Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a five-part series previewing Lake County’s varsity football teams.
LAKEPORT >> A little more than a year ago Mark Cory was named head coach of a floundering high school football program in Lake County, one that had so much trouble suiting up enough able bodies in 2015 that it actually forfeited two league games.
It was kind of like being handed keys to a car with a broken engine, but Cory, a longtime assistant with a successful Eureka High School program, accepted the assignment with enthusiasm, rolled up his sleeves and simply went to work.
The end result?
Clear Lake High School’s roster numbers immediately shot up, the Cardinals had absolutely no problem fielding a team every week, and they went on to qualify for the North Coast Section Division V playoffs as an at-large team after a 4-4 league campaign and 5-5 regular season. They lost that playoff game to California School for the Deaf, but no matter. Clear Lake’s football team was back on the Lake County football map, its roster filled with young talent and its players developing a new-found love for the game, so much so that they actually were looking forward to the next season.
And that 2017 campaign arrives Friday when the Cardinals hit the road to play Colusa in the opener for both teams.
“We got better and better as the year went along,” Cory said of his initial season at Clear Lake. “My goal was to set certain standards and we made great strides. They bought into it.”
Clear Lake’s improvement curve continues on the way up after a productive offseason.
“I had a full offseason and many of the kids participated,” Cory said. “The next jump is having all the kids there. The kids are pushing themselves in the weight room, but it’s still something we can improve on.”
Cory also had high praise for the handful of seniors who made the 2016 season a bit more bearable for the first-year coach.
“They knew they would have me only for one year, but they worked hard,” Cory said. “The kids battled all year long even when we weren’t competitive there for a three-game stretch. They battled very, very hard.”
Cory expects nothing less from his 2017 Cardinals, who have had a year to adjust to his way of doing business at the Westshore campus.
“They know what to expect from me,” he said. “It’s not a done product by any stretch of the imagination, but the kids understand the level I’m reaching for.”
Will that translate into a winning season, a league title and postseason success this year?
Cory isn’t guaranteeing any of those things. On the other hand, he doesn’t know why that can’t happen.
“Why not us?” he said. “That’s our mentality. Let’s just get after it and see what happens.”
Offense
Three-year varsity veteran Alex Adams returns to run Clear Lake’s Wing-T offense and the mobile quarterback seems like a perfect fit for the Cardinals, according to Cory.
“Last year he played very, very well as a junior. He’s the leader of those guys and they know it. He’s a natural leader.”
While the Cardinals lost their best running back from a year ago with the graduation of Sam Long, many players are looking to making that step up into the Clear Lake backfield. Among them are fullback Dominic Mendez, who was ineligible last season, senior running backs Isaac Lewis and Bobby Gonzalez, and three players who starred at the junior varsity level last season – Rodrigo Lupercio, Chris White and Erik Valadez.
“He (Lupercio) was dominant at the JV level. He may get some snaps at fullback … and he can catch the ball,” Cory said. “White does stuff on the football field to help you. He’s a good player.”
Adams’ other downfield targets include wideout Austin Davis and tight ends Nolan Williams and Rico Vega.
“When he’s on it’s pretty special,” Cory said of Davis, who drew the eye of the county’s coaches during the summer passing league. “He made play after play (during a summer camp at Sutter) and he lined up against some really good defenses.”
Another player to look out for is sophomore transfer Jason Johnson (formerly of Upper Lake), who won’t be eligible to play until week five.
“He’ll be a backup quarterback and play some linebacker and wing,” Cory said. “He’s a pretty superb athlete and should be a good one the next couple of years.”
Up front for the Cardinals are a mix of veterans and new players. Senior Gavin Bartell, named to the All-League team on offense and defense in 2016, anchors an offensive line that also includes senior Justin Cantrell, sophomore Dion Ramirez at center, senior Juancarlos Flores, Felix Salinas and possibly Williams if he’s not playing at tight end.
Bartell’s status is a bit up in the air right now as he sustained an ankle injury during the first week of practice. With a healthy Bartell, the Cardinals are much more formidable up front. If he’s out for any length of time, Clear Lake will have to move people around to cover his absence.
“I think we have a lot of potential,” Cory said of his offense. “If we can get some blocks for the guys we have there are plays to be made.”
Defense
While Clear Lake’s offense played fairly consistent football throughout the 2016 campaign, the same couldn’t be said for a defensive unit that was up and down all season long.
“We didn’t play very disciplined football last season but when we did, we competed,” Cory said. “I felt like last year we fell down more on defense than on offense.”
And this year’s unit?
“We’re getting there,” Cory said.
The team’s anchors are Flores and Bartell on the defensive line, Cantrell at linebacker and Williams at end. Cory is also encouraged by the play of his young secondary.
Depth
The Cardinals had 29 players suited up during the second week of practice as well as another 21 at the JV level, which is almost the exact opposite of last season. It’s also more than double the number of varsity players Clear Lake had in uniform in 2015 when it finished 2-8.
League
Until someone knocks three-time defending champion Fort Bragg off its throne, Cory sees no reason why the Timberwolves shouldn’t be the favorite, even if only a slight favorite, heading into the start of North Central League I play.
“Fort Bragg is king until they’re knocked off,” Corry said. “At least that’s the way I see it.”
Cory said there is also a lot to like about Kelseyville and Middletown.
“Kelseyville’s JV team was very dominant last year,” he said. “And Middletown is going to jump in there.
“Everyone else is looking to jump into that boat and we’re one of those teams. I think Lower Lake is going to be good and I think Cloverdale could be a bit of a surprise,” Cory added.
But rather than worrying about what everyone else does or doesn’t have, Cory said it’s more important for Clear Lake to control the things it can control.
“We just need to worry about ourselves,” he said.
Schedule
Clear Lake played South Fork and Berean Christian in non-league action a year ago but won’t see either team this season (unless the Cardinals and Berean Christian meet in the playoffs). South Fork dropped its 11-man program and is now a member of the eight-man NCL III.
The Cardinals open at Colusa on Friday and then hit the road the following week (Sept. 2) for a Saturday game in Santa Cruz against Harbor High School.
“Colusa had a really good JV team last year and their JV coach is moving up to the varsity,” Cory said. “I think they’re going to be pretty good program for the next few years. If you play well with a team like that you know you’re headed in the right direction.”
Harbor, a school of about 1,200, hasn’t won a football game since 2015 and enters the season a loser of 22 straight.
“I was trying to find a week two game and there was no one out there (except them),” Cory said. “It’s a one-year deal.
The long road trip should be a good test for the Cardinals in at least one respect, according to Cory.
“It’ll create a little adversity and every team is going to go through adversity during a season,” Cory said. “It’s about how you handle that adversity.”
The Cardinals won’t have to wait long to see if they’re among the league’s elite. They open their NCL I schedule Sept. 8 at home against Fort Bragg.
