Cleveland ends losing streak to Birmingham in West | College News
Heading into the Birmingham-Cleveland high faculty soccer sport on Friday evening, one thing had to give in the West Valley League opener. The host Patriots hadn’t misplaced a league sport since 2017 and had crushed Cleveland 13 consecutive occasions, by an average rating of 40-8.
Cleveland, however, was undefeated and trying for its first 6-0 start since 2004.
It wasn’t fairly, but a superlative defensive effort and two spectacular first-half drives gave the Cavaliers just enough to defeat the Patriots 14-9. Birmingham fell to 1-5.
Neither staff’s most potent offensive weapon was ready to take over the sport.
Cleveland operating back Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi did most of his injury early, speeding for 40 yards on the Cavaliers’ opening drive, which ended with quarterback Julio Avalos’ one-yard landing run.
Odebunmi again carried a lot of the load on Cleveland’s second drive, contributing 39 yards and scoring on a two-yard run to give the Cavaliers a 14-0 lead.
While Odebunmi was producing for Cleveland, the Cavaliers largely stifled Birmingham’s top offensive risk, huge receiver Paul Turner.
Turner’s largest play was a 45-yard punt return that set up the Patriots’ lone landing, a six-yard go from quarterback Daniel Kakooza to Aidin Irizary late in the third quarter that cut Cleveland’s lead to 14-9.
“We knew that was one of the keys to getting the win, containing him,” Cleveland coach Mario Guzman said of Turner. “We knew he’d get his catches. That’s inevitable — the kid’s a baller. But we knew if we could contain him, rally and tackle, we’d be in a good position.”
The fourth quarter turned into a comedy of errors. Birmingham blocked a punt to take over at the Cleveland 11, only to have Cleveland block the following field-goal attempt. The Patriots later received another alternative when Chris Barrera recovered a fumble.
Kakooza then rediscovered Turner, connecting with him six occasions on the drive as Birmingham drove to the Cleveland three-yard line. But the Patriots again got here away empty.
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