LAKEPORT — Clear Lake High School senior tight end Tyler Beets caught a deflected pass in the end zone for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter Friday night as the Cardinals held off the St. Vincent Mustangs 26-21 in a North Central League I South varsity football game at Don Owens Stadium.
“It was a tight end out-and-up,” Clear Lake coach Schad Schweitzer said of what proved to be the game-winning play.
St. Vincent defensive back Stewart Perry caught a piece of the ball on the fourth-down pass and it ricocheted into the waiting hands of Beets, who also kicked a pair of extra points.
The win moves Clear Lake (2-0, 2-5) atop the NCL I South standings with league games remaining against Upper Lake and St. Helena. St. Vincent falls to 1-1 and 2-5.
“Smiles, smiles I tell you,” Schweitzer said.
After Beets” deflected TD catch, St. Vincent moved the ball into Clear Lake territory but ended up accidentally spiking the ball on a fourth-down play. The Cardinals took over on downs and ran out the clock.
St. Vincent grabbed a 21-20 lead late in the third quarter on a Michael Meiswinkel 77-yard kickoff return and Conor Brown”s extra point kick. Clear Lake had just taken a 20-14 lead on Jamie Lopez”s 3-yard TD run before Meiswinkel put the Mustangs back in front.
Both teams scored touchdowns in each of the first two quarters. Brown”s 8-yard pass to Josh Mehta gave St. Vincent a 7-0 lead, then Lopez countered with a 1-yard run for Clear Lake to make it 7-7.
Clear Lake grabbed a 14-7 lead in the second quarter on quarterback Steve Edward”s 9-yard run, but St. Vincent pulled even at 14 later in the period on a Brown 1-yard run.
