There are times on a football field when a well-played loss feels better than a poorly played win.
The varsity football Eagles had one of those games in their Oct. 22 visit to perennial power Middletown, battling the Mustangs tooth and nail before eventually falling, 6-3.
The setback left Cloverdale with a 2-3 record in league and 4-3 overall, while Middletown improved to 4-1 in the NCL1 and 5-3 on the season.
“We played a heck of a football game between the 20’s, but just couldn’t score on some of our opportunities,” Eagle’s head coach Greg Alexander said. “Our offensive line did very well, allowing us to run the ball against them.”
Cloverdale was originally scheduled to play Lower Lake this week, but the Trojans were forced to cancel the game due to COVID issues. The Eagles scrambled to find another team to play, with Montgomery stepping in this week take the open date.
The Vikings (5-3), one of the top teams in the North Bay League, represent a formidable challenge for the Eagles as a much larger school, entering the game fresh off a 50-7 win over Piner on Friday.
“Montgomery is an (NCS) Division 2 team so we’ll be playing up five divisions,” Alexander noted. “We’ve got our work cut out, but I think if we play well it should help us in the long run.”
Eagles’ defensive battle
Friday’s visit to Middletown was a game for defensive aficionados, with both teams digging in for what would be a hard-nosed, grind-it-out four-quarter battle.
Both teams had their chances in a scoreless first half, with neither able to cash in as the game moved to the third quarter in a scoreless tie.
The Eagles broke the deadlock midway through the third period when senior kicker David Alvarez booted a short field goal to put his team up 3-0.
But Middletown would not go quietly, avoiding the upset with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter to retake the lead, 6-3.
Eagles’ quarterback Caden Axell directed an impressive drive with two minutes left in the game, but the Mustangs would kill the threat to preserve a 6-3 victory.
“Caden played a great game, his best of the season,” Alexander said about his junior quarterback. “He threw the ball more than he has all year.”
Axell led the air attack with 12 completions on 14 pass attempts for 118 yards. Although no other stats were available, other offensive leaders included receiver Gabe Wlodarczyk, and running backs Ayal Fitchelberg, Diesel Cavallo and Dylan Muller.
