Cloverdale rally falls short at West Vigo

WEST TERRE HAUTE – Cloverdale’s Clovers fell behind 19-0 to West Vigo on Friday night, but they bounced back to make a game of it before eventually falling 42-24.

“I just got done telling them that I know it’s frustrating for upperclassmen to keep hearing ‘we’re getting better, it’s just going to take time’, but that’s exactly what it is,” first-year head coach Tyler Lotz said afterward. “We played a better game tonight, we competed, we played hard and we played for each other. It’s just going to take time to get in that weight room.

“I just keep preaching it to them, but they’re getting into it,” he added. “It’s just not going to happen overnight.”

The Vikings had a 13-0 lead after the first period, getting a 17-yard TD run from QB Kaleb Marrs and a 17-yard score from Brock Higgins.

Higgins caught a 30-yard TD pass from Marrs two minutes into the second quarter before the Clovers got going.

Taking over at their own 35, Tayt Jackson drove his team to a TD in five plays, hitting Jaxton Helton on a 41-yard TD pass to cut the deficit to 20-8.

The Vikings answered with a 14-yard TD pass from Marrs to freshman Ryan Cobb, who had the best game of his young career, to raise the lead back to 28-8.

Jackson hit Helton again for a 6-yard TD pass, and the pair connected for the conversion to make it 27-16 after three.

Jackson scored on a 5-yard early in the final quarter to make it a 27-24 game.

The sophomore quarterback passed for 151 yards and two touchdowns in addition to gaining 45 yards on the ground.

“Tayt is a heckuva football player, and he needs to realize that he doesn’t need to be the best player at Cloverdale, but he needs to be the best player Tayt Jackson can be,” Lotz said. “We try to push him to do that every day.”

The visitors were done scoring, however, and West Vigo added scores from Marrs and Higgins in the final quarter to account for the final margin.

Offense has not been the problem for the Vikings, and Friday’s game provided more evidence for that fact.

The Vikings racked up 315 yards rushing and 129 yards passing, yet led only 27-24 in the final period.

“Defensively, we played pretty well but we kept letting the fullback out of the backfield,” Lotz said. “We didn’t account for all our guys, and we have to do that.”

The culprit? Four lost fumbles and one intercepted pass.

In fact, as Cloverdale was making its drive to get back into the game the Vikings made turnovers on each of their last three possessions of the first half.

WV – Marrs 17 run (Daugherty kick)

WV – Higgins 7 run (kick failed)

WV – Higgins 30 pass from Marrs (kick failed)

C – Helton 41 pass from Jackson (Jackson run)

WV – Cobb 14 pass from Marrs (Montgomery pass from Marrs)

C – Helton 6 pass from Jackson (Helton from Jackson)

C – Jackson 5 run (Hilton pass from Jackson)

WV – Marrs 3 run (Marrs run)

WV – Higgins 4 run (Daugherty kick)

Individual statistics

Rushing: C – McDougall 12-44, Henderson 1-(-2), Jackson 14-45, Hilton 1-(-7); WV – Higgins 14-85, Cobb 9-81, Marrs 8-78, Roach 11-71.

Passing: C – Jackson 11-27-1 153; WV – Marrs 6-14-1 129.

Receiving: C – Lee 2-14, Helton 1-41, McDougall 1-2, Hilton 6-96, Bridges 1-0; WV – Higgins 2-51, Cobb 3-48, Roach 1-30.

Next game – West Vigo (3-5 overall, 2-3 in WIC) plays at Sullivan on Friday. Cloverdale (1-7 overall, 1-4 in WIC) hosts undefeated Owen Valley on Friday.