CCS pulls away in second half

The first half of Friday's Clovis Christian-Reserve football game was something you don't expect to see too often in 6-man — a good, old-fashioned defensive slugfest.

That changed quickly when play resumed. Each team scored on its first play from scrimmage, and CCS added another TD on the third play after the next kickoff.

The Eagles kept the Mountaineers in check the rest of the way, though, and cruised to a 32-10 victory at Jim Hill Field.

CMI photo: Tony Bullocks

Clovis Christian junior quarterback Nate Turvaville is tackled by Reserve freshman Tristan Fletcher after a short gain during the first half of Friday night's game at Jim Hill Field. The Eagles beat the visiting Mountaineers 32-10.

Sophomore running back J.V. Parales rushed for 135 yards and scored three third-quarter touchdowns for the Eagles (2-2). Freshman Kade Hedemann added a pair of touchdowns.

The quick first half, though, ended with CCS up 6-4 — Reserve (0-4) put together a 12-play drive following the opening kickoff that ended in a 4-point field goal from 26 yards by senior Harvey Humphries, and the Eagles countered in just three plays with Hedemann going in from the 3.

"I challenged them at halftime, and they responded," first-year CCS coach Corey Robinson said of the Eagles. "We played well enough to win in the first half, but you've got to score points."

CCS piled up a 334-206 advantage in total offense. Parales scored on runs of 60, 31 and 11 yards, while Hedemann added a 5-yarder in the final period.

"J.V. Parales came out and played amazing in the second half," said CCS junior Nate Turvaville, who was 7-of-11 passing for 121 yards. "(Robinson) just told us (at halftime) that we were playing not to lose, and we played a lot better in the second half."

Junior Dalton Hardy caught five passes for 99 yards for the Eagles.

"I think we can build on this," Turvaville said. "We just have to continue to get better every week."

Meantime, the Mountaineers got 99 yards rushing from Humphries, who scored their only TD on a 39-yard pass from junior Keno Kiehne.

It was an improvement for Reserve, which had lost its first three games by a combined 180-6.

"I thought it was going to (continue to be) a defensive struggle (after halftime)," Reserve coach Gary Allison said. "But we kind of fell off the blocking in the second half, and when you don't block it's tough."