LOWER LAKE — Backup quarterback Graden Greer passed for two touchdowns while running back Jesse Hayes and fullback Tony Gersalia each ran for two scores Friday night as the Clear Lake Cardinals shut out the Lower Lake Trojans 45-0 in a North Central League I football game, a lopsided victory that came with a huge price tag attached for the undefeated Cardinals.
While improving to 3-0 in the league standings and keeping pace with Cloverdale, a 44-36 winner at St. Helena, the Cardinals (3-0 league, 6-0 overall) lost starting quarterback Jake Soderquist to a helmet-on-helmet hit late in the second quarter. Soderquist was scrambling to keep a play alive when he was hit twice, drawing two separate 15-yard penalties — one for roughing the passer and the other for unsportsmanlike conduct. He left the game and did not return.
“He was scrambling, trying to find somebody when he was hit from behind,” Clear Lake head coach Mark Cory said. “He had a pretty good headache going on and we’ll have him evaluated Monday.”
More helmet-to-helmet contact drove Clear Lake’s top running back, Hank Ollenberger, from the game as well.
“It wasn’t as bad as Jake’s,” Cory said. “He wanted to stay in but we kept him out as a precaution.”
Added Cory, “There was a lot of helmet-to-helmet contact that wasn’t called.”
“We feel for him,” Lower Lake head coach Jay Jakubowski said of Soderquist. “We know what it feels like to lose a quarterback, we’ve already lost two. We had a lot of penalties and mistakes.”
The replacements for Soderquist and Ollenberger didn’t miss a beat. Greer threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Cody Hayes shortly after entering the game for Soderquist, and Gersalia, who started the game on the line, switched from his No. 52 to No. 33 jersey to replace Ollenberger in the backfield. The senior finished with 52 yards on eight carries and he scored on a 5-yard run in the third quarter and a 6-yard run in the fourth quarter for Clear Lake’s final two touchdowns against the Trojans (0-3, 1-5).
While Cory praised the play of both Greer and Gersalia, he said the continued strong play of Clear Lake’s offensive line was the key to the game, even after Gersalia moved to fullback.
“He’s worked at running back all year, so it was nice to get him rolling tonight,” Cory said of Gersalia. “He definitely gives us a power element back there.”
“We didn’t throw the ball much,” Cory said. “We came and ran the ball at them. Our offensive line didn’t allow a sack again tonight and it’s getting the job done every week for us.”
With the varsity game not kicking off until almost 9 p.m., which is an hour later than normal, Cory said his team may have been a bit flat to open up, but quickly got rolling.
“I felt like we came out a little slow, but we had been sitting around for like 4 1/2 hours,” Cory said. “The JV game took forever (and ended in a 27-27 tie). Once we got going we played well and did some good things.”
Jesse Hayes scored on runs of 3 and 17 yards in the first quarter as Clear Lake went up 13-0. A pair of touchdown passes in the second quarter, the first a 23-yarder from Soderquist to Ayden Williamson, and the other a 25-yarder from Greer to Cody Hayes, pushed the Cardinals’ halftime advantage to 25-0. Greer’s 32-yard strike to Saul Reyes in the third quarter made it 32-0.
Lower Lake’s Zander Carver had a 100-yard interception return for a touchdown wiped out by a block in the back in the second quarter, the closest the Trojans would come to scoring against Clear Lake. Lower Lake had just one first down in the first half.
“That’s the same pass we threw against Ferndale,” Cory said of a Week 2 game when Greer, filling in an for injured Soderquist, was intercepted by the Wildcats’ Isaak Kasso, who returned the ball 98 yards for a touchdown.
“They never really came close against our defense,” Cory said of the Trojans. “They may have gotten to our 40.”
Jesse Hayes, who is only a freshman, was Clear Lake’s leading rusher with 75 yards on 10 carries. Ollenberger left the game with 55 yards on only five carries. Cody Hayes, a junior tight end, caught six passes for 75 yards. Soderquist and Greer were a combined 12-for-17 for 150 yards although Soderquist did throw two interceptions.
Lower Lake statistics weren’t available although Jakubowski said running back Casey McCloud, back in the lineup after recovering from an injury, ran the ball well until he was forced from the game with another injury.
“He ran the ball hard, so that’s a positive,” Jakubowski said. “The kids we were expecting to play solid, played solid. We had some good plays here and there.”
Lower Lake’s running game had almost no chance against Clear Lake’s defensive front, according to Jakubowksi.
“Lakeport is tough, they do a lot of blitzing and like to play downhill,” Jakubowski said.
Lower Lake did pick off Soderquist twice before knocking him out of the game. Roberto Chavez intercepted a pass in the first quarter after which the Trojans picked up their lone first down of the first half on a run by quarterback Charles Jones.
Clear Lake’s defense sacked Jones three times and picked him off twice.
It was the second straight shutout loss for the Trojans, who fell 49-0 at St. Helena a week ago. They hit the road next week to play Fort Bragg (0-3, 1-5).
The Cardinals finished with 199 yards on the ground.
Clear Lake returns home next Friday to play defending league champion St. Helena (1-2, 3-3).
— Mike Hansen contributed to this story.
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