Owen Valley handles Cloverdale in season finale

CLOVERDALE - The Cloverdale Clovers football squad faced an uphill battle on senior night, facing undefeated and 3A No. 7 Owen Valley.

The Patriots did not disappoint, racking up 376 rushing yards en route to a 69-13 victory Friday night.

Owen Valley wasted little time building a lead, kicking things off with a four-play, 60-yard drive, all behind the running of Christian McDonald. He would finish it with a six-yard run to start the scoring.

The Patriots’ next possession was even shorter. In just three plays, quarterback Brody Lester hit Brayden Phillippe on a 23-yard strike to go up two scores.

The Patriots showed their explosiveness on special teams as well. Tim Harden would take a Clover punt and sprint down the sideline 85 yards for the score.

Cloverdale would keep fighting though. Down 21-0, Tayt Jackson found Jaxton Helton down the right side for a 41-yard touchdown pass. Helton made a great catch and kept his feet just barely in on the well-thrown ball. Jackson added the extra point to make it 21-7.

Owen Valley then went on a scoring barrage. Receiver Chris Zeilstra took a reverse and scampered 52 yards for a quick score. Just a couple of minutes later, McDonald would get his second touchdown of the night on an 18-yard run.

The visitors would add two more scores before the half. Zeilstra took a pass on the jet sweep and darted 59 yards for one score. McDonald scored again, this time through the air from Lester from 27 yards out to make it 48-7 at the half.

With the game in hand, the Patriots brought in more subs for the second half. Backup QB Elijah Anderson scrambled 40 yards for a score. Kyvan Bandy came in and plunged one in from five out for another.

Cloverdale would add one more score. Freshman Atrevion Henderson came in and flashed his speed on a 20-yard gallop. Owen Valley would add one more late score before the time ran out when Dakota Heidrick went in from 17 yards out to make it final at 69-13.

The Clovers showed a ton of grit and improvement in coach Tyler Lotz first season at the helm. “We talked all week about just go out and play, we have nothing to lose. We are starting to see us compete for four quarters, we are seeing guys buy in to the culture we are wanting,” Lotz said.

Cloverdale now will get a week to rest up, getting a first-round bye, before the challenge of facing either No. 1-ranked Indianapolis Lutheran or South Putnam in the second round of the playoffs.

Owen Valley travels way down south to take on Mt. Vernon in week one of the playoffs and a potential second-round matchup with No. 2 Gibson Southern.

Scoring

1st

10:51 OV McDonald 6 run (Wardlaw kick)

8:53 OV Lester 35 pass to Phillippe (Walker kick)

1:25 OV Harden 85 punt return (Wardlaw kick)

2nd

10:33 C Jackson 41 pass to Helton (Jackson kick)

9:50 OV Zeilstra 52 run (pass failed)

7:26 OV McDonald 18 run (Walker kick)

5:23 OV Lester 27 pass to McDonald (Wardlaw kick)

3:37 OV Lester 59 pass to Zeilstra (Walker kick)

3rd

8:20 OV Anderson 40 run (Wardlaw kick)

4:33 OV Bandy 5 run (Walker kick)

4th

6:26 C Henderson 20 run (pass failed)

3:26 OV Heidrick 17 run (Walker kick)

Team Stats

Individual Stats

Rushing - (CL) Jackson 9-52, Johnson 11-6, Henderson 7-27, McDougall 2-10, Lee 1-1; (OV) McDonald 11-180, Anderson 4-88, Bandy 3-13, Zielstra 1-52, Lester 1-14, Heidrick 2-29

Passing - (CL) Jackson 7-18-81-1-1, Henderson 2-5-27-0-0; (OV) Lester 5-8-137-3-0

Receiving - (CL) Hilton 4-12, Johnson 2-28, Helton 1-41, Dewey 1-23, McDougall 1-4; (OV) Zeilstra 2-87, Phillippe 1-35, Lester 1-(-12), McDonald 1-27