Clear Lake returns intact line, new skill players in 2024
By Brian Sumpter
Lake County Sports on Facebook
LAKEPORT >> It was only a year ago that the Clear Lake Cardinals returned nearly all of their skill players while breaking in a new line. One year later the reverse is true.
Clear Lake, coming off back-to-back North Central League I champions (solo in 2022 and co-champs in 2023 along with Middletown), brings back a largely intact line but has new players at the skill positions manned so well the last two years by the likes of quarterback Jake Soderquist, running back Hank Ollenberger, wide receiver Saul Reyes and tight end Cody Hayes.
“They’ve gotten a lot better since June, which is when we started things up,” said Clear Lake head coach Mark Cory of his new skill group. “We’ve been to a couple of camps, then there was 7-on-7 (summer league).”
Clear Lake’s new faces at the skill positions include junior AJ Bruch at quarterback, senior Peyton Portlock at running back, junior Kaden Graham at tight end, and junior Zane McAuley at running back/receiver, much in the way Reyes split time between those positions last season.
Bruch was the starting quarterback for the junior varsity team a year ago before an injury ended his season. Portlock and Graham already have varsity experience. Portlock started on the offensive line for the Cardinals last season while Graham was part of Clear Lake’s passing attack.
Portlock’s move to running back was possible because of the Cardinals’ depth up front.
“We don’t have a lot of depth,” Cory said of his 20-man roster this season, “but we do have some depth in the line.”
Clear Lake will go another year without the services of standout running back/receiver Jesse Hayes, who was a huge part of the Cardinals’ section championship team in 2022. He sustained a knee injury during Clear Lake’s season opener a year ago against Pierce and remains out. While Hayes will be medically cleared for action later this season, he will not be a late-season addition to the roster.
“He will not play football,” Cory said. “It’s hard for him, it’s unfortunate.”
Cory, who doubles as Clear Lake’s varsity boys basketball coach, does expect Hayes to be ready to go for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Until then, Hayes is helping out the Cardinals’ coaching staff by working with his teammates during practice.
“He’s out there every day helping us get them ready,” Cory said. “He’s developed into a pretty good leader.”
Clear Lake’s offensive line features three returning starters in senior left tackle Carson Wiikstrom, senior left guard Ralphy Blancas and junior center Fabian Moreno. Junior right guard Ryken Villanueva and junior right tackle Colton Mendonca round things out. Villanueva started for the JV squad last season. Mendonca played at the JV level his freshman year but missed last season with a broken leg.
“He’s going to be real good,” Cory said of Mendonca. “He’s looked good so far, especially coming from that injury.”
Cory likes his line overall.
“This is a good group,” he said.
The Cardinals return three other veterans in Jace Beard, Adrian Truby and Ty Bingham, all senior receivers/defensive backs. Another player to keep an eye on is senior Nolan Ewing, a first-year football player blessed with tremendous speed.
“He’s a soccer player who is trying football,” Cory said. “He’s got some physicality, some speed.”
Do the Cardinals have enough talent back to make a run at a third straight league title?
“This group has a chance to be pretty good,” Cory said. “We’ll learn a lot in our first game.”
After opening the season with a bye week, the Cardinals get things rolling Friday night when they travel to Arbuckle to play a 1-0 Pierce team, a squad they’ve regularly knocked heads with during the preseason.
“Pierce is always physical and always plays well up front,” Cory said. “We’re going to find out in a hurry where we stand.”
Looking ahead to the upcoming North Central League I race, which begins Sept. 13 when the Cardinals travel to Upper Lake, Cory said the Cardinals certainly have enough firepower to be competitive with the top two teams in the league, which in Cory’s estimation are Kelseyville and Middletown.
“I think we’re going to be just fine,” Cory said. “I think we’re going to be right there in the mix.”
As is true for majority of county teams, Cory said staying healthy – or as healthy as possible – will be key.
“It’s football and injuries are going to happen,” he said. “It’s just a matter of timing. When do they happen and how bad are they? Two years ago we had injuries, but the timing wasn’t bad and they weren’t too serious. Last year we lost two of our top players (Soderquist and Jesse Hayes) for the season. That’s kind of hard to overcome.”
Added Cory, “I think we have some great potential. I think we could surprise.”
Clear Lake plays its second and final non-league game on Sept. 20 at home against small-school power St. Bernard’s of Eureka. The Cardinals return to league action on Sept. 27 at home against Middletown, a team they’ve beaten two years in a row. Even as Cory enters his ninth season at Clear Lake, this is the 40th and final season for head coach Bill Foltmer.
“I’m going to miss going up against him,” Cory said. “When he leaves, I will miss that competitiveness.”
Notes: Clear Lake will not be the only team using Don Owens Stadium as its homefield this year. Kelseyville will play “home” games in Lakeport on Sept. 13 (against Fort Bragg), Oct. 18 (against Willits) and Nov. 8 (against St. Helena). Kelseyville also plays Clear Lake in Lakeport on Nov. 1 in the annual Bass Bowl. Kelseyville’s field is undergoing renovations and will not be available to the team.s
