High school football 2022: Malcolm Lane, Clearview off to fast start

A strong start to the season was important to the Clearview Clippers after a winless 2021 and apparently nobody took that to heart more than junior cornerback Malcolm Lane. Lane tied a school record with three interceptions, helping the defense shut out Parma in a 20-0 Week 1 victory. "You know, it's still kind of surreal to me … I'm still getting used to the fact that I could pull that off in a game," Lane said. "Even though that wasn't my expectations before the game started, I'm just really glad that we came up with the W." Clearview went 0-9 last season — 0-7 in the Lorain County League — and allowed 329 points (36.6 per game) with the fewest surrendered being 20 to Parma in the season opener. The defense looked revamped and upgraded this time against the Redmen as Lane's three interceptions in a game matched Tony Montagnese in 1969 and Danny Whitlock in 2002. "We were just kind of laughing about it when he came off with his third and we told him that he had just tied the record," Clippers coach Mike Collier said. "And he almost nearly got No. 4 when he had another pass defense that bounced right to our linebacker for the team's fourth interception. So he had a great night and was all over the place." Clearview earned big computer points after dropping a division — from IV to V — this season and because Parma is a Division II school. The Clippers are No. 1 in Division V, Region 18 — per JoeEitel.com, which uses the same computer points system as the Ohio High School Athletic Association — half a point higher than Milan Edison and a full point better than Coldwater and Oak Harbor. "Wow, that's cool. I didn't even know that to be honest with you," Lane said. "Ever since last season, I feel like we've all got some type of grit. We all hit the weight room and we're working nonstop. We have a lot of talent on this team, a lot of talent on the defensive side, and we wanted to prove it. This is kind of like a revenge season." Lane wasted no time unleashing some of his lingering frustration. "We were playing tight coverage and I really wasn't expecting them to throw the ball," he said of his first-quarter interception. "When I saw the ball coming my way, I knew I had to take my chance and that's why I ended up getting that first one." The second pick came late in the second quarter and helped Clearview preserve the lead and the shutout. "We were just trying to get to the half," Lane said. "We knew we were in a good spot and then I saw the pass come my way and it was exactly like my first one. I saw my chance and I had to go for it again." Lane completed the hat trick in the third quarter. "The last one, when I went back and watched film, I was playing off the guy a little bit, a little bit deep," he said. "I don't know what happened there. I guess the quarterback overthrew him a little bit and when I saw it tip his hand I said, 'Oh, yeah, this is my chance right here.' "Funny thing, I actually ended up catching a cramp. As soon as I caught it and he tackled me I started to cramp up." Lane was feeling no pain once he reached the sideline and was informed he had just set a school record. "I was totally surprised. I was like, 'Are you serious?'" Lane said. While Lane was the Week 1 star, he and Collier agreed that he wasn't the only one making plays on the defensive side of the ball. "It was definitely a team effort," Collier said. "Our defensive line was getting after it all night long, those guys were relentless in their pursuit of the quarterback and our defensive backs … just great coverage. When we weren't intercepting, we were causing hurries or getting sacks, so I'm really proud of how the defensive front worked together with the defensive backfield in that game." Collier was quick to pump the brakes on any kind of celebration for being No. 1 in the region, but admitted the victory felt pretty good. "We're far removed from starting to look at that yet, but it's definitely a great start," he said. "We were excited for the kids first and foremost, but clearly our community holds football and our tradition with the sport in pretty high regard. So for us to get back on track in Week 1 definitely helped (erase some bad memories of 2021). We can kind of take pride in that defensive effort and it definitely gives us something to look forward to and kind of build on." Contact Shaun Bennett at (440) 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com. Like him on Facebook and follow him @ShaunBennettct on Twitter.