Cloverdale scores 20 unanswered points in second half, improves to 5-1
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KELSEYVILLE >> Kelseyville owned a 19-7 lead over Cloverdale and was about to score again Friday night when things went south for the Knights as the Eagles rallied with 20 unanswered points to win 27-19 in North Central League I interlock varsity football action at Kelseyville.
The turning point came with the Knights (2-4) threatening to add to their 19-7 lead late in the third quarter.
“We missed picking up a blitz and he (Cloverdale player) hit (running back) Case Pivniska,” Kelseyville head coach Logan Barrick said.
The jarring hit forced a fumble that the Eagles recovered, and Cloverdale drove for a touchdown that cut Kelseyville’s lead to 19-14 by quarter’s end.
The fourth quarter was all Cloverdale. The Eagles were facing a fourth-and-11 when a short pass turned into a 50-yard touchdown. According to Barrick, a Kelseyville reserve, who was in the game because the starter had to come out with a cramp, was out of position on the play.
“We could have had the football with great field position and the lead,” Barrick said.
The Eagles put the game away with another fourth-down touchdown pass with less than a minute to play.
Kelseyville made a late bid to at least tie the game but came up short as time ran out.
The Knights controlled the game early with their running attack and a bit of gadgetry, including a reverse flea flicker that netted 50 yards.
“Deake did a pretty good job filling in,” Barrick said of backup quarterback Deake Lyndall Jr., who started for the injured Kimo Brown (ankle).
The Knights were also short a pair of injured starters in Bryce Keener and Andrew Souza, but Barrick would not use injuries as an excuse for the loss.
“We’re deep,” Barrick said of his roster. “It’s not about the guys who weren’t there. It’s about the guys who were there not being able to put 48 minutes of football together. If we only had to play 30 minutes, we’d be 5-1. We still haven’t put a full game of football together.”
Ultimately, Barrick said the Knights were the victim of their own mistakes and a solid Cloverdale team. The Eagles are 5-1 and off to their best start in years. The five wins matches their total output from the 2023-25 seasons combined.
“(Evan) Robledo (junior quarterback) and (Carson) Brown (senior fullback/linebacker) were as expected and didn’t disappoint,” Barrick said. “Robledo got hit hard many times and just bounced right back up.”
Kelseyville’s touchdowns came on a Lyndall pass to Jayden Fabisch and touchdown runs by Lyndall and Thomas Brayton (distances and other Kelseyville statistics weren’t available). Brayton’s scoring run capped a long Knights drive to open the second half.
The Knights led on three separate occasions – 6-0 in the first quarter, 12-7 in the second quarter and 19-7 in the third quarter.
Kelseyville suffered another injury during the game as sophomore defensive tackle Lucas Anderson-Reyes rolled an ankle.
The Knights open their NCL I North schedule next Friday in Upper Lake while Cloverdale visits Lower Lake for its NCL I South opener.
Cloverdale won the junior varsity game 13-0.
