CLOVERDALE — The Lower Lake High School defense applied all kinds of pressure, sacking Cloverdale”s quarterback five times and intercepting him once, and the Trojans” rushing game rolled up more than 300 yards on Friday night in a 26-6 victory over the host Eagles in a North Central League I interlock varsity football game.
“Hopefully we”re seeing the defense rounding into shape,” Lower Lake coach Stan Weiper said of the Trojans” victory, one that gives them a two-game winning streak and a 4-1 overall record heading into next Friday”s NCL I North opener against Fort Bragg at Lower Lake.
“I told them we can compete for this thing and I think they”re starting to see that we can,” Weiper said.
Quarterback Devante Scott rushed for 127 yards and two touchdowns and E.J. Jermany added 97 yards on 18 carries to spark the Lower Lake running attack. Camari Onwausoeze and Jack O”Hara also ran for TDs. Onwausoeze”s 17-yard scamper with 2:14 remaining in the game sealed the victory for the Trojans.
“We drove deep into their territory and fumbled on our previous possession, so it was nice to put it away there,” Weiper said.
Using a quarterback platoon of Scott and Joseph Taylor worked well for the Trojans. Taylor completed four of seven passes for 60 yards, and he also hooked up with Scott for a two-point conversion after Scott”s 1-yard run in the first quarter. That gave Lower Lake an 8-0 lead.
The Trojans scored again on their second possession of the game, O”Hara capping a long drive with a 2-yard run to make it 14-0.
Cloverdale scored on a 46-yard, fourth-and-long screen pass a few minutes later to make it 14-6. Lower Lake got those six points back before halftime on a Scott 29-yard run.
“Scott is a tough runner and he gives our offense an outside threat,” Weiper said. “Onwausoeze ran well too. He got a couple of big third-down conversions.”
Cody Torres had two of the Trojans” five sacks while Jermany, O”Hara and Derek Hardin had one apiece.
