COLUSA >> COLUSA – The Clear Lake Cardinals are doing the best they can with a small roster, but they couldn’t overcome eight turnovers in a 34-0 loss to the Colusa Redhawks in non-league varsity football action on Friday night in Colusa.
Clear Lake (0-2) threw three interceptions and lost five fumbles, many of those turnovers costing the team a chance at its first offensive score of the 2015 season.
“At least four times,” Clear Lake offensive coordinator Derek Brodnansky said when asked if the Cardinals threatened against Colusa’s defense. “Every time we got down there we either threw an interception or fumbled. It was just one of those game where the kids played hard but we had a lot of bad breaks.”
Colusa led 14-0 after one quarter and 20-0 at halftime. The Redhawks (2-1) added insurance touchdowns in the third and fourth quarters.
Clear Lake generated 164 yards of offense, including 100 through the air as quarterback Tyler Dore completed eight of 14 passes for 100 yards. His favorite targets were Austin Davis (three catches for 45 yards) and John Vertrees (four catches for 30 yards).
Sam Long led the Cardinals on the ground with 36 yards on five carries.
Clear Lake has been outscored 84-7 in its first two games. The team’s only points came on a 77-yard game-opening kickoff return against Durham in Week 1.
“A lot of positive things came out of the game,” Brodnansky said. “We did move the ball and our line played well. It looks like we’ve got some things we can build on.”
The Cardinals probably couldn’t wait to get out of town. Even Clear Lake’s junior varsity club failed to score on Friday, also falling 34-0 to Colusa.
In other action Friday:
Healdsburg at Lower Lake
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans improved to 2-0 on the season after reeling off 21 unanswered points in a 21-14 victory over the Healdsburg Greyhounds, who led 7-0 early in the game. The Trojans had a 21-7 lead when the Greyhounds scored in the fourth quarter with six minutes remaining.
Lower Lake drove the ball for a touchdown only to have it called back on a penalty. Healdsburg had one last chance to score but the Trojans’ defense, which forced six turnovers (four fumbles and two interceptions), held on downs.
Trojans quarterback Hokulani Wickard had to leave the game in the second quarter with a knee injury but returned later in the game, throwing a 34-yard touchdown pass to Kono Geary to give Lower Lake a 21-7 lead.
Lower Lake coach Justin Gaddy said he didn’t know the extent of the injury to Wickard, who finished the game 13-for-30 for 193 yards and two touchdowns.
“Well know more after today,” Gaddy said.
Marlon Jones had four receptions for 84 yards and Geary caught three passes for 84 yards. Ethan Watson had a five-yard touchdown reception for Lower Lake’s first points of the game.
Eric Egger recovered three fumbles for the Trojans and intercepted a pass. He also was among the team’s leading tacklers with five solo stops and four assists.
Lower Lake has beaten two straight Sonoma County League opponents at home by the same 21-14 score (they defeated El Molino a week earlier at Gordon Sadler Field). The Trojans can close out a perfect preseason next Friday when they hit the road to play a winless Elsie Allen team in Santa Rosa.
No other details were available at press time because of the length of the game.
Lower Lake’s JVs won their first game of the season, 28-0.
