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Cleveland rushes for two touchdowns

CRYSTAL RIVER 33, SOUTH LAKE 0: The running back piles up 161 yards in an easy opening win for the Pirates.

GROVELAND - Behind the strong running of tailback Bam Cleveland and a stout performance from their defense, Crystal River shut out South Lake 33-0.

Cleveland rushed for a game-high 161 yards on 15 carries and two touchdowns to lead the Pirates.

"I think we had mental mistakes," said Cleveland, whose team fumbled twice. "We fumbled a few times. We have to pick that up."

Chianta Smith started the Pirates' scoring with a 5-yard touchdown on the opening drive. Smith and Cleveland combined to carry nine times for 42 yards to set up the score.

An 11-yard Justin Duncan reverse up the middle set the stage for Cleveland to add his first touchdown of the game with 3:06 left in the first half. Cleveland added the two-point conversion to give the Pirates a 14-0 lead they carried into the half.

Cleveland extended his team's lead late in the third quarter. After being stuffed for negative yardage on the first play of the drive the Pirates were pinned on their own 18-yard line. Cleveland took a handoff from quarterback Chris Bunch and was sprung by a crushing block by fullback Scott Gustella, clearing the field for an 82-yard dash to the end zone.

"It's great to have a shut out," Pirates coach Jere DeFoor said. "But the turnovers concern me. I don't know if we need to work on more drills or what, but they ran the ball hard. We are looking at playing a lot of backs."

Crystal River faces former district rival Dunnellon Friday night on a shortened practice week.

"I think we will be a little banged up, but we will come out hard," Cleveland said.