So dang close

The loss still stung two days later, yet, the pride New Hampton coach Scott Frerichs had in his team hadn’t wavered one tiny bit.
Friday’s game between the Chickasaws and Clear Lake had to be one of quietest “district championship” tilts in football history, for almost everyone — with 30-some notable exceptions, the boys wearing the red jerseys and their coaches — figured the No. 2 ranked Lions would roll.
Belief — like toughness, grit and teamwork — goes a long way in football, and there was New Hampton shoving the ball down the Lions’ throats to take a 14-6 lead into the final quarter only to see the dream die, thanks to two late Clear Lake touchdowns.
For more on this story see the October 22 Tribune.