LAKE COUNTY — The outcome of the Bass Bowl didn’t mean much in terms of the North Central League I standings, but you better believe the Clear Lake Cardinals were happy to get their hands on the perpetual trophy that has eluded their grasp since 2012.
Clear Lake snapped a six-game losing streak to Kelseyville with a 37-30 victory on Friday night at Don Owens Stadium. The Cardinals provided head coach Mark Cory, in his fourth season with the team, his first Bass Bowl victory while also handing Kelseyville fifth-year head coach Erick Larsen his first Bass Bowl loss.
The Cardinals (3-4 league, 4-6 overall) would have been postseason eligible even had they lost to Kelseyville (1-6, 2-8), but the team voted not to apply for an at-large berth into the upcoming North Coast Section Division 7 playoffs, opting to end their year on a high note — with their Bass Bowl victory — rather than going on the road and likely facing the No. 1 seed in the sectional playoffs that begin the weekend of Nov. 15-16.
While the Bass Bowl doesn’t honor a most valuable player, this year’s winner surely would have been wide receiver Travis Howe, who caught three touchdown passes and also returned a blocked punt for a fourth score – all in the first three quarters. Running back Treppa Macks would have received a few votes himself after carrying the Cardinals on his back in the fourth quarter.
Following is a look back at some of the highlights and lowlights from Week 11 when only three county teams were in action:
Statistics
Rushing — Kelseyville’s Robert Chavez closed out a sensational high school career with a bang, rushing for 219 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries. Clear Lake’s Treppa Marcks, nursing knee and shoulder injuries that will delay the start of his basketball season, had 70 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown. Fourteen of those carries came in the fourth quarter, including 12 straight on a scoring drive he ended with a game-clinching 11-yard touchdown. Kelseyville’s Dylan McAdon added 84 yards on 16 carries.
Passing — Clear Lake’s Darius Ford completed all 10 of his passes for 211 yards and three touchdowns. Lower Lake’s Vann Wilkins went 14-for-32 for 267 yards and two TDs in the Trojans’ 54-39 loss to St. Helena.
Receiving — Clear Lake’s Travis Howe had eight catches for 180 yards and three TDs. Lower Lake’s pass-catching machine, Semaj Clark, caught five passes for 135 yards and two TDs.
Special teams
Punt block — Jason Johnson’s punt block early in the second quarter set up teammate Travis Howe’s touchdown return in Clear Lake’s Bass Bowl win over Kelseyville.
PATs — Lower Lake’s Lorenzo Zuniga went 3-for-4 on his extra-point tries against St. Helena.
Defense
Strong first half — Clear Lake’s defense limited Kelseyville to a single score in the first half even though the Knights dominated time of possession the first two quarters. While the Cardinals gave up some yards, they forced Kelseyville to turn the ball over on downs three times. After the Knights took an initial 6-0 lead, the Cardinals reeled off 21 unanswered points for a 21-6 halftime lead.
Miscellaneous
Tale of the tape — Kelseyville leads the Bass Bowl series 7-3 (the game between archrivals was given the Bass Bowl name in 2010).
Deuces are wild — Aries Brooke and Vann Wilkins each had two rushing touchdowns for Lower Lake in the loss to St. Helena.
League title clinched — Even though the Middletown Mustangs (5-0, 6-2) were idle this past weekend, they clinched the outright league championship with Lower Lake’s loss to St. Helena. Lower Lake, St. Helena and Willits all finish 5-2 (tied for second).
One league game left — Middletown plays at Cloverdale on Friday night to close out league and regular-season play. The North Coast Section at-large and seeding meeting takes place Sunday when Middletown and Lower Lake, both Division 6 teams, will find out who they are playing as well as when and where in first-round action. Willits and St. Helena are Division 7 teams.
Bass Bowl JVs — Clear Lake beat Kelseyville 24-12.
