Clear Fork kicks off season of high expectations with win over Madison

Bellville — The Clear Fork Colts had anticipated the 2026 season, as the senior team had been on a varsity soccer field since four years prior. The Colts welcomed the season on Friday, August 14 with a 7-1 victory over Madison Rams in Friday Night Futbol. Setser scored two goals and provided an assist for the Colts, while McAuley and Beachy each contributed one goal and one assist, Sendal, Weikle and Walter each had one goal, and Annis contributed an assist.

Setser acknowledged that they had been preparing for Madison all summer, knowing they faced a strong opponent. After leading 3-0 at half-time, the Colts ultimately secured their win through four unanswered goals. The Colts coach, Nate Gailey, expressed that the team initially played a different style than their usual, but improved in the second half.

Madison, on the other hand, entered the season with only one player having any varsity experience following the graduation of 14 seniors from the 2025 squad. Despite this, the Rams coach, Tim Lord, expressed optimism and expected to win every game. The Rams will rebound with a home game against Shawnee on August 19, aiming to build on their promising start.

Gailey highlighted the high expectations surrounding the season, which include riding the momentum from two district championships and a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference title the previous year. The senior class, comprising 13 players, expressed excitement about the upcoming season, believing that the sky is the limit. Clear Fork secured their win by traveling to Central Christian on August 18 to continue their focus on accumulating victories.