LAKE COUNTY — They”re on the clock.
Three of Lake County”s five varsity football teams enter the second and most critical part of their schedules this weekend as North Central League I play opens in the Northern and Southern divisions. No matter what you”ve done up to this point, everyone starts over at 0-0. It”s one last chance to get it right.
Two of the more interesting games have Kelseyville (2-2-1) at Fort Bragg (4-1) tonight and St. Helena (3-2) at Upper Lake on Saturday. Also tonight, Middletown (4-1) celebrates its homecoming against Willits (0-5).
While Kelseyville, Middletown and Upper Lake are opening league play, Clear Lake (2-2-1) hosts Lower Lake (0-5) tonight in the final NCL I interlock game for both teams.
Kelseyville at Fort Bragg
The NCL I North is projected to be a two-team race between Middletown and Fort Bragg this season, so the Knights have an opportunity to upset those plans with a victory at Timberwolf Stadium.
Can they do it?
“These guys believe they can win,” Kelseyville coach Thad Owens said. “I don”t know how many people believe that, but my kids are fired up. The senior group wants to win so bad they can taste it, and they”ve tasted it a little bit this season.
“They”re calling this the biggest game they”ve ever played in high school football,” Owens added. “As a coach, I”m just happy to see them that fired up.”
Kelseyville is coming off a come-from-behind 22-16 win over the Cloverdale Eagles, a game in which Mike Duman”s fumble recovery for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter provided the margin of difference. The Knights forced five turnovers in that win and Owens wouldn”t mind getting that kind of performance from his defense again tonight.
“I think we”ll be able to move the ball some against them,” Owens said. “But the defense has to play the best game its ever played. We”ll have to play four solid quarters to beat them.”
Kelseyville didn”t win a league game in 2007, Owens” first as Kelseyville”s coach. Fort Bragg didn”t do much better, going 1-2-1 and taking fourth behind Lower Lake, Middletown and Willits.
One of these teams will be on track for a much better finish with a win tonight.
Willits at Middletown
The winless Wolverines are looking for their first victory — in the North and overall — and will have their paws full trying to get it tonight in Middletown against the Mustangs, winners of three straight.
That being said, Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said he hasn”t discussed Willits” record — or Middletown”s, for that matter — once this week with his players.
“I don”t think anything”s been said about Willits” 0-5 record or Middletown”s 4-1 record,” Foltmer said. “That”s not how we approach the game. We look at what Willits does and figure out what we need to do to counter it. It”s about drill work and prep work. That way your kids don”t get lackadaisical.”
If there”s anything the Wolverines can hang their helmets on, it”s that the Mustangs are celebrating their homecoming, which caps a busy homecoming week at the school, meaning one full of distractions for players and coaches alike.
Foltmer doesn”t see that as a huge obstacle to overcome.
“It”s homecoming and there will be a lot of people watching, so the kids want to play well,” Foltmer said.
Middletown”s backfield hasn”t let much of anything distract it this season. Eric Tomko is the county”s leading rusher (557 yards, 6 TDs) and Tyler Owen is fifth (456 yards, 6 TDs).
“I”ve got great backs, all good, all hard runners,” Foltmer said. “They”re going to get you tough yards and break tackles.”
And one reason the running backs are so good is the offensive line, according to Foltmer, the guys who are usually overlooked unless they”re called for holding or some other infraction.
“Lots of credit goes to the line,” Foltmer said. “Their great kids, smart ? they make line calls up there.”
Lower Lake at Clear Lake
It”s the last tune-up game for each team before the start of league play. Lower Lake returns home a week from tonight to host Fort Bragg in NCL I North play, and Clear Lake remains home a week from tonight to open its NCL I South schedule against Cloverdale.
Both teams had their moments a week ago despite losing — Clear Lake 28-6 at Fort Bragg and Lower Lake 28-0 at St. Vincent (5-0). While the Cardinals amassed 324 yards of total offense, Fort Bragg running back Jake Cimolino did that all by himself with 218 yards and three touchdowns rushing and a 90-yard kickoff return for a TD to open the game. Likewise, the Trojans had two prime scoring opportunities against St. Vincent, but an end zone interception and a fumbled pitch ended those threats.
Lightning-quick Lower Lake freshman running back Roy Percoats had an up-and-down day in his varsity debut, catching three passes for 46 yards and rushing for six yards in 12 carries. With another week of practice under his belt — he had only three days to prepare for the St. Vincent game — he should be a bit more adjusted to a faster and harder-hitting varsity game.
“He did OK for what we gave him but we really didn”t give him much room to run,” Lower Lake coach Stan Weiper said. “We”ll try to get him more involved this week.”
Weiper said the Cardinals” team speed on offense is a real concern for his squad, especially where the Lower Lake defensive backfield is concerned.
“Clear Lake might be a little too fast for us,” Weiper said.
While both teams are loaded with underclassman, Weiper said Lower Lake”s inexperience has a tendency to pop up when it”s least convenient.
“There are things I want to do, but we”re just not there yet,” Weiper said. “There”s enough power on the offense to do something, but we can”t quite get it turned up where we need it.”
Getting his players to the right place on the field — and keeping them there — is another challenge because they are so green, according to Weiper.
“I”m hoping to run a legitimate play that looks like something I called,” Weiper said somewhat tongue in cheek.
“You never like to play an 0-and-anything team looking for its first win,” Clear Lake coach Milo Meyer said. “They do have weapons.”
Meyer said he is looking for the Cardinals to take another step forward after its solid effort against the Timberwolves.
“We had 17 first downs, but we couldn”t punch the ball into the end zone,” Meyer said. “You can”t do that against a good team. Hopefully we”ll advance from there and get a few in this time.”
St. Helena at Upper Lake
Last year”s two South cellar dwellers are off to great starts in 2008. Both are 3-2 and one of them is going to be 4-2 and atop the South standings by game”s end. Upper Lake didn”t win a South game last season and St. Helena won just one ? a 47-7 victory over Upper Lake.
The Cougars and head coach Airic Guerrero put up a good fight for a quarter a week ago against Middletown before a 21-point second-quarter barrage by the Mustangs paved the way for a 35-0 final score.
St. Helena opened the season with two wins, lost its next two and popped back over the .500 mark a week ago with a 27-7 victory against Willits.
Both teams already have more wins than they had all of last season. St. Helena finished 2-8 and Upper Lake 1-9.
