Upper Lake shuts out Cloverdale for homecoming victory
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UPPER LAKE >> Delaney Allison rushed for all three Upper Lake touchdowns as the Cougars celebrated their homecoming with a 24-0 victory over the Cloverdale Eagles in North Central League I varsity football action Friday night in Upper Lake.
Allison scored on a pair of 1-yard runs in the second and third quarters, and on a 6-yard run in the fourth quarter as Upper Lake improved to 3-1 in the league standings and 4-2 overall. The Cougars trail Willits (4-0) and Kelseyville (3-0) atop the NCL I standings, and they host Kelseyville next Friday.
“By one or 21, we needed this win heading into Kelseyville,” said Upper Lake head coach Stan Weiper, who was serving a one-game suspension and wasn’t on the sidelines after being ejected from the Cougars’ 20-12 double-overtime victory at Lower Lake a week earlier. “That’s going to be a big game for us.”
Upper Lake had its hands full against a Cloverdale squad that has struggled to keep enough healthy bodies on the field this season.
“They played hard and aggressive,” Weiper said of the Eagles (0-4 league, 1-5 overall).
The Cougars managed just eight first-half points before lengthening their lead in the second half. Allison’s first touchdown and Wes Wyman’s two-point conversion run made it 8-0 at halftime.
While Upper Lake’s offense had a hard time getting going in the first half, the play of the Cougars’ defense was excellent, according to Weiper.
“The defense played very solid all night,” he said.
Other than a 32-28 loss to St. Helena, the Cougars have allowed just 18 points in their other three league wins – against Clear Lake, Lower Lake and Cloverdale. Upper Lake sacked the Eagles’ quarterback five times – two each by Nathan Boomer and Jack DeMunch. Mikel Compton and Landon Robinson also had interceptions.
Wyman finished with a pair of two-point conversion runs and Billy Stillman caught a conversion pass from Jerod Rosales, who finished the game 9-for-15 for 134 yards. Allison had a productive night with 71 yards on 15 carries, including the three TDs, and three catches for 60 yards.
Jonathan Barnes was Upper Lake’s leading rusher with 78 yards on 14 carries. He almost single-handedly drove the Cougars down the field to start the third quarter. After receiving the kickoff, Upper Lake pounded the ball down the field.
“We drove it down the field behind Barnes,” Weiper said. “That was a big touchdown because it gave us some comfort room (at 16-0).”
With Weiper unable to call plays because of his absence from the sidelines, senior quarterback Rosales kept his teammates on their toes.
“Our quarterback did a good job making sure we were running the right plays,” Weiper said.
Upper Lake won the junior varsity game 32-25.