CHS dealt first loss of the season vs. Monrovia

MONROVIA -- Cloverdale opened the football season with runaway back-to-back victories, but coach Kyle Winkler knew neither of the vanquished foes were of the quality of Friday's foe, Monrovia.

Coach Kyle Winkler believed the Clovers were on the same talent level. He also knew the Clovers would have to step up and play aggressively on the line of scrimmage to succeed against the Bulldogs. Cloverdale didn't deliver, losing 24-0 in a West Central Conference game at Monrovia.

"We came out flat and didn't do the job on our assignments," Winkler said. "We got blown off the line. Monrovia owned the line of scrimmage. This game came down to basics.

"The last two weeks, we played lesser opponents. This team (Monrovia) was equal to us in their athletic ability, but they were more aggressive. They beat us up front. That was the difference."

The Clovers (2-1, 0-1 WCC) had only three first downs. They had 81 yards rushing and 39 passing. Monrovia (2-1, 2-1 WCC) had 253 yards rushing and 45 passing.

Cloverdale also hurt itself with penalties. The Clovers had six for 70 yards and helped propel Monrovia drives.

"We had stupid penalties," Winkler said. "We'd have them second-and-long and get a 15-yard penalty and they'd just keep on truckin'. We gave them first downs."

The Clovers, through either kickoff returns or offensively, got into Monrovia territory on five occasions. But they never moved inside the Bulldogs' 32-yard line.

Cloverdale did show glimpses of its explosiveness against a solid Monrovia defense that has posted back-to-back shutouts and 10 points in three games.

After Zach Klampe ran 36 yards for a touchdown that put Monrovia ahead, 6-0, in the first quarter, the Clovers' Donavan Scisney returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to the Monrovia 46. But the Clovers didn't make a first down.'

With the score 6-0, Cloverdale's Jeff Couse ripped off a 27-yard run to the Monrovia 49 and the Clovers followed by making a first down. They reached the Bulldogs' 42 before being forced to punt.

Scisney had a breathtaking 29-yard gallop down the sidelines to the Monrovia 49 in the second quarter. Monrovia cornerback Austin Sichting was the only player between the swift Scisney and going the distance, made a touchdown-saving tackle.

Cloverdale reached the Monrovia 32, but on fourth-down-and-2, Scisney's run was strung out along the line of scrimmage and he was tackled for a 5-yard loss in the final minute of the second quarter.

Monrovia scored in two plays plus a 15-yard penalty against the Clovers. Trea Dillon ran 2 yards and a penalty put the Bulldogs on the Clovers' 45. On the next play, Monrovia quarterback Dalton Clements fired a strike to Sichting downfield and he caught it in stride and scored with 39.9 seconds left in the first half. It pushed Monrovia's lead to 18-0.

At Monrovia

Cloverdale 0 0 0 0 -- 0

Monrovia 6 12 6 0 -- 24

First quarter

M -- Klampe 36 run (kick failed) at 9:43

Second quarter

M-- Oliver 1 run (run failed( at 5:02

M-- Sichting 45 pass from Clements (run failed) at 0:39.9

Third quarter

M -- McCleerey 16 run (run failed) at 6:32

Individual statistics

Rushing: M--Oliver 27-120, Klampe 11-77, McCleerey 12-56, Dillon 2-14, Roberts 1-5, Clments 3-5, Ellis 1-3; C--Scisney 8-34, J. Couse 8-24, Brinkman 8-23, Z. Couse 1-0.

Passing: M--Clements 1-4-1 45; C--Brinkman 2-10-0 14, J. Couse 1-1-0 25.

Receiving: M--Sichting 1-45; C--Atwood 1-25, Lockwood 2-14.

Team statistics

First downs: M 13, C 3. Penalties: M 5-55, C6-70. Fumbles-lost: M 3-0, C 0-0.

Interception: Atwood (C).