Heading into the Birmingham-Cleveland high school football game on Friday night, something had to give in the West Valley League opener. The host Patriots hadn’t lost a league game since 2017 and had beaten Cleveland 13 consecutive times, by an average score of 40-8.
Cleveland, however, was undefeated and looking for its first 6-0 start since 2004.
It wasn’t pretty, but a superlative defensive effort and two impressive first-half drives gave the Cavaliers just enough to defeat the Patriots 14-9. Birmingham fell to 1-5.
Neither team’s most potent offensive weapon was able to take over the game.
Cleveland running back Moyosoreoluwa Odebunmi did most of his damage early, rushing for 40 yards on the Cavaliers’ opening drive, which ended with quarterback Julio Avalos’ one-yard touchdown run.
Odebunmi again carried much 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 threat, wide receiver Paul Turner.
Turner’s biggest play was a 45-yard punt return that set up the Patriots’ lone touchdown, a six-yard pass 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 ensuing field-goal attempt. The Patriots later got another opportunity when Chris Barrera recovered a fumble.
Kakooza then rediscovered Turner, connecting with him six times on the drive as Birmingham drove to the Cleveland three-yard line. But the Patriots again came away empty.
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