CLOVERDALE >> Robert McLean”s 23-yard touchdown run with a little more than three minutes left in the game sent the Kelseyville Knights to a 21-14 victory over the Cloverdale Eagles in North Central League I varsity football action on Friday night at Daly Field.
The Knights (1-1 league, 4-1 overall) won without head coach Mike McGuire, who was not on the sidelines for the game.
“No comment,” Kelseyville assistant coach Lou Poloni said when asked about McGuire”s absence.
Poloni served as acting head coach while Mike Lyndall ran the offense in place of McGuire.
Kelseyville quarterback Noah Lyndall passed for 91 yards and two touchdowns, completing a 20-yard scoring strike to Devin Dugger in the second quarter and a 12-yard pass to Tyler Riewerts in the third quarter.
Cloverdale led 7-0 after one quarter but Kelseyville tied the game at 7 before halftime. The Knights moved out to a 14-7 lead in the third quarter before Cloverdale scored to tie it at 14 with just more than eight minutes remaining in the game.
McLean was the workhorse on the ground for the Knights, gaining 153 yards on 25 carries.
“Noah probably had the best game he”s ever had,” Poloni said of Lyndall, who has thrown at least one touchdown pass in every game this season. He also played well on defense, intercepting a pass and recording one of two Kelseyville sacks — Riewerts had the other.
“It was as complete a team effort as you could have,” Poloni said. “The guys were banged up and cramping up, but they battled to a win.”
Cloverdale is now 1-1 in league and 3-2 overall.
The Knights host Fort Bragg (1-1, 3-2) next Friday.
