DURHAM — The Clear Lake Cardinals finished the game inside Durham”s 10-yard line while falling 27-20 to the Trojans in a non-league varsity football thriller Friday night at Durham.
It was the season opener for the Cardinals (0-1), who threw three incomplete passes inside the 10 before time ran out.
“If we had scored we were going for two (on the conversion),” Clear Lake coach Milo Meyer said. “We had already made that decision.”
Clear Lake took a 20-19 lead into the fourth quarter and held it until Durham reserve quarterback Hayden Southam, filling in for injured starter Josh Heath, threw a ball deep down the field in the direction of wide receiver Zach Marks. Two Clear Lake players collided trying to make the play and the ball ricocheted off one of them and right to Marks, who scored on the 40-yard play. The Trojans added the two-point conversion on a pass to go up 27-20.
Durham also scored on a 70-yard pass play, Heath connecting with Marks, to cut Clear Lake”s lead to 20-19 late in the third quarter. The Trojans misfired on the extra-point kick.
Clear Lake”s touchdowns came on a 7-yard pass from Kenny Henninger to David Mansell in the first quarter, Luke Punzalan”s 1-yard run in the third quarter, and Andre Buendia”s 2-yard run later in the same period.
Punzalan finished with 163 yards on 19 carries and Mansell had five catches for 77 yards.
“We got off to a good start and got a lot of things done,” Meyer said. “The kids did good, we just made some mental mistakes.”
Durham”s Ryley Haugh had two interceptions, including a 70-yard return for a touchdown in the second quarter.
