Clear Fork takes three straight shutouts into playoff test at unbeaten Ottawa-Glandorf

Clear Fork held an Otsego team that scored 63 points in its playoff opener to zero last Friday. Now the Colts take their three-game shutout streak on the road against an unbeaten Ottawa-Glandorf team averaging 36 points a game.

Fourth-seeded Clear Fork (9-2) visits top-seeded Ottawa-Glandorf (11-0) at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, in an OHSAA Division IV, Region 14 semifinal. The winner will face either Shelby or Sandusky Perkins, who also enter Friday unbeaten, in the regional final.

Clear Fork’s 38-0 win over Otsego at the Colt Corral was its third consecutive shutout and fourth of the season. The Colts closed the regular season with wins of 43-0 over River Valley and 25-0 over Galion, then blanked Otsego after a first-round bye. They’ve outscored those three opponents 106-0. Their other shutout came Sept. 18 in a 42-0 win over Pleasant. Through 11 games, Clear Fork has allowed 99 points, an average of nine per game.

Against Otsego, the Colts forced a punt on the opening possession, and Trey Sellers broke loose for 55 yards on Clear Fork’s first offensive snap. Marcus Hoeflich then found Nash Evans for a 28-yard touchdown. Hoeflich completed all three of his passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns, while Sellers topped 100 yards rushing and added a touchdown on a fumble return. Clear Fork held Otsego’s triple-option offense to 169 total yards and no completions, a week after the Knights put up 63 points against Van Wert.

“Playing composed and being aggressive is a delicate balance,” Clear Fork coach Aaron Brokaw after the win, the Colts’ first in the playoffs since 2022. Sellers pointed to the work behind the streak. “Our defense has a lot of discipline,” Sellers was referring towards crediting a system the coaching staff has built over several seasons

Ottawa-Glandorf went 9-0 in the Western Buckeye League and is 6-0 at home. The Titans beat Medina Buckeye 28-14 in the quarterfinals and have scored at least 22 points in every game this season. They’ve also shown they can win tight games, beating Wapakoneta 27-24 and Celina 22-20.

For Clear Fork, first down will matter on both sides of the ball. Early stops would put Ottawa-Glandorf in longer third downs and give the Colts a chance to get off the field before the Titans can settle into a rhythm. On offense, steady gains from Sellers would keep the playbook open for Hoeflich, whose two touchdown passes against Otsego showed how quickly Clear Fork can turn a handful of passing opportunities into points.

A fourth straight shutout would be remarkable against a team that’s scored 396 points. Clear Fork can put itself in position to win by limiting big plays, protecting the football and turning its best drives into touchdowns. The Colts did all three against Otsego. Doing it on the road against the top seed could earn them a spot in the regional final.