LAKEPORT — Clear Lake’s defense came up big again Friday night as the undefeated Cardinals shut down the St. Helena Saints, 13-7, to take over sole possession of first place in the North Central League I varsity football standings at Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport.
Clear Lake’s win coupled with Kelseyville’s 52-41 victory over Cloverdale on Friday leaves the Cardinals at 4-0 in the league standings, one game ahead of both Cloverdale (3-1, 5-2) and Middletown (3-1, 3-4), a 15-14 overtime winner over Willits (2-2, 5-2).
“Bring the pressure,” Clear Lake head coach Mark Cory said. “Pressure is a privilege when you’re 7-0.”
Clear Lake’s latest win came on a night when the Cardinals were without starting quarterback Jake Soderquist (concussion). They struggled offensively without him but did just enough, with big assists from their defense and a huge special team’s play, to hold off the Saints.
“They played lights out,” Cory said of his defense, which was coming off back-to-back shutouts against Lower Lake and Middletown. “St. Helena had the ball almost the entire second half because we never gained any momentum on offense. Our defense just wouldn’t give up. We fought for every yard, we didn’t give up anything easily. We bent a little but never broke.”
Trailing 13-0, the Saints finally broke through with 7:17 remaining in the game when running back Clayton Crean scored on a fourth-and-goal run from the 1-yard line. St. Helena had a first-and-goal from the 3 before finally punching it on fourth down against a very stubborn Clear Lake defensive unit that forced three turnovers on the night and one big sack.
Clear Lake had to punt on its next possession but St. Helena fumbled at its own 8-yard line and Ayden Williamson recovered the ball to give the Cardinals a first-and-goal.
With a chance to seal the victory, the Cardinals ended up turning the ball over on downs when St. Helena’s defense held firm on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
“St. Helena has a very good defense,” Cory said.
The Saints punched the ball out to the 27 but Axel Alvarez’s sack on third down put the Saints in a fourth-and-21 hole at their own 19 with time running out. They turned the ball over on downs and Clear Lake took a knee to run out the remaining seconds.
Clear Lake scratched out a 7-0 lead late in the second quarter on a 27-yard Ollenberger run set up by a big third-down conversion pass from quarterback Graden Greer to tight end Cody Hayes. Clear Lake lost a fumble with 1:02 left in the half to give the Saints the ball back at the Clear Lake 23, but the Cardinals’ defense kept the Saints out of the end zone.
Clear Lake needed only 13 seconds to open up a 13-0 lead in the third quarter as Ollenberger returned the second-half kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. The extra-point kick failed.
“Good teams find a way to win games like that,” Cory said. “I feel like that game was year in the making. We rose to the occasion this time. In the St. Helena game last year we went down there and didn’t play well (losing 40-14). This time we hung in there and did whatever it took to win.”
Added Cory on the Cardinals’ big win minus Soderquist, who is expected to rejoin the team in time for next week’s homecoming game against Fort Bragg, “They stepped up big tonight.”
Game notes: Ollenberger gained 77 yards on 14 carries on a night when yards were hard to come by for the Clear Lake offense … Greer completed five of eight passes for only 41 yards but lost two fumbles … It’s the first time this season Clear Lake hasn’t thrown at least one touchdown in a game … Ollenberger blocked a punt in the second quarter … After homecoming next week against Fort Bragg (1-3, 2-5), the Cardinals finish their NCL I schedule on the road at Willits (Oct. 28) and Cloverdale (Nov. 4) … St. Helena won the junior varsity game 28-7.
— Mike Hansen contributed to this story.
