Cloverdale pushes record to 2-0; visits Montgomery on Saturday
The varsity football Eagles stayed unbeaten in preseason action on Friday, easily dispatching the visiting Novato Hornets, 35-6.
The win completed a clean sweep over the Hornets, with the Cloverdale JV squad posting a 13-7 win in the early game.
Although there was plenty of room for improvement for the Eagles, head coach Greg Alexander was happy with his team’s overall performance.
“I’m obviously pleased that we won,” he said. “We were very efficient in the passing game and our offensive and defensive lines controlled the game. But we put the ball on the ground way too much and the turnovers were disappointing. Without the turnovers I think we put the game away in the first half.”
Due to a change in the schedule, the Eagles will face a huge litmus test this Saturday, Sept. 8 when they visit the Montgomery Vikings in Santa Rosa. Cloverdale was originally scheduled to host Healdsburg, but the Greyhounds shut down their varsity season due to low numbers.
“Montgomery is going to be a challenge,” Alexander noted. “Their receiving corps is an absolute nightmare — they’re fast, long, athletic and catch the ball very well. We need to get pressure with our front four and disrupt the quarterback’s timing. This is the best team we’ll play all year and we’ll need to execute offensively and truly cannot turn the ball over,” he added.
Eagles in a rout
Cloverdale controlled Friday’s meeting with Novato from the opening gun, as quarterback Shayne Turner directed his team on three short scoring drives, with the bulk of the damage being done on the ground by running back Jone Wesele.
The Eagles opened up a three touchdown advantage in the first half and never looked back after intermission in cruising to a 35-6 romp.
Also turning in strong outings for the Eagles were running backs Cesar Buenrostro and Jesus Maciel and defenders Garrett Robertson and Josh Lemley.
