The Clear Lake Falcons started 2016 with a pair of non-district losses and finished with four-consecutive District 24-6A setbacks. In the middle, they won 3-of-4 games and ended the season with a 3-7 record.
Though Clear Lake clearly had an abundance of youth on its roster, the Falcons opened district with a 27-17 win at Alvin and won its next road game at Clear Falls.
Clear Lake, led last year by sophomore quarterback Shae Suiaunoa, averaged 18.8 points a game while allowing just over 33 per game — that average brought up by big losses to Dickinson, Friendswood, Clear Brook and Clear Springs.
Key Losses
WR Matt Nance, RB Cody Turner
Nance and Turner were second-team all-district performers last season.
Key Returners
QB Shae Suiaunoa, WR Ja’Kori Morgan, DE Rian Davis
Suiaunoa has good size at 6-4, 195, and showed last year he also has pretty good poise. Suiaunoa passed for 189 yards a game and 10 touchdowns on the year, and he led the team with 504 rushing yards and a big 72-yard touchdown run. He was named the district’s Newcomer of the Year and has two more seasons at the helm.
The quarterback will operate behind three big offensive linemen returning — seniors Akin Magbagbeola (6-1, 275) and Frank Fillip (6-6, 255) and junior Allen Leiato (6-2, 285).
Davis was an all-district pick as a sophomore and Morgan was a first-team all-district wide receiver as a junior.
Verdict
Clear Lake enters 2017 with lots of players who saw lots of time on the field last season. The offense will run through junior quarterback Shae Suiaunoa, who gained more confidence as 2016 wore on.
The offense will be loaded heading into the season with a veteran line and first-team all-district receiver Ja’Kori Morgan.
The Falcons could fly high into district play with non-district tune-ups against Baytown Sterling, Texas City and Fort Bend Clements.
District starts at home against Alvin before a crucial road game at Dickinson. It’s not unrealistic to see the Falcons start the season 4-0 before Dickinson, and it’s easy to see Clear Lake win four district games to qualify for the playoffs, which would end a nearly decade-long drought.
The Falcons have only made the playoffs one season (2008) since the state semifinal appearance in 2004.
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