CHS will host Clear Lake this Friday
The varsity football Eagles suffered their first loss of the fall campaign on Friday in the league opener at perennial power St. Helena, falling to an unbeaten Saints squad, 41-13.
The setback pushed Cloverdale’s overall record to 3-1 and 0-1 in the NCL-1, but more importantly served as a reality check for an Eagles team with playoff aspirations. “It was definitely was not our best effort,” CHS head coach Chad Prieskorn said. “It was a big game and we started off playing great defense but we became flat before half and let it slip away.”
The Eagles will try to right the ship this Friday, Oct. 2, when they host visiting Clear Lake. Kickoff times for the JV and varsity are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
Saints defense dominant
Cloverdale’s vaunted running game found the sledding tough against a swarming St. Helena defense on Friday, setting the tone for a long night.
Following a scoreless opening quarter, the Saints drew first blood early in the second period on a successful 25-yard field goal. St. Helena went up by two scores on their next possession, capping a good drive with a 13-yard scoring pass for a 10-0 lead.
The Eagles climbed back into the game on their next series, as quarterback Chris Harms directed a march culminating in a nine-yard touchdown strike to big-play receiver Marcus Poe. The PAT kick failed and the Saints led 10-6. St. Helena regained momentum before the half, connecting on a 56-yard scoring pass to grab a 17-6 lead at the break.
Things unraveled quickly for Cloverdale in the third quarter, as the Saints gained separation with a pair of scores, including a four-yard run and a 15-yard pass to give St. Helena a decisive 31-6 advantage at the end of three.
The Eagles answered another Saints field goal in the fourth quarter, when star running back Luke Bernardi busted loose for a 46-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 34-13. The Saints finished off an explosive night with a 41-yard touchdown run en route to a 41-13 victory.
“St. Helena played very well and made it tough for us to move the ball, but if we expect to beat good teams we have to mature and find a way to be productive on both sides of the ball, even when things aren’t clicking,” Prieskorn said. “There’s a lot of season left and we will bounce back.”
Offensive leaders for the Eagles included Harms (13-23, 215 yards passing, TD, 2-15 yards rushing), Luke Bernardi (18-109 yards rushing, TD, 5-20 yards receiving), Mason Meier (6-10 yards rushing), Poe (6-168 yards receiving, TD) and Adrian Bernardi (2-27 yards receiving). There were no defensive stats available.
JV stays unbeaten
The Eagles JV squad (4-0, 1-0) kept its unbeaten streak alive with an impressive 38-12 win over St. Helena.
Cloverdale scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 67-yard TD pass from James Wirt to Brandon Grady, and never looked back. Grady found pay dirt in every phase of the game, including a 72-yard interception return, 64-yard punt return, and a 27-yard field goal kick. Buck Hunt had a 15-yard scoring reception, while Shane Scalese scored on a seven-yard run.
“We said it at the beginning of the season and all of these boys have backed it up – we want nothing less than a league championship banner on the gym wall,” JV coach Tim Duarte said. “They took the first step on Friday night, beating a tough St. Helena team.”
