MARION — Clear Fork stayed calm at halftime, then took over in the second half to beat Marion Harding 21-7 at Harding Stadium on Sept. 25 in Week 6 action of the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference.
The Colts trailed the momentum battle early in a scoreless first quarter, and Harding struck first in the second quarter with a 10-play, 63-yard drive capped by a Marcus McGary 1-yard touchdown run. McGary broke loose for 38 yards on the drive, and Jackson Payne converted a fourth-and-2 with a 5-yard catch from the 6 to keep the march alive.
Clear Fork answered immediately with a six-play scoring drive that took just two and a half minutes, helped along by a pair of 15-yard penalties on the Presidents. After Trey Sellers broke a 26-yard run to the 1-yard line, Alex Schlosser punched it in to tie the game 7-7 heading into halftime.
“There was some yelling and correction going on at halftime, but it was more of our guys getting their confidence and playing like they are capable of,” Clear Fork coach Aaron Brokaw said. “We needed to clean that up in the second half.”
The Colts delivered. Harding managed just three first downs in the final two quarters as Clear Fork’s defense clamped down. Marcus Hoeflich scored on a 48-yard keeper, and Sellers added a 1-yard touchdown late to put the game away.
Harding (4-2, 2-1) will look to bounce back after the home loss. Clear Fork’s second-half adjustments and ball control made the difference in a matchup that stayed tight for the first 24 minutes.
