Shelby claims outright MOAC title, playoff spot with win over Clear Fork

SHELBY — Owen Fisher is just 5-7 and weighs 175 pounds. On Friday night, the bulk of the Shelby junior’s weight was heart.

Fisher rushed past, around and through Clear Fork defenders, finishing with 203 yards on 35 carries and three touchdowns as the Whippets claimed the outright Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference title with a 35-25 win.

As the two rivals lined up and shook hands after the game, veteran Clear Fork defensive coordinator Mike Carroll sought out Fisher and spoke to him.

“He said I was his kind of ballplayer,” Fisher said. “That means a lot coming from him. They have a great program at Clear Fork and coming from that coach … it means a lot.

“I just felt like I had to pick it up (tonight). I had a rough couple of past weeks. Every time (my coaches) give me the ball, that means they’re putting their confidence in me and I don’t want to let them down,” Fisher said.

Fisher carried the ball eight times for 66 yards in Shelby’s final drive, scoring from 16 yards out as the Whippets put the game away with just 1:20 left to play.

His performance left both coaches impressed.

“We are just able to trust Owen, especially on that last drive,” Shelby coach Rob Mahaney said, watching his team celebrate the league title and playoff-clinching win on their home field in his first year as the team’s coach. “We said, ‘Let’s just put the ball in his hands and let him make plays.”

Mahaney said he knew Fisher was something special shortly after he arrived in Shelby this spring, coming over after a successful stint at Mapleton.

“In the first workout, he catches your eye. In the second workout, he didn’t change. The third time, you say he could be really special. That was all in the weight room. Then you get out on the field for the first time in July and you just know you have a special player. He is a really good football player … the total package,” Mahaney said.

Clear Fork coach Dave Carroll, whose team had won the MOAC the past two seasons, praised Fisher’s work.

“He is a tremendous running back. We worked all week on making sure we’re not just hitting … that we are bringing the arms, wrapping up, grabbing jersey. If you don’t, he just keeps going,” Carroll said.

“He just a phenomenal running back … tough, tough, tough. He epitomizes it ain’t the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the (size) of the fight in the dog,” Carroll said.

The win improves Shelby to 7-3 on the season, alone atop the MOAC standings at 5-1. Galion lost a chance to share the league title, finishing 4-2 in the league after a 55-44 loss at Marion Pleasant on Friday.

Three MOAC teams have earned playoff spots with Shelby and Galion (8-2) in Division IV and Pleasant (8-2) in Division V.

Clear Fork (6-4, 3-3) still has life in Division IV, though the Colts may need 1-8 Cleveland East Tech to defeat University School (5-4) on Saturday to get in. The Colts have a slim lead over Bellvue (6-4) for the eighth and final spot in Region 14, but the Redmen defeated University School back in week two and stand to add second-level points if the Preppers win on Saturday.

HYPE MET: The battle at William J. Wilkins Stadium at W.W. Skiles Field lived up to the pre-game hype.

There were five lead changes during the game, which saw Clear Fork jump out to a 12-0 lead in the first five minutes on scoring passes from senior QB Brennan South to senior Gabe Blauser (71 yards) and senior Elijah Hughes (14 yards).

Shelby, however, battled back to take a 14-12 lead on a 3-yard TD pass from senior QB McGwire Albert and a 1-yard run by Fisher, the second score coming with 10:25 left in the second quarter.

The Colts regained the lead at 18-14 with 5:52 left in the second quarter on a 1-yard run by South. Undaunted, Shelby mounted a 13-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard by Fisher with 1:03 left before half, giving the Whippets a 21-18 lead at the break.

Clear Fork regained the lead late in the third quarter after senior Collin Crider intercepted an Albert pass and returned it to the Shelby 11-yard line. South scored on a 1-yard run and the Colts led 25-21 with 3:49 left in the period.

The Whippets then took advantage of a Colts’ mistake, recovering a muffed punt at the Clear Fork 45-yard line with 18 seconds left in the third.

Shelby covered the distance in five plays, scoring on a 12-yard run by Albert, who used all of his 6-foot-5 frame to dive for the pylon with 10:19 left to play, putting the Whippets back on top, 28-25.

The Colts couldn’t take advantage of a huge opportunity with 7:35 remaining when junior Ashton Lyon picked off an Albert pass and returned it to the Shelby 14-yard line.

Clear Fork gained just two yards on three plays, narrowly missing tying the game when a 34-yard field goal attempt slid just right of the uprights with 6:40 remaining.

CHAMPIONS AGAIN: It’s the 22nd time Shelby has won a conference title in its storied football history. Mahaney, who won two playoff games at Mapleton, gives all credit to his players, especially the seniors, who were sophomores when the Whippets made it to the state semifinals.

“I am proud of these seniors … I love these seniors. Standing out here on this field tonight celebrating … they will remember this forever.

“It feels good, but for me, it is about these kids. Our coaches work their butts off to put us in this position, but the kids do, too. I see our seniors taking pictured as MOAC champs and I couldn’t be more proud to be their head coach,” Mahaney said.

Carroll, who led the Colts to the regional finals last year, was also proud of his team.

“I thought our kids fought. That was two really good high school football teams, fighting tooth and nail the whole game. We just made a couple too many mistakes to pull it out,” he said.

“We will meet at the high school (Saturday) at 9 a.m. just like we always do. We told the kids not to put their cleats away yet. There is still a chance we could make the playoffs,” Carroll said.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Shelby out-gained Clear Fork in total yards, 345-252. The Whippets had 262 yards rushing on 49 carries, compared to 54 on 16 attempts by the Colts.

Albert completed 14 of 25 passes for 83 yards, with one TD and three interceptions. South connected on 11 of 29 passes for 198 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. South also led the Colts with 39 yards on 12 carries.