Cloverdale hosts Middletown Friday in home grid finale
The Cloverdale freight train is loaded up with a full head of steam this week after posting a fourth straight win, this one coming in a 42-6 shellacking of host Lower Lake on Oct. 23.
The resounding victory pushed the Eagles’ second-place league mark to 4-1 and 7-1 on the season, keeping them very much in the NCL-1 title hunt with just two games remaining in the regular season.
One need look to the Eagle’s stingy defense and formidable rushing attack as the chief reasons for their success, running the ball at will while controlling the clock and scoreboard.
The Cloverdale defensive unit held Lower Lake to just 95 total yards on Friday.
“We’ve been playing really well up front and it’s been allowing us to operate at a higher level on both sides of the ball,” CHS head coach Chad Prieskorn said, citing the outstanding line play of Jacob Peterson and Travis Kitowski.
Cloverdale’s next test will come in the form of a Friday, Oct. 30 (Senior Night) home clash with perennial power Middletown, the last home date on the schedule before finishing the season at Fort Bragg on Nov. 6. Kickoff times for the JV and varsity are 5 and 7:30 p.m.
The Middletown Mustangs (3-2, 3-4) have endured the worst of circumstances this year following the devastating Valley Fire and have shown tremendous heart on and off the field.
The team is coming off a 7-0 win over Kelseyville in their last outing and will no doubt present a stiff challenge for the Eagles on Friday.
“Middletown is always one of the toughest teams in the NCL-1, they’re disciplined and very physical,” Prieskorn noted. “You always have to play your best game against them.”
Eagles roll over Trojans
The Eagles wasted no time in establishing control of the line of scrimmage in their Oct. 23 visit to Lower Lake, cranking up their vaunted running game in the first quarter.
Senior running backs Luke Bernardi and Mason Meier took advantage of a great push from their offensive line to rip off huge chunks of yardage, leading to a 14-0 lead at the end of one.
Cloverdale would take a 28-0 cushion into the halftime locker room, and iced the contest with another pair of third-quarter touchdowns en route to a 42-6 win.
Bernardi continued an historic campaign in amassing another 200 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, while Meier rushed for more than 100 yards and three scores. Also finding pay dirt was big-play receiver Marcus Poe, who hauled in a scoring pass from quarterback Chris Harms. There were no defensive stats available.
