LOWER LAKE — The good news for Lower Lake on Friday night was that the Trojans finally scored after being shut out three straight games — albeit that there were only 10 seconds left on the clock at Gordon Sadler Field when fullback Chris Perry punched across the goal line.
The bad news is that Fort Bragg already had 62 points.
It was by all measures a monstrous loss for the Trojans. A monster back — Jake Cimolino — carved up the Trojan defense for four touchdowns and 383 yards as the Timberwolves rolled to a 62-6 North Central League I North victory.
Three lost fumbles and a bad snap on a punt didn”t help the Trojans, who dropped their league opener and are now 0-7 on the season.
It couldn”t get much worse than being down 21-0 at half, as Lower Lake was, and having that be your best half.
The scoring onslaught by the T”wolves ? it was their second straight 60-plus-point game against a Lake County team (they beat Kelseyville 62-19 last week) — sets up next Friday”s NCL I North showdown against equally formidable Middletown. Fort Bragg and Middletown take identical 6-1 records into the colossal matchup after the Mustangs disposed of St. Helena 35-7 Friday night in St. Helena.
“It will be a real battle, a real tough game, I think,” said Fort Bragg coach Jack Moyer, who won his 201st career game. “A lot of back and forth. They”ll have things all balanced up, we”ll be prepared and ready to go for it.”
Ironically, the one blemish on both teams” records are close losses to St. Vincent in Petaluma. In fact, both Middletown and Fort Bragg lost in the final seconds to St. Vincent.
“I”d like to have played them at our place,” Moyer said of St. Vincent. “I”m sure Bill (Foltmer) would, too.”
Moyer says his team is balanced, too, but that was not reflected on Friday night against Lower Lake. With Cimolino piling up yards, touchdowns and Trojans out of Fort Bragg”s power-I, the T”wolves” offense was about as subtle as a sledgehammer. The only difference between one off-tackle smash and another was whether quarterback Brent Moyer used two hands to give the ball to Cimolino or one.
Cimolino is so dominant that his understudy hasn”t even been brought up to the varsity, even though, like Cimolino, he has run for more than 1,300 yards this season.
“We lacked a little on defense, but we played pretty well on offense,” Moyer said.
Pretty well?
Lower Lake coach Stan Weiper, who knew a long night was in the offing as he stood on the sidelines prior to the game, did manage to secure a little attention for his Trojans by bringing up freshman running back Roy Percoats, whose reception of a 39-yard pass from quarterback Stephen Whitcomb in the waning moments took the ball to the Fort Bragg 4, from where Perry finally got the Trojans onto the scoreboard.
Asked for his thoughts on the pending Fort Bragg-Middletown clash, Weiper offered, “They”re both very solid … looks like its going to be an interesting game. I wish I could see it.”
Chris Perry led the Trojans with 124 yards on 26 carries.
Cimolino did all his damage in the first three quarters against Lower Lake. He didn”t play in the fourth.
