LAKEPORT — The undisputed champions in the North Central League I South are also undefeated through the first 10 games of the 2007 season.
Capping a 9-0-1 regular season, the Clear Lake Cardinals also went unscored upon Friday night as they routed the St. Helena Saints 36-0 at Don Owens Stadium in Clear Lake. Though the game had a definite nasty streak — the two teams combined for nearly 250 yards in penalties, many of them for late hits and unsportsmanslike conduct — it was merely a footnote to the underlying theme of the evening, the Cardinals” first undefeated regular season since 1973 (9-0) and a chance to land a first-round home game in next week”s North Coast Section Class A playoffs.
“We”ll shoot for the third seed (in the eight-team field) and hopefully come away with a home game,” Clear Lake coach Glenn “Milo” Meyer said moments after completing his best regular season since taking over the Cardinals” program in 1997.
“We didn”t start the season with many kids and we had to stay healthy. We did that for the most part,” Meyer said.
Clear Lake offensive coordinator Rik Hayes was a starting lineman on Clear Lake”s 1973 squad. Thirty-four years and six presidents later he once again was enjoying the celebration taking place the field.
“These guys have worked really, really hard to get to this point,” Hayes said. “I couldn”t be prouder of them.”
Clear Lake clinched the outright NCL I South championship with the victory, its first South title after a runner-up finish to St. Helena a year ago. In fact, the Cardinals are 13-0-1 since their last loss, an 18-8 setback to the Saints last season in St. Helena.
“We”ve had three different South champions in three years, so I think we have a pretty good league,” Meyer said with an eye toward Sunday”s seeding meeting in Walnut Creek.
Could an undefeated team like Clear Lake possibly end up without a home game in the first round of the playoffs next weekend?
“Better not,” Meyer said.
The Cardinals” undefeated regular season was never in question Friday night against the Wing-T Saints. Clear Lake stopped the St. Helena on a fourth-down play near midfield early in the first quarter and had an 8-0 lead six plays later when quarterback Jameson Holder, the target of the Saints” defense all night, lofted a 33-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Erik Jameson, who beat a single St. Helena defender. Collin Coddington rushed for the two-point conversion.
Clear Lake wouldn”t need any more points to beat the Saints but continued to pad its lead throughout the game.
The Cardinals went up 14-0 early in the second quarter on Holder”s 4-yard run. Holder struck again, this time on a 20-yard run, to cap a 60-yard drive early in the third quarter. His pass to Christian Coddington on the conversion made it 22-0.
Holder”s big night continued later in the quarter when he again found Christian Coddington alone in the end zone, this time on a 26-yard touchdown pass for a 28-0 lead.
Travis Stockton”s 29-yard run late in the fourth quarter gave Clear Lake a little more breathing room.
Holder rushed for 54 yards and two touchdown and went 3-for-7 passing for 87 yards and two more TDs. He also intercepted a pass, the Cardinals” 18th pick of the season, to keep St. Helena out of the end zone in the waning moments of the game.
“We bend, but we never break,” Meyer said of Clear Lake”s second straight shutout.
Clear Lake”s defense also produced two sacks while yielding 194 yards overall, though a good chunk of those came well after the game had long been decided.
St. Helena finishes up 1-3 in the South standings and 2-8 overall.
