LAKEPORT — Camari Onwausoeze returned the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown and Devante Scott added the two-point conversion run just 13 seconds into the game, launching the Lower Lake Trojans to a 26-7 victory over the Clear Lake Cardinals on Friday night in North Central League I interlock varsity football action at Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport.
Lower Lake (5-5) concludes the regular season at .500 while Clear Lake finishes at 3-7.
The Trojans snapped a four-game losing streak behind 79 rushing yards and two touchdowns from Scott. Onwausoeze also had a big night. Along with his kickoff return for a TD to open the game, he had 41 yards rushing, including a 13-yard TD run, and a 42-yard catch on a screen pass that set up another Lower Lake score.
“He had a nice night,” Lower Lake coach Stan Weiper said of the junior running back. “He”s a solid back. He can do a lot of things for you.”
It was the final interlock game between the NCL I North and South divisions this season and perhaps ever as the NCL I returns to a single-division eight-team league next year, of which Clear Lake and Lower Lake will join Middletown, Fort Bragg, Willits, Kelseyville, St. Helena and Cloverdale. St. Vincent are Upper Lake are leaving to form a new NCL II that includes Calistoga and Tomales. This year”s interlock series was the most lopsided ever with North teams going 24-1 against their South rivals (St. Helena beat Lower Lake for the only South win).
Lower Lake built upon its 8-0 lead after one period when Onwausoeze struck again in the second quarter, this time on a 13-yard run, to make it 14-0. Scott scored later in the quarter on a 5-yard run to make it 20-0 at halftime.
Scott”s 1-yard run in the third quarter put the game out of reach.
Clear Lake avoided the shutout when quarterback Jaime Lopez hooked up with wide receiver Tanner Mansell on a 20-yard TD pass in the fourth quarter.
“We came out flat as a team,” Clear Lake coach Schad Schweitzer said. “We didn”t pick it up until after halftime.”
There were a few bright spots for the Cardinals. Sophomores Luke Punzalan and Omar Vazquez, both called up to the varsity last week, contributed in the losing effort. Punzalan registered two sacks while Vazquez rushed for 31 yards, kicked a PAT and nearly a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter that had plenty of distance but missed wide left.
“My sophomores played pretty well,” Schweitzer said.
So did seniors Mansell, who had an interception to go along with three catches for 41 yards and a TD, and Tyler Beets, who opened the game at quarterback and completed five passes.
“You ask him to do something and he does it,” Schweitzer said of Beets.
Weiper said the Trojans were happy to reverse the trend after back-to-back losing seasons.
“We hope to build from that,” he said. “Our JVs did pretty well this year so the future looks bright.”
Senior running back E.J. Jermany led the Trojans with 94 yards rushing in his final high school game.
Lower Lake drove the ball to the Clear Lake 6-inch line late in the first quarter only to be denied by the Cardinals” defense.
Lower Lake”s Justin Simms had two sacks.
