Creek wants to follow up 2-0 start to 3-0 in
district
 |
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
A BLOW TO CLEAR LAKE: Falcon Geno Blow (20)
is stopped short of the first down by Creek
linebacker Paul Felio (38) on a fourth down
play at the Cat 9-yard line with a minute
left in the game, preserving Creek's 31-27
win. -- Citizen photo by Kar Hlava
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Clear Lake football coach Troy Aduddell is
looking for some good, staunch and
hard-nosed football players.
Clear Creek football coach Darrell Warden
said he found them.
At the moment, these two football teams
appear to be trading places. At least, at
the moment.
The reason behind it is that the Wildcat
football program had been in a tailspin,
losing 20 straight games over the course of
three seasons.
Clear Lake, on the other hand, had its
magnificent season last year by going to the
state 5A semifinal game in San Antonio. The
Falcons finished the season 13-2 while the
Wildcats languished in |
|
|
|
|
| |
a 0-10 campaign.
After dropping its first four games this season,
Clear Creek turned things around by winning its last
two, most notably on Saturday when the Wildcats
surprised arch-rival Clear Lake 31-27 in District
Stadium.
Creek is now 2-0 in District 24-5A and 2-4 overall.
Earlier last week the Cats began their upswing with
a 14-9 triumph over Alvin.
Lake, on the other hand, is 0-3 in district (2-5
overall) and has lost its last four games. While the
Wildcats were defeating Alvin, the Falcons were
surprised by Brazoswood 28-12.
Aduddell has been more dismayed and disappointed by
the play of his team than he was angry about the
sudden swing south.
"We are just not doing the things we should," he
said. "We're not getting it done."
The Falcons lost 9 from last year's offense and 9
from the defense, but Aduddell expected this current
crop to be far ahead of where they are now.
"They practiced with and played behind (last year's
team) and I thought we'd be along much better, but I
guess I was wrong," he added.
Lake can continue the freefall, he added, or step up
and get tough in a hurry.
"Right now these kids have two ways to go," he said,
"They can fold their tent or come out fighting."
Warden, on the other hand, was delighted by the play
of his opportunistic Wildcats. He has seen them
pitch their tent the last two games for victories.
"This is really great. The kids are getting better.
It's gradual but we started seeing it," Warden said.
"They are focused and maturing as a team.
Warden lauded the Wildcats' offensive line for
putting all those points on the board against Clear
Lake. And, of course, he gave credit to the defense
for putting up a stand against the Falcons' final
drive, which could have won the game for them. Creek
also snapped up three Lake fumbles.
Being 2-0 in district is nice but Warden isn't
fooled into thinking the Wildcats have an inside
track into the playoffs.
"The kids are coming to play, but we have some tough
games ahead of us, including against Pearland and
Ball," Warden said. "We're just happy to be at this
spot right now."
While Aduddell isn't happy to be in his spot, he
isn't giving up hope just yet.
"We can still win our last three games...who knows,
three wins may get you in this year," Aduddell said.
Clear Lake's miscues and Clear Creek's defense
proved to be the key in the game on Saturday. Lake
fumbled seven times and lost three of them. The
Falcons also had a bad snap on an extra-point kick
and had a field goal blocked.
The Wildcats took an early 3-0 lead on Micah Adams'
36-yard field goal but then watched as the Falcons
stormed back to twice lead by 10 points - 20-10 and
27-17.
Clear Creek didn't take another lead until they
Wildcats scored two touchdowns within 32 seconds of
the fourth period.
Austin Yancy's 1-yard run on a reverse and Adams
kick brought the Wildcats to within four at 8:28 of
the fourth period as Lake still led 27-24.
On Lake's ensuing possession, Creek recovered a
fumble on the Falcon 16. One Lake penalty and two
plays later Jereme Brooks' run from the eight and
Adams' boot gave the Wildcats their first lead since
that field goal at 31-27 at the 7:56 mark.
But here is where Creek's defense did its best.
Clear Lake still had lots of time and premier runner
Geno Blow, along with Joe Clark and quarterback
Jonathan Gilmer.
On their final drive of the night, the Falcons took
the ball on their own 30 and, sticking to the
ground, marched to the Creek 9 with one minute left
in the fourth period.
Creek's defense, which bent but didn't break, held
fast on fourth down and stopped Blow from getting
the first down. The Cats then took over the ball on
their 9 and ran out the clock.
"We keyed on Blow because he's their go-to man,"
Warden said. "Our defense came up big when they had
to."
Blow led all rushers with 163 yards on 18 carries.
He also hauled in a 38-yard TD pass from Gilmer
early in the second quarter that erased the Creek
3-0 lead.
After Blow's pass reception gave Lake a 7-3 lead,
the Falcons upped that to 14-3 on Gilmer's 10-yard
run and Ken Tabata's kick 4:29 before the half.
Lake's defense forced Creek to go three and out and
punt, but got it back when corner Brandon Burton
intercepted a Falcon pass on Creek's 28-yard line
and ran it to the Lake 36. From there Cat
quarterback Neal Warden found Brooks, who made his
way to the Lake 3. A penalty put Creek back to the 8
but two plays later Keegan Malbrough weaved his way
in from the 2. After the kick it was 14-10 with 10
seconds left in the half.
After the break Clear Lake traveled 69 yards in six
plays to take a 20-10 lead as Gilmer scampered 19
yards. The bad snap prevented Lake's 21st point.
On Creek's next possession, its passes hung in the
air too long and four plays later the Falcons took
the punt on their own 19. Lake drove to the Creek 7
where the drive stalled. A try for the 24-yard field
goal was blocked by the Wildcats, who then took over
on the 35.
Creek again narrowed the margin, this time to 20-17
as Malbrough went up the middle from 5 yards with
2:12 left in the third period.
Again Lake widened the lead to 10 points when Gilmer
went in from the 8 with 11:54 left in the fourth
period. The drive covered 58 yards in only four
plays, with Blow gaining 35 yards on two plays in
that series.
Then came Creek's two touchdown rally in 32 seconds
of the fourth period and the Cat's stellar defensive
work to gain the win.
Clear Creek began the game on quarterback Warden's
slant east and west passes. The passes didn't go for
many yards but kept Clear Lake's defense off balance
for a while. Warden, who was 13-23-1 for 136 yards
on the night, also went long at one point on Creek's
first possession of the second half. But the three
attempts hung in the air too long and forced three
and out.
Lake quarterback Gilmer was 1-4-1 for 38 yards,
which was Blow's TD catch and run.
Overall, the Falcons handily outgained the Wildcats
381 rushing yards to 107. Total yardage was Lake 419
to 243 for Creek.
Clear Brook hosts the Wildcats on Friday in District
Stadium. The Wolverines are 1-2 after getting their
initial 24-5A victory last week against Brazoswood
by a 17-10 score. The game is Brook's homecoming.
Kickoff is 7 p.m.
Clear Lake takes on Alvin (1-1) on Thursday in
District Stadium. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
The last time the Falcons lost four games in a row
was in 2001, a year they finished 1-6 in district
and 2-8 overall.
In 2001 incidentally, Creek was 6-1 and 8-2. The
next year, 2002, the Wildcats won the district title
without losing a game.
But in 2003 and 2004 the Wildcats fortunes soured
while the Falcons went up.
Now, it looks like the tables have turned once again |
|
|
|
