By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — As the rain slowly subsided, tears began to flow as the finality sunk in. 

Just moments after the final play of the season, a Hail Mary pass that was intercepted in the end zone, Dave Schindler stood in front of his team, searching for words.

As he looked side to side, he saw some players with their heads down, some with eyes closed, others still resonating in a state of shock.

But after taking a closer look at this team, all he saw was a collection of guys who fought and battled to put Clinton Township Clintondale back on the map.

“All I could say is how proud of them I was,” Schindler said following his team’s 27-26 loss to Croswell-Lexington in a Division 4 regional Nov. 14 at home. “They brought Clintondale football back. They showed what kind of program we can have here.”

A year after failing to reach the playoffs, the Dragons rolled to an 8-1 record during the regular season. The lone loss was a 42-38 setback to defending Division 4 champ Marine City High Oct. 3.

And the momentum and success carried right into the playoffs.

In the pre-district round, Clintondale cruised past Madison Heights Lamphere 40-21, and then claimed a district crown the following weekend with a 49-41 upset of an unbeaten Marine City squad that the Dragons hadn’t defeated in eight years.

“I think we came into this season not really knowing what to expect,” Schindler said of his team, which wrapped up play 10-2. “This was probably the toughest schedule we’ve played in years. We had seven Class A schools and a defending state champ.”

“It’s such a successful season, no matter how you look at it,” said senior Dan Sawicki.

“This was such a fun team to be a part of. Everyone got along. We practiced hard and stayed focused on a daily basis, and the results spoke for themselves. … We are very proud of what we accomplished. We deserved and worked for everything we got.”

The game itself was even closer than the final score indicates. The Dragons trailed, took the lead, fell behind and nearly won, all in the game’s final minutes.

After the game, Schindler just smiled, saying, “This was two good teams really battling. It’s too bad somebody had to lose.”

The way things ended was painful for the Dragons, but the ride itself is something Schindler said he and his players would savor forever.

“We won 10 games and a district title,” he said. “Nobody can ever take that from us. … You never know when something like this will end, so you have to enjoy every moment. We did that all season.”

“Back in January, when we started working out and getting ready, we knew this could be something special,” Sawicki added. “Looking back, I think we all knew this was more than just football. We learned about life, about hard work, and about what can happen when you commit to something.”

You can reach Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1038.