Clover mistakes prove too much overcome in loss to Vikings

CLOVERDALE – A lot of times high school football games are won by the team that makes the least mistakes.

The Western Indiana Conference football game between the West Vigo Vikings and the Cloverdale Clovers epitomized that.

The host Clovers had a solid game plan and matched the Vikings, except that they had inopportune penalties and turned the ball over three times in a 43-18 loss that was much closer than the score indicated.

The teams had almost identical total yard numbers as the Vikings posted 291 total yards and the Clovers 290. Cloverdale’s defense stopped the run early and the new wrinkle Cloverdale offense was moving the ball, but the three Cloverdale turnovers and 85 yards in penalties doomed the Clovers to the loss.

Cloverdale is now 2-6 on the season and 1-4 in the WIC. West Vigo improved to 2-6 and 2-3 in conference action.

“Every time we were in a situation we wanted to be, we somehow screwed it up ourselves. Whether that be a turnover in the red zone or a stupid penalty when we have them in third-and-15, we just couldn’t get out of our own way,” Cloverdale head coach Tyler Lotz said.

Cloverdale’s defense was holding up against the bigger Vikings early. They forced a quick three-and-out, holding West Vigo to minus-10 yards on the first possession and a poor Viking punt gave the Clovers great field position, but a holding penalty pushed them back and they ended up turning the ball over on downs.

That did not stop the Clovers from playing good defense as they held the Vikings scoreless on their first three possessions, capitalizing on another situation of good field position as a short three-play, 32-yard drive resulted in a Levi Johnson touchdown and a 6-0 Clover lead.

It appeared the Clovers were going to stop the Vikings again, but one of those errors got in the way as a Clover facemask penalty gave West Vigo life and the visitors capitalized with a 17-yard touchdown run by Ryan Cobb to tie the score at 6-6

The turnover bug soon hit. Cloverdale was driving after a big Ben Campbell kickoff return and a 17-yard rush by Tayt Jackson, but a backward pass got loose and the Vikings recovered the ball.

Three plays later, Landon Fields found Conner Woolley behind the defense for a 60-yard touchdown pass. Cobb added the two-point conversion for a 14-6 Viking lead with just 1:00 to play in the first half.

“We wanted to rely more on our offensive line tonight. Some of the times we did, but sometimes we couldn’t. The turnovers hurt us,” Lotz said.

The turnover problem showed up on the second play of the second half as the Clovers fumbled it away, giving it to West Vigo at the Cloverdale 19-yard line.

The Vikings pounded the ball in for a score on four plays with Fields getting in from the four-yard line for a 21-6 lead for West Vigo, but the Clovers rallied quickly.

Jackson had two carries totaling 75 yards to score quickly in response. The second touch by Jackson resulted in a 38-yard rushing touchdown and cut the deficit to 21-12 with plenty of time left in the game

West Vigo’s offense seemed to sputter as they faced a fourth-and-six from their own 42-yard line but surprisingly did not punt and Fields found Karson Stark for 48 yards to set up another Cobb rushing touchdown from eight yards away as the Vikings increased the lead to 27-12.

“That (big play) was just a missed assignment. We weren’t in the right place. Just another mistake that hurt us,” Lotz said.

West Vigo would pick up another turnover, picking off a Clover pass, setting itself up in the red zone. Cloverdale would hold the Vikings and force the Vikings to kick a 31-yard field goal which Jaxon Kyrouac nailed for a 30-12 lead with just :32 left to play in the third period.

The scoring in the third quarter wasn’t done yet. Jackson electrified the crowd two plays after the score with a 56-yard touchdown reception from Artrevion Henderson to cut the lead to 30-18 just prior to the third quarter ending.

The Clovers forced the Vikings to punt on their next possession, but a personal foul penalty against the Clovers backed them up inside their own 10-yard line and they were forced to give the ball up.

West Vigo took advantage as they drove 43 yards in a time-consuming 13-play drive with Fields getting the touchdown from one-yard out to extend the Vikings lead to 36-18 with just 3:27 left in the game.

The Clovers could not muster much more offense and West Vigo took the ball over late, tacking on another touchdown as Conner Wallace scored from 25 yards out, setting the final at 43-18.

“Our defense did a pretty good job early but gave up some things later when we got tired,” Lotz said.

The Clovers had a big night from Jackson. The junior had 151 yards rushing, 56 yards receiving and 30 yards passing, including two touchdowns. He did this on just nine touches from scrimmage and six pass attempts.

“We changed our offense this week. We started a new quarterback (Henderson) and he did some good things and some bad things. Kind of what you would expect. We were able to get the ball to places we wanted to at times. We just have to keep getting better,” Lotz said.

The Clovers will wrap up their season down at Owen Valley next Friday night.

2nd Quarter

CHS – Levi Johnson 5-yard run (kick failed), 6-0, 7:43

WV – Ryan Cobb 17-yard run (kick failed), 6-6, 3:25.

WV – Conner Woolley 60-yard pass from Landon Fields (Ryan Cobb run), 14-6, 1:00.

3rd Quarter

WV – Landon Fields 4-yard run (Jaxon Kyrouac kick), 21-6, 9:05.

CHS – Tayt Jackson 38-yard run (run failed), 21-12, 6:53.

WV – Ryan Cobb 8-yard run (kick blocked), 27-12, 3:13.

WV – Jaxon Kyrouac 31-yard field goal, 30-12, :32.

CHS – Tayt Jackson 56-yard pass from Artrevion Henderson (run failed), 30-18, :06.

4th Quarter

WV – Landon Fields 1-yard run (kick failed), 36-18, 3:27.

WV – Connor Wallace 25-yard run (Jaxon Kyrouac kick), 43-18, :48.

Rushing: West Vigo: Ryan Cobb 27-91, Landon Fields 14-21, Tate Padgett 1-(-1), Connor Wallace 7-29, Karson Stark 1-26. Cloverdale: Levi Johnson 17-51, Tayt Jackson 8-151, Artrevion Henderson 1-(-1).

Passing: West Vigo: Landon Fields 4-7-0 125. Cloverdale: Artrevion Henderson 2-11-1 59, Tayt Jackson 1-6-0 30.

Receiving: West Vigo: Tate Padgett 1-5, Conner Woolley 2-72, Karson Stark 1-48. Cloverdale: Jaxton Helton 1-30, Tayt Jackson 1-56, Drake Hoffa 1-3.