Two weeks into the start of league play, the Birmingham Patriots defense had only surrendered seven points combined in lopsided victories against Chatsworth and El Camino Real. The Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to Rick Prizant Field Friday night to take on a Birmingham team with an identical 2-0 record in the West Valley League. With sole possession of first place on the line, the four-time defending champion Patriots continued to impose their will and physicality on the defensive end by shutting out the Cavaliers through three quarters and picking off Cleveland sophomore quarterback Domenik Fuentes four times. Birmingham senior quarterback wideout Andrew Harris poured in four catches for 91 yards and a touchdown reception in a convincing 34-7 win in their blackout uniforms for homecoming night. 

The Patriots defense made their presence known right away on the Cavaliers first possession of the game. Senior middle linebacker Eddie Plaza picked off a pass from Fuentes and took it all the way back for a touchdown to give Birmingham an early 7-0 advantage. After their defense forced a three-and-out, Birmingham moved quickly by pounding the rock on a no-huddle drive. Patriots senior running back Dredon Fowles punched it in for a 17-yard touchdown run to put them ahead 13-0 following a failed extra point attempt. 

Cleveland continued to struggle offensively in a penalty-ridden possession resulting in a punt. The contest ventured into the second quarter, where a backwards pass from Birmingham junior quarterback Kevin Hawkins resulted in a fumble recovery by the Cavaliers. Fortunately for the Patriots, Cleveland failed to advance the ball as the defense forced their third punt of the evening. 

Consecutive penalties from the Cavaliers defense consequently led to Hawkins tossing a 48-yard bomb to Harris. Already in goal-line territory, Patriots sophomore running back Braylen Morgan ran the ball into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown run to push the lead to 20-0 with 5:36 left in the half. Birmingham’s defense forced their third consecutive three-and-out, but their offense turned the ball over on downs on their subsequent drive. 

Birmingham forced their second turnover of the night on the next Cleveland possession, as the two-way player Fowles earned an interception on the defensive end with a little over two minutes left in the half. The Patriots took advantage of generous field position after a defensive pass interference penalty on the Cavaliers. Hawkins once again found Harris for a 19-yard touchdown score with only 36.0 seconds left in the half to give Birmingham a commanding 27-0 halftime lead. 

Fowles added an exclamation point following the halftime homecoming festivities by returning the opening second half kickoff back for a touchdown. Having marched their way to a 34-0 advantage, the Birmingham defense continued their stout pursuit to the football in the second half. Freshman strong safety Jason Arevalo attained the third interception of the game for the Patriots defense early in the third quarter. “That’s cool when you see a freshman getting a pick.”, claimed Birmingham Head Coach Jim Rose. 

The Patriots couldn’t turn the miscue into points, as the offense turned the ball over after the Cavaliers defense recovered a forced fumble. Both offenses struggled to move the ball in the third quarter as the 34-0 score remained unchanged heading into the fourth quarter. “I thought our offense was sloppy tonight.”, Coach Rose alluded to postgame. 

Birmingham junior defensive back Tobias Bechdolt made an interception in the fourth quarter to give the defense their fourth takeaway of the night. Cavaliers senior wideout Julio Saucedo caught a late 18-yard touchdown pass from Fuentes to end the possible shutout for the Patriots. Winners of three-in-a-row after the 34-7 win, the defending champions look for their fourth consecutive league win against arch rival Taft on the road next Friday night. Cleveland will return to their home field for an opportunity to rebound against El Camino Real.