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PLAIN CITY - Led by Justin Straight, the Clinton-Massie defense stymied Jonathan Alder on a chilly, rainy Friday night and allowed the Falcons to complete a perfect regular season with a 15-7 victory over the Pioneers.

The Falcons (10-0) now look to the playoffs and a week 11 confrontation at Frank Irelan Field in the state football playoffs. The official playoff pairings will be announced Sunday afternoon by the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

"I'd say that was one of the best games I've ever been a part of in 23 years of coaching," said Clinton-Massie head coach Dan McSurley. "To be part of a 10-0 season, this is my second at Massie ... ever. I'm just happy for all the coaches and the seniors."

The victory for the Falcons snapped an Alder home-field winning streak dating back to the first week of the 2002 season. At Volunteer Field, Alder had won 33 straight games since a Week 1 loss in 2002 to Marion Local.

The Falcons' defense dominated the game right from the start, holding Alder to just 15 yards in the first half. Straight had five tackles, including two for loss, to pace the Falcons in the opening two quarters.

For the game, the Pioneers managed 101 yards, but 52 of those yards came on the first drive of the second half as they climbed back in it temporarily. The Falcons led 9-0 at the half, but Alder took the opening kick and marched right down field to make it a 9-7 game.

The Massie offense, though, answered that and took the wind out of the Pioneers' Conastoga. On the ensuring kickoff, Koty Burton returned the ball to the Alder 34. Jordan Scanlon, the leading rusher on the night with 122 yards on 26 carries, burst through the line for a big gain. Massie worked the ball inside the 5 and had it second and goal from the 1.

Logan McCormick, who scored on the first drive of the game on a 64-yard option keeper, leaped over the lines and into the end zone for an apparent touchdown on the next play. However, an offside penalty by Alder erased that score. On the next play, McCormick again leaped over the line only to have a CM procedure penalty erase that touchdown.

With the ball back at the 5, a second and goal run by Scanlon was off right tackle and into the end zone to make it a 15-7 Falcon lead.

"When they scored and we came back with that kickoff return by Koty Burton, then Jordan popped one ... that answer right there, they weren't able to get any momentum," McSurley said.

The Clinton-Massie offense gained only 262 yards of its own - all on the ground behind the stellar line play of Corby Running, Mike Stenger, Andrew Fisher, Paul Singleton, Willie Hart and Kyle Robinson.

"We knew we had to run between the tackles and that's what we did against a very stout defense," said McSurley. "I have to give it up to the offensive line. They played like a bunch of mules, plowing their way through the mud."

Add just enough offense and with solid special teams play and the Pioneers were in poor field position most of the night. Whether is was McCormick punting or the return game of Burton and McCormick, the special teams were effective.

However, the two special teams plays of the night were turned in by Andrew Fisher and Kristian Avery. With Clinton-Massie leading 6-0 late in the first half, Fisher came on to the field as the kicker and booted a 35-yard field goal to make it a 9-0 game.

Avery then capped the win when after he snapped the ball to McCormick by sprinting down field and recovering the muffed punt by Eric Wrightsel with a couple minutes left in the game.

"That's the way it's been all year," McSurley said. "Kids come out of nowhere. It's a lot of fun with all those guys stepping up."

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