The much-anticipated home opener did not go as scripted for the Eagles on Friday, as visiting Kelseyville spoiled the victory party in a 21- 14 setback.
Although the Knights (4-1, 1-1) proved more than a worthy opponent, it was a disappointing outcome for Cloverdale, which fell to 1-1 in league and 3-2 on the year.
On a night of what ifs, the Eagles could only reflect on frequently missed opportunities against Kelseyville, particularly several dropped passes that could have altered the outcome.
“We really didn’t play well on offense, and defensively we played poorly,” Eagles head coach Rick Berry said. “We made many coverage mistakes and just didn’t react well. We’ll need to get more physical up front and execute this week as we take on a very physical Willits team.”
Cloverdale will look to regroup this Friday, Oct. 10 when it visits Willits in a 7:30 p.m. varsity kickoff. The Wolverines (3-2, 1-1) are coming off a 32-8 win over Clear Lake last week and should provide another good test for the Eagles.
Tough night in C-Town
Things started well enough for the Eagles in the Oct. 3 meeting with Kelseyville, as Cloverdale finished off a first-quarter drive with a one-yard scoring plunge from running back Mason Meier. Kicker Ivan Jimenez added the PAT boot and the Eagles led 7-0 at the end of one.
The Knights got rolling in the second quarter, finding pay-dirt midway through the period on a 20-yard pass play to knot the contest at 7-7 at the half.
Despite another Herculean effort from junior running back Luke Bernardi, the Eagle offense failed to capitalize on third-quarter opportunities, as the Knights mounted a scoring drive to grab a 14-7 advantage at the end of three.
Bernardi, who has eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in each of his first five games, brought the crowd to its feet early in the fourth quarter on an electrifying six-yard touchdown scamper to tie the game at 14-all.
But a Cloverdale win was not in the cards this time around, as the Knights mounted a clock-eating, eight minute drive resulting in a 15-yard scoring run to lift them to an eventual 21-14 win.
Bernardi was superman in an Eagles uniform, amassing 237 yards rushing on 26 carries and one touchdown. Other offensive leaders were Mason Meier (rushing TD), and quarterback Greg Scaramella (2-13, 20 yards passing, 1-3 yards rushing).
Leading tacklers included Damon McKinney (14), John Janey (11), Meier (10), Damiyon Tamayo (8), Luis Guterrez (7), Luke Bernardi (4), Adrian Bernardi (4), Maya (3), Nick Scalabrini (2), Travis Kitowski (2), John McMillan (1), and Mike Nicholson (1).
CHS Football schedule
Oct. 10 — 7:30 p.m. vs. Willits at Willits High School
Oct. 17 — 5:30 p.m. vs. Lower Lake at Cloverdale High School
Oct. 24 — 7:30 p.m. vs. Middletown at Middletown High School
Oct. 31 — 7:30 p.m. vs. Fort Bragg at Cloverdale High School
Nov. 7 — 7:30 p.m. vs. St. Helena at Cloverdale High School
