Clear Fork Prepares For Harding On Homecoming Weekend

This Friday the Colts are back at the Colt Corral to take on Marion Harding. It’s homecoming in the Valley and the buzz couldn’t be more exciting around this 4-1 Clear Fork football team. Now sitting at 2-0 in the MOAC, the Colts have now won back-to-back conference games since their close loss to Lex in week three.

This weekend is not only Homecoming in the Valley, but it's already week six of football around the state of Ohio. The Marion Harding Presidents will bring a 2-3 record to Clear Fork. Last week Harding defeated River Valley 32-20 at home. This snapped Harding's three-game losing streak after the week one win against Mount Vernon.

Clear Fork’s rush defense will be tested yet again as they go up against the MOAC’s leading rusher in Landen Keller. Averaging 5.2 yards per carry and accumulating 438 yards through five games, this will provide the defense with a good test Friday night. Last time the Colts faced a conference-leading rusher, they held him to under 50 yards rushing. The matchup to watch Friday will be Harding’s offensive line against the home team’s shutdown run defense.

Harding is led offensively by quarterback Dez Feliciano. The Presidents’ quarterback has thrown for 412 yards, five touchdowns, and five interceptions through the first half of the season. Clear Fork will have to be aware of the air threat as well. This makes for an intriguing matchup in the conference. Harding looks to play spoiler on homecoming weekend.

Last Friday night the Colts went on the road to battle the Pleasant Spartans in Marion. Clear Fork’s defense set the tone for the whole evening, only allowing two first downs to the Spartans. Stacking the box defensively would force Pleasant to throw the football, which played right into the Colts' hands, literally.

Alex Schlosser not only had a pick-six, but he also punched in a touchdown on the ground. On special teams, Devyn Oswalt would score his sixth touchdown of the season off a botched punt attempt by the Spartans in the 1st quarter. Clear Fork controlled the pace from the start and cruised to a 34-0 victory.

Friday’s game in Marion did have a carmine tint when sophomore running back Brayden Hayes broke his leg while running down the field just before halftime. After receiving medical attention on-site and at a hospital, Hayes is doing well and vows to be back stronger than ever.

Now at 4-1, the Colts will look to keep building momentum as the showdown with the Shelby Whippets is looming in just two weeks. But first, take care of Harding.

You can listen to Harding at Clear Fork this Friday at 6:40 pm on vsbnradio.com, with Coach Aaron Brokaw's thoughts before kickoff.