LAKEPORT — Say what you want about the Clear Lake Cardinals, but they’re undefeated in the daytime.
Clear Lake snapped a five-game losing streak Friday afternoon and also won its first North Central League I varsity football contest this season with a 36-14 victory over the visiting Fort Bragg Timberwolves at Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport.
Clear Lake (1-3, 2-5) moved the starting time way up because of the lingering uncertainty over the PG&E power shutoff that blacked out the entire county for the better part of three days. Rather than risk having no power Friday night and postponing or even canceling the game, the Cardinals made the call on Thursday to play on Friday afternoon regardless of whether the electricity was back on in Lakeport (it was).
The Cardinals opened the season with a 28-17 victory over Ferndale on the afternoon of Aug. 24 in Ferndale. They had gone 0-5 in night games since then, and Friday marked their first win home win in four tries this season.
“You don’t want to play the Cardinals in a day game,” said Clear Lake coach Mark Cory, who couldn’t explain why his squad has fared so well in the bright sunshine. “We came out with a lot more energy (today) and just played well.
“I’m going to have to look into moving the Bass Bowl (Clear Lake’s final home game with archrival Kelseyville on Nov. 1) to the afternoon,” Cory joked.
Against the Timberwolves (1-3, 1-5), the Cardinals didn’t commit a single turnover. They also didn’t “play behind the chains” in the first half, according to Cory. “We came out and moved the ball down the field and didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot.”
Running back Treppa Marcks (26 carries for 146 yards) scored the first of his three rushing touchdowns to give Clear Lake its first lead to start a game this season. He also ran in the conversion to make it 8-0.
The Cardinals used a 20-6 second quarter to take control of the game. Quarterback Darius Ford hooked up with Travis Howe on a 26-yard touchdown pass, with Marcks adding the conversion run, and another Marcks 1-yard TD run gave Clear Lake a 22-6 lead. Marcks’ third touchdown, again on a 1-yard run, put the Cardinals up 28-6.
After a scoreless third quarter, Ford and Howe connected on a 35-yard touchdown pass to make it 36-6.
Howe had five receptions on the day – three on offense for 61 yards and two interceptions on defense.
“Travis Howe played a hell of a game,” Cory said. “He had some nice catches and runs. On a two-point conversion run he faked out four guys and stepped into the end zone.”
Ford went 10-for-17 for 153 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.
“Darius played another really good game, too,” Cory said.
Ethan Maize caught four passes for 57 yards and Rolando Amaya had six rushes for 57 yards and one catch for 11 yards.
Clear Lake finished with 380 yards of total offense while scoring the most points in a single game since a 60-44 loss to St. Patrick/St. Vincent of Vallejo in the 2017 North Coast Section playoffs.
“We can move the ball if we’re not making turnovers or committing penalties that put us behind the chains,” Cory said.
The 14 points allowed by the Cardinals’ defense was a season low.
“We played good defense and good timely defense,” Cory said, noting that one of Howe’s interceptions in the first half ended a Fort Bragg drive. “He had a pick in the end zone.”
Clear Lake hits the road next Friday to play Cloverdale.
