UPPER LAKE — The stage is set for one heck of a season finale between the Upper Lake and St. Helena junior varsity football teams.
Upper Lake moved to within a victory of claiming the North Central League I South championship on Saturday with a 16-0 win over the Cloverdale Eagles at Upper Lake.
Bradley Brackett rushed for 77 yards and two touchdowns and Ward Beecher added 53 yards and a conversion run as the Cougars improved to 3-0 in the league standings and 8-1 overall.
Upper Lake faces a 9-0 St. Helena club — also 3-0 in league — on Friday night in St. Helena, a winner-take-all contest as far as the South title is concerned.
Stopping the Eagles cold on defense were Upper Lake defensive tackle James O”Connor, who had three sacks, the final one for a 15-yard loss, and a blocked punt; linebacker David Pyle, who had four solo tackles and two assists; defensive end Joe Valdez, who had four tackles and four assists; cornerback Travis Coleman, who had an interception in the fourth quarter; and defensive end Daniel Driskel, who did a great job of not allowing Cloverdale”s running backs to get to the outside, according to head coach Frank Gudmundson.
