Clovers fall to Bulldogs

Saturday, September 3, 2011

CLOVERDALE--Cloverdale made some big plays including a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Justin Grever, but it couldn't match Monrovia's firepower in a 54-26 loss in a West Central Conference football game Friday night on the Clovers' field.

"Our kids showed some moments of greatness and they understand the Xs and Os and the conceptions of what we're doing," Cloverdale coach John Butler said. "Where we need to make improvement is in the consistency of play after play. Monrovia is a well coached team and they don't' just have good athletes, they have good football players. Monrovia executed well."

Grever, a 135-pound senior with good strength, broke into the open early, then broke several tackles at midfield on his kickoff return for a touchdown. It came with 5:44 remaining in the second quarter and temporarily snapped Monrovia's offensive onslaught.

The Bulldogs (2-1, 2-1 WCC) led 21-0 before Grever's touchdown put the Clovers (1-2, 0-1 WCC) on the board.

Cloverdale quarterback Justin Wilson was under constant pressure from Monrovia's rush and was sacked four times. But he still managed to pass for three touchdowns in the second half.

Wilson connected with Brett Brumfield for a 20-yard scoring toss in the third quarter, a 31-yard touchdown strike to Ethan Atwood in the fourth quarter and 48-yard touchdown pass to Trevor Lockwood in the fourth.

Cloverdale played without multi-talented running back Jordan Brinkman.

"He's had a injured ankle for a couple of weeks and he tweaked it against Anderson Academy last week," Butler said. "He played the first series tonight, but he just couldn't go."

Cloverdale sophomore wide receiver Wade Warren left the field by ambulance early in the fourth quarter.

"It was a precaution," Butler said. "He had feeling in all his limbs and he was coherent. It looked like maybe he had a mild concussion and they were checking his collarbone. We'll know more after he's checked out at the hospital."

At Cloverdale

Monrovia 7 28 13 6 -- 54

Cloverdale 0 6 6 14 -- 26

First Quarter

M -- Sichting 1 run (Gemmecke kick) at 3:24

Second un (Quarter

M -- Adams 10 pass from Sichting (Gemmecke kick) at 8:06

M -- Fite 41 pass from Sichting (Gemmecke kick) at 6:00

C -- Grever 90 kickoff return (kick failed) at 5:44

M -- Sichting 1 run (Gemmecke kick) at 3:21

M -- Stevens 10 pass from Sichting (Gemmecke kick) at 1:19

Third Quarter

M -- Benjamin 3 run (kick blocked0 at 8:25

C -- Brumfield 20 pass from Wilson (pass failed) at 6:31

M -- Dillon 41 (Gemmecke kick) at 4:30

Fourth Quarter

M -- Sichting 1 run (pass failed) at 11:30.

C -- Atwood 31 pass from Wilson (run failed) at 10:41

C -- Lockwood 48 pass from Wilson (Brumfield pass from Wilson) at 7:17

Individual statistics

Passing: M--Sichting 5-6-0 84 yards; Clements 0-1-0 0; C--Wilson 4-12-0 132 yards.

Rushing: M--Dillon 5-68, Benjamin 11-63, Roberts 6-37, Ty. Ellis 6-27, Sichting 6-22, Noel 9-16, Tr. Ellis 2-10, Fairfield 2-3; C--Grever 8-10, Brumfield 4-12, Lockwood 2-4, Warren 1-(-6), Couse 1-(-8), Wilson 8-(-24).

Receiving: M--Fite 1-41, Bucks 1-16, Stevens 1-10, Adams 1-10, Bower 1-7; C--Lockwood 1-48, Strunk 1-33, Atwood 1-31, Brumfield 1-20.