Cloverdale improves to 2-2 after 52-13 win over Warriors

Saturday, September 10, 2011

MARSHALL--Cloverdale's offense, defense and kicking unit delivered a bevy of big plays Friday against Turkey Run in rolling to a 52-13 victory in a nonconference football game on the Warriors' field.

The Clovers (2-2) set up their first touchdown with a blocked punt and return and blocked a point-after kick to keep the game tied early. They took the lead on a safety and broke the game wide open on a kickoff return for a touchdown to start the second half.

Cloverdale also had a key interception and a fumble recovery.

Offensively, the Clovers were explosive. Quarterback Justin Wilson completed four touchdown passes, three to wide receiver Ethan Atwood. They measured 58, 37 and 50 yards. Chuck Strunk hauled in a 12-yard scoring reception.

Wilson, a 6-foot-2, 171-pound junior, completed 13-of-15 passes for 287 yards.

Sophomore halfback Bret Brumfield showed his speed with an 82-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. He had 159 yards on six carries.

Cloverdale's special teams and defense opened the door to a rout early.

"Football is a game of momentum," Cloverdale coach John Butler said. "There are plays that can change the game."

Turkey Run (0-3) took the opening kickoff and drove to midfield before stalling. On fourth down from its 46-line, Strunk broke through to block Tyler Goddard's punt. Trevor Lockwood scooped the ball up and returned it 25 yards to the one yard line.

Justin Grever crashed in on the next play and Cloverdale had a 6-0 lead.

The Warriors tied the game on a 74-yard, 13-play drive, scoring on quarterback Jeff Woods' two-yard pass to Dallas Thomas late in the first quarter.

Lockwood blocked Matt Loudermilk's point-after kick to keep the game tied at 6-all.

Cloverdale made a first down on its ensuing possession, but it stalled. Zack Couse's punt from the Warriors' 46 was downed at the one yard line.

Woods tried to run an option and Cody Stout, a 6-foot-191-pound sophomore lineman, caught up to him trying to hand off. The ball was knocked loose and Warriors recovered for a safety, putting Cloverdale on top 8-6.

Turkey Run also had to punt from its 20. The Clovers took over on their 40 and scored in five plays.

Brumfield had a 35-yard dash to the 16. Two plays later, Wilson found Strunk in the end zone and the Clovers had a 14-6 lead.

Turkey Run needed only three plays and a 15-yard penalty to drive 52 yards to Cloverdale's 36.

But on first down, Cloverdale tackled Woods for a 10-yard loss, the ball popped free and Couse recovered.

On second down from the Cloverdale 42, Atwood got behind the defense on the sideline and Wilson connected with him in stride. Atwood raced the rest of the distance to complete the 58-yard touchdown. Brumfield ran for the two-point conversion and the Clovers had a 22-6 lead with 5:29 left in the second quarter.

"We went to one of our trips, a three-wide formations, and Justin called a wide post," Butler said. "He threw it perfectly, an outside shoulder throw, and Ethan did the rest."

Turkey Run bounced back to drive 54-yards to the Cloverdale nine. But on first down, Lockwood intercepted Woods' pass at the goal lien and returned it to the 13.

On second down, Brumfield broke into the open off left tackle and out ran the Warriors' secondary for an 82-yard touchdown run. Wilson passed to Strunk for the two-point conversion and Cloverdale had a commanding 30-6 lead with 2:35 left in the half.

"That kid (Brumfield) is going to be a good one for us and he's good now with his instinct and ability," Butler said.

Turkey Run tried an onside kick to open the second half. Wade Warren grabbed it near the left sideline, ran right, found a seem and sprinted past the defenders for a 57-yard touchdown run. Brumfield's two-point conversion run put Cloverdale up, 38-6.

Butler decided to allow Wilson to call his own plays in the second half. He had touchdown passes of 37 and 58 yards to Atwood, increasing Cloverdale's lead to 52-13 with 1:10 left in the third period.

At North Putnam

Cloverdale 6 24 22 0 -- 52

Turkey Run 6 0 7 0 -- 13

First quarter

C -- Grever 1 run (kick failed) at 9:46

TR -- Thomas 2 pass from Woods (kick blocked) at :18.8

Second quarter

C -- Safety, Woods tackled in end zone by Stout at 10:01

C-- Strunk 12 pass from Wilson (pass failed)

C -- Atwood 58 pass from Wilson (Brumfield run) at 5:29

C-- Brumfield 82 run (Strunk pass from Wilson) at 2:36

Third quarter

C -- Warren 57 kickoff return (Brumfield run) at 11:46

C -- Atwood 37 pass from Wilson (Grever run) at 3:09

TR -- J. Girdler 9 run (Loudermilk kick) at 1:40

C -- Atwood 50 pass from Wilson (run failed) at 1:10

Individual statistics

Passing: C--Wilson 13-15-1 287 yards, Osmialowski 2-3-0 10 yards; TR--Woods 11-27-2 198 yards, Hobbs 0-1-2 0 yards.

Rushing: C--Brumfield 6-159, Grever 6-11, Couse 1-3, Lockwood 1-0, Strunk 1-(-1), Wilson 1-(-4), McCullough 1-(-5); TR--J. Girdler 12-82, Sunderman 7-60, Woods 10-40, T. Girdler 3-7, Pribble 3-7, Carver 1-6, Hobbs 1-0.