CLOVERDALE — Not only did the Middletown Mustangs fail to score a rushing touchdown for a third week in a row, but they failed to score at all.
Cloverdale”s Tyler Lawson rushed for 168 of the Eagles” 252 yards on the ground and Chayton Osmon scored on a pair of short touchdown runs to lead Cloverdale to an 18-0 North Central League I interlock varsity football victory over the Mustangs on Friday night in Cloverdale.
The Eagles” ball-control ground game kept Middletown”s offense off the field most of the night and the Mustangs (1-2) finished with just 180 total yards.
“We only had the ball three times in the first half,” Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said. “The first time we went three and out, the second time five and out, and then we drove the ball down the field,” Foltmer said.
The Mustangs had a second-and-goal deep inside Cloverdale territory, but the Eagles picked off a Matt Outen pass to end the threat.
“That was our best scoring chance,” Foltmer said.
Cloverdale scored touchdowns in the first, third and fourth quarters. Quarterback Zach Stroud completed a 7-yard pass to Ruben Guzman to make it 6-0. Osman”s 2-yard run in the third quarter made it 12-0 and he added a 5-yard TD run in the fourth quarter.
Outen completed just two of 15 passes for 47 yards, including the drive-ending interception in the second quarter.
Cloverdale”s defense also held Middletown”s standout wide receiver, Dylan Galusa, without a reception. The sophomore had 11 receptions for 288 yards and three TDs in Middletown”s first two games.
More of a concern to Foltmer was the poor play of the Middletown defense.
“We did a terrible job of containing,” Foltmer said. “Our outside people did a terrible job of tackling. Our youth and inexperience really showed tonight.”
Cloverdale, 0-10 last season, improved to 2-1.
The Mustangs have only one returning starter from last year”s 9-2 club.
“It”s back to the drawing board for us,” Foltmer said.
Cloverdale, 0-10 last season, is now 2-1.
