Unbeaten Cloverdale faces stern test at St. Helena on Friday
The varsity football Eagles played their best game of the young season on Friday in a much anticipated clash at Recreation Park in Healdsburg, jumping all over the host Greyhounds in a decisive 47-6 victory.
The win pushed the Eagles’ season record to a perfect 3-0 and propels them into the NCL-1 opener this Friday, Sept. 25 at perennial power St. Helena. Kickoff times for the JV and varsity are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
No doubt, Friday’s meeting with the Saints will be no easy task, and represents a litmus test for a Cloverdale team with title aspirations.
“This will be quite possibly our toughest game this season,” CHS head coach Chad Prieskorn predicted. “To win this game we need to ‘tighten it up’ this week – we’re sloppy at times – and we have to continue to improve as a team. If we control the line of scrimmage and continue to play fast on defense we should give ourselves a good chance to win.”
Eagles ambush Hounds
Friday’s clash with Healdsburg was the first in two decades between schools, and featured a huge Cloverdale contingent on hand to cheer on their team. Things started well enough for the Greyhounds, recovering an Eagles fumble in Cloverdale territory early in the first quarter. The drive resulted in a missed 30-yard field goal attempt.
The Eagles, behind a strong push from their offensive line, mounted a bruising running attack featuring star back Luke Bernardi. A three-minute march resulted in a one-yard scoring plunge and a 7-0 lead at the end of one.
Cloverdale blew the game wide open in the decisive second quarter, as quarterback Chris Harms hooked up with receiver Marcus Poe on a 45-yard scoring pass on the first play of the period for a 14-0 advantage. Healdsburg’s hopes unraveled quickly, as the Eagles forced a punt and drove for another touchdown, this one on a 35-yard scoring dagger from Harms to Poe to make it a three possession game.
Disaster struck for the Hounds on their next series when Poe intercepted a pass and took it 40 yards to the house to make it 27-0. The Eagles finished off an explosive half when another Healdsburg fumble led to a seven-yard scoring burst from Bernardi for a 34-0 cushion at the break.
The Greyhounds did not pack it in at intermission, as running back Bryant Herrguth broke loose on a 60-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 34-6. It proved to be the offensive highlight of the night for the Hounds, as Cloverdale got a pair of touchdown runs from cousins Luke (10 yards) and Adrian Bernardi (60 yards) en route to a 47-6 win.
The resounding victory was a welcome result for the Eagles, but it’s the intangibles that have most impressed the coaching staff.
“We’ve played well so far this season, and our kids have played with a lot of passion and heart,” Prieskorn noted. “It’s a common football saying, but we really do leave it all on the field every game.”
Offensive leaders for the Eagles included quarterback Chris Harms (4-6, 126 yards passing, 2 TDs), running backs; Luke Bernardi (21-195, 2 TDs), Adrian Bernardi (4-67 yards, TD), Mason Meier (10-49 yards), Tristin Rege (4-10 yards rushing), and receivers; Marcus Poe (3-111 yards, 2 TDs) and Jaden Mrkvicka (1-15 yards). Kicker Pat Ojeda made good on five PAT kicks.
Leading defenders included Adrian Bernardi (7 tackles, 3 assists), Meier (4, 3), Mrkvicka (3, 1), Luke Bernardi (2, 3), Poe (INT, TD) and Harms (2 assists).
