Above: Fisher Knish runs down field after catching a screen pass late in the first half. Out front is Lucas Walechka.
For Jay Pankratz, becoming a member of the Cleveland football team was a life-changing experience.
As a sophomore three years ago, Pankratz was the team’s water boy. A year later, he traded his bottle caddy in for a helmet and shoulder pads.
“I was glad to be part of it,” said the 245-pound lineman. “It changed a lot of things for me…not just thinking I could play football but now doing it. It built my self-esteem by being accepted. It was a good team to stick by and play with all season long.”
After the Clippers fell 37-7 to host Lester Prairie in the first round of playoffs on Tuesday, it was the end of a high school career for Pankratz and the rest of the dozen seniors
For Wyatte Devens, the 2021 season was also about how his new teammates took him in. Devens transferred to Cleveland this fall. Waiting to sort out his eligibility, the senior sat out the first two games and later two more after suffering a leg injury.
“I came in. I was new. They accepted me,” said the 205-pound lineman and linebacker. “They were absolutely amazing teammates. I love them to death. They supported me every single day: in practice, though injury, not being able to play. I couldn’t ask for better teammates, better family.”
For tight end Kolby Gens, the decisive loss was a tough way to end a promising season, but the memories of his time as a Clipper will last a lifetime.
“It was great working alongside everyone else…Going to practice, being with everyone…we always gave it our all, always played through adversity.”
When Carter Dylla was a fledgling seventh grader, his mother thought he was too small to play football, but that didn’t stop him. Dylla, who weighed in at 170 pounds this season, started this fall as a receiver and defensive back, but after a knee injury ended quarterback Jackson Meyer’s high school career—just game and a half into the season—and when freshman Blake Lyons, who replaced Meyer, was injured as well, Dylla took over behind center.
While he was disappointed with how the season turned out, it left a positive mark, he said.
“The bus rides, and being with the guys. It was a big group, and at the beginning of the season after the hope we had after the Wabasha game, going down there and beating them really well... It was a lot of fun. It would have been more fun if we had kept everybody healthy, but it is what it is.”
Meyer said his injury was a hard reminder about not taking anything for granted, but he will remember how the Clippers made adjustments as injuries impacted their lineup.
“How the team adapted to losing me and how they overcame every challenge that they could by throwing Fisher (senior Fisher Knish) and Tanyon (junior Tanyon Hoheisel) in as running backs, and then Blake getting hurt and having Carter step up. Seeing how they’ve come together as a team was the biggest part.”
Like for his classmates, a takeaway also for Meyer was the strong camaraderie that ran through the team.
“Every step of the way, every practice, every team bonding session that we’ve had…that’s what means the most to me, and I’ll never forget it,” he said. “I appreciate every single one of the players and what they’ve done for the team. It’s unfortunate I didn’t get to finish the season, but I’m thankful for the coaches and all the teammates and parents.”
The Clippers' only touchdown came with 7:45 left in the game. After Knish scooped a Lester Prairie fumble and carried it 22 yards, he hauled in a Dylla screen pass and took it to the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown. Henry Strobel followed up with a PAT boot.
But it was all Bulldogs before that. They scored in their first possession on an 18-yard pass. They scored on their next possession too, this time on a 30-yard run. After blocking a Clipper punt in the second quarter, they took over at the Cleveland 1 and quickly scored to go up 18-0.
The Clippers stopped all point-after runs but trailed 25-0 after giving up another touchdown and PAT kick with 39 seconds in the half.
Foreshadowing the Clipper touchdown, Dylla hooked up with Knish on a screen pass for 35 yards that put the ball on the Lester Prairie 20, but time ran out on the Clippers, and they were down 25-0 at the break.
The Bulldogs scored after the second half kickoff on a 41-yard run. Later in the third quarter, they intercepted a Dylla pass and returned it 70 yards for their fifth touchdown.
Dylla completed seven of 18 pass attempts for 114 yards. Knish pulled down three passes for 99 yards and carried the ball 19 times for 71 yards. Colin Krenik had three catches for 9 yards.
Hoheisel had two carries for 5 yards while Strobel caught one pass for 6 yards and had two carries for 7 yards. Dylla had two keepers for 6 yards.
Defensively for the seniors, Dylla had three solo tackles and four assists. Cade Kriha had two solos and two assists. Knish had two solos and six assists. Lucas Walechka had three solos and two assists. Jacob Anderley had one solo and one assist. Krenik had five solos and one assist. Pankratz had two solos and two assists and forced a fumble. Devens had two assists.
Among the underclassmen, Hoheisel had two solos and three assists. Carter Barto had one solo and one assist. Strobel had one solo and three assists. Kale Kelley had two solos and one assist. Nick Simonette had one solo and one assist. Brady Bostic had one assist. Gabe Sullivan had two assists and forced a fumble.
Head coach Erik Hermanson was proud of the 12 seniors, including Kaleb Timlin as well as the injured Meyer and Tommy Kennedy.
“They were people who all the way through were dedicated, put in the work and came to play. They were a great bunch of guys too. You never had to worry about them for anything except for coming and doing their best. That’s a fun team to coach and great kids to be around.”
Gabe Sullivan and Tanyon Hoheisel team up for a tackle while Fisher Knish and Lucas Walechka move in to help.
Receiver-turned QB, Carter Dylla threw for 118 yards.
Colin Krenik switches directions after pulling in a pass.
Jacob Anderley fights through a block.
Henry Strobel on the run.
Cade Kriha took a couple hard hits to finish this tackle.
Jay Pankratz gets held back after forcing a fumble. Diving in is Lucas Walechka.
Tanyon Hoheisel on the run.
It was an emotional end of the game for the seniors. Shown here are, from L-R, Kolby Gens, Jacob Anderley, Fisher Knish, Cade Kriha, Kaleb Timlin, Jay Pankratz, Lucas Walechka and Jackson Meyer.
Before heading back to the bus, the seniors posed for one last photo. They are, from L-R, front row: Wyatte Devens, Kaleb Timlin, Fisher Knish, Tommy Kennedy and Jay Pankratz. Back row: Jackson Meyer, Colin Krenik, Carter Dylla, Lucas Walechka, Kolby Gens, Jacob Anderley and Cade Kriha.
Fisher Knish’s touchdown catch and run in the fourth quarter gave the bib girls at least something to cheer about.