loser in all likelihood falls out of the division race.

          Clyde (3-1,2-1) beat Sandusky (34-27) last week with a score with about a minute to play in the game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they were not in top form, but they found a way to get it done.  “We were fortunate, we didn’t play our best football and we were down a few guys, but you have to find a way to win.  Sandusky’s record is deceiving, they are better than a football team that hasn’t won a game yet this year.  They have young talented kids.  We knew we were going to have our work cut out for us, but our kids showed up and we had some kids step up, kids fill in in some spots that we needed and we are going to need that for the next two weeks because it doesn’t get any easier playing Norwalk this week,” said Carter.

          Norwalk (2-2,2-1) put up their most points of the season in a (38-28) win over Perkins last week.  Garrett Chapin threw for 222 yards and three scores.

          Carter says the Truckers do a lot of things they have to defend.  “They are very complex on offense.  They bring a lot of different things at you and they do things very well.  They are a well coached team, coach (Todd) Fox does a great job.  His kids are always going to be ready to play.  We have our work cut out for us, we know that.  We are just going to have to go on the road and try and play our best football game to date,” he said.

          Carter says Norwalk will be aggressive on defense and they also have one of the best kickers in the nation in Garrison Smith, and he changes the game.  “They will bring a bunch of heat.  I am really good friends with their defensive coordinator and I know what he is going to bring to the table.  It’s going to be a battle.  We are going to have to be sharp.  We can’t turn the football over.  We are just going to have to try and be as even as possible on special teams because winning the special teams war this week is going to be impossible,” he told Swankonsports.com on Wednesday, “They have one of the best kickers in the State of Ohio, if not the country.  It is not just with him when they get inside the 30, they are in field goal range and he gets three for them.  He puts so much pressure on your kickoff return team with bloop kicks and onside kicks and kicking out of the end zone.  If you are not sharp it is going to cost you possessions.”

Published 9/24/20

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Clyde Needs to get Healthy

          Clyde is at home Friday night for the Sandusky Blue Streaks in the Lake Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference and at this point in the week they are not sure who is going to be in the lineup for them.

          Last week, the Fliers (2-1,1-1) gave up a fourth quarter touchdown and lost to Tiffin Columbian (19-16) in a Lake Division game.

          Coach Ryan Carter says they played a very good game last week, they just came up a little bit short.  “Honestly, I thought we played really well.  We played extremely well defensively.  We had some opportunities offensively that we couldn’t take advantage of, but to be honest with you that has a lot to do with them and how good they are.  They are a good football team and are going to be a good football team and I thought we played extremely well, we just didn’t capitalize on enough opportunities.  We had the ball inside the red zone three or four times and couldn’t come away with points and you can’t do that against a good football team.  So, we learn from it and move on,” said Carter.

          The Clyde coach says his biggest concern this week is the health of his team.  “One of the biggest things that is going to hurt us down the road is the toll that game took on us.  We have a number of kids that are banged up and injured from that game.  How we can respond from that and what we can do going forward with some kids that are going to be a little bit out of position is really going to be the telltale of our season,” he said.

          Carter, who led Clyde to the division IV state title last season, says moving kids to other positions if not easy on the kid.  “That is very hard in the high school world.  You have what you have and you don’t have two or three deep and that is what I was telling our kids today.  So, the kids that got beat up and the kids that aren’t going to be able to play come Friday night other kids are going to have to move and play other positions,” he told Swankonsports.com on Monday, “We are going to have to accept the fact that we aren’t going to be able to do as much.  We are not going to be able to have as much in on offense and defense, but those kids have to step up.  It’s their chance now, it’s their opportunity and we are counting on them to do that.”

          Sandusky (0-3,0-2) lost (24-17) to Norwalk last week and likely their best performance of the season.  Carter says the Streaks have athletes that can make big plays.  “They are extremely talented.  They have athletes that are fast, athletic, and Franklin being one of them, he plays quarterback for them.  He is an extremely fast kid.  With all of that athleticism out there if you fall asleep at all or if you are not assignment sound or you are not in the right spot they are going to expose you for a touchdown.  They have been able to do that against us for the last couple of years and really present problems for us.  It’s a challenge, we know that, we are really trying to work on ourselves this week and make sure we get to as healthy as we can and whoever we have going into that game is what we are going to go with and see where we are at,” said Carter.

Published 9/15/20

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