Blocked field goal in final seconds preserves 29-27 league victory
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By Mike Hansen, senior correspondent, and Brian Sumpter
LAKEPORT >> The way the Clear Lake Cardinals and Lower Lake Trojans were playing late in the fourth quarter Friday night at Don Owens Stadium, you would have thought that it was a game of hot potato, not football, during North Central League I varsity action in Lakeport.
Clear Lake ended up holding on for a thrilling 29-27 victory when a 26-yard field goal attempt by the Trojans’ backup kicker – regular kicker Jimmy Shankles was lost to an injury early in the game – was blocked. Daniel Gardner had a chance to win it, but his low liner, which barely got off the ground, plowed into the line of scrimmage. The ball came to a stop just beyond the line of scrimmage as Clear Lake players ran off the field in celebration. Lower Lake picked up the ball and returned it into the end zone, creating some initial confusion among the officials as to whether Lower Lake had just scored the go-ahead touchdown or if the ball belonged to Clear Lake at the point at which it came to rest.
Ultimately it was decided that since the Cardinals didn’t touch the ball after it was blocked and because the ball had gone beyond the line of scrimmage, the Trojans couldn’t advance it, much like a punt, and Clear Lake (1-3 league, 1-5 overall) finally had its first win of the season.
It was the third straight excruciating loss for the Trojans (1-4, 3-4), coming on the heels of a double-overtime loss to Upper Lake on Sept. 27, and an overtime loss to St. Helena on Oct. 4 (a game in which the Trojans fell behind 34-0 but rallied to tie it 37-37 at the end of regulation). And it was Lower Lake’s fourth straight loss overall.
When the officials huddled following the blocked field goal, Clear Lake head coach Mark Cory said he feared the worst, given how the Cardinals’ season has gone to date. In his ninth season at Clear Lake and coming off a great three-year stretch (2021-23) when the Cardinals won a total of 28 games, including a pair of league championships and a section title, not much has gone right for Clear Lake in 2024.
“I’ve never started a season 0-5,” Cory said.
And it almost was 0-6 despite a solid second half by the Cardinals, who rallied from a 27-13 halftime deficit. Clear Lake took the second-half kickoff and drove 63 yards for a touchdown aided significantly by a couple of major penalties assessed against the Trojans, one for pass interference and another for a facemask. Quarterback AJ Bruch’s 7-yard keeper and Nolan Ewing’s extra-point kick made it a one-score game at 27-20.
Clear Lake was driving later in the quarter, again aided by a major Lower Lake infraction, this time for unsportsmanlike conduct that led to Zach Jones’ ejection, before the drive stalled and Clear Lake punted the ball.
Lower Lake was backed up to its 8-yard line when things quickly went south for the Trojans. A mishandled pitch resulted in a Trojan player being tackled in the end zone for a safety, cutting Lower Lake’s lead to 27-22.
“I think they were trying to run an option,” Cory said. “That was a huge play, the play of the game for us because we got the ball right back (on the free kick).”
Clear Lake returned the free kick to the Lower Lake 40, quickly advanced the ball to the 22 with the help of a personal foul penalty on Lower Lake, and reached the 9-yard line as the third quarter ended.
Clear Lake running back Zane McAuley scored just six seconds into the fourth quarter, which together with the extra point put the Cardinals in front 29-27, their first lead of the night.
The Cardinals had numerous opportunities to put the game away from there as each of Lower Lake’s next two possessions ended with Adrian Truby interceptions. After Truby’s second interception, Clear Lake was knocking on the door and had a third-and-goal from the Lower Lake 4 with 8:06 remaining. After a run was stopped for no gain, the Cardinals called a timeout. A fourth-and-goal pass was incomplete and the Trojans took over with a little more than six minutes left.
Lower Lake quickly drove down the field, making it all the way to the Clear Lake 5 where wide receiver Jony Ventura lost control of the football after pulling in a pass from quarterback Ashton Hartmann. Truby jarred the ball loose and Jace Beard recovered it.
An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Lower Lake gave Clear Lake a little more breathing room as the ball came out to the 20. After being called for a false start, the Cardinals ran the ball to the 17, at which point the Trojans were forced to use their last timeout.
All Clear Lake had to do was hold onto the football from there, but the Cardinals fumbled on the next play and the Trojans recovered. Lower Lake was facing a fourth-and-10 with 48 seconds left when Hartmann completed a pass to the 10-yard line for a first down. Consecutive five-yard penalties backed the Trojans up to the 20 with 40 seconds left. After completing a pass to the 9-yard line, Hartmann spiked the ball to stop the clock with 22 seconds left, at which point the Trojans sent out their field goal team.
“It was like neither team wanted to win it there at the end,” Cory said. “The kids really needed this one bad, so I’m glad we were finally able to get a win.”
Cory said he was happy with the play of his defense as the Cardinals blanked the Trojans over the final two quarters.
“We moved the ball well in the second half, too,” Cory said. “We moved the ball basically all game, but we shot ourselves in the foot with mistakes, mainly penalties.”
Jones scored on a 3-yard run to give Lower Lake a 7-0 lead midway through the first quarter. Clear Lake answered with a touchdown with 1:57 remaining as Bruch and McAuley connected on a 14-yard touchdown pass. A missed extra-point kick left the score at 7-6.
Lower Lake scored just nine seconds into the second quarter on Zakai Vilmenay’s 7-yard run to make it 13-6. The Trojans increased their lead to 19-6 with 9:10 left in the first half on a Jones 18-yard touchdown run, but once again couldn’t make the two-point conversion.
Clear Lake again made it a one-touchdown game on a 41-yard touchdown pass from Bruch to Truby with 7:36 left in the half, but the Trojans answered with another score, Jason Gandeza running it in from a yard out. Hartmann’s conversion pass to Luke Campbell made it 27-13 at the half.
While Truby had a big game for Clear Lake, so did McAuley. He rushed for a season-best 137 yards on 25 carries and a touchdown and caught seven passes for 41 yards and another TD. Bruch ended up 14-for-22 for 129 yards, two TDs and one interception. He also had eight tackles on defense followed by McAuley with six and Truby with five.
“I thought McAuley played really well,” Cory said. “So did AJ and Adrian. Those two interceptions and the fumble he caused were huge.”
Cory complimented his players on staying “composed” on the field when things became hectic late in the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t play a great first half of football … we could have rolled over the way our season has been going, but we didn’t. I was proud of the kids.”
Lower Lake statistics were not reported. The Trojans have their bye week before returning home Oct. 25 to play Kelseyville. Clear Lake is on the road Thursday (yep, not Friday) to play St. Helena (3-1, 3-3), a winner of three straight.
Lower Lake statistics were not reported.
