LOWER LAKE — They”re sick and they”re hurting, but the Kelseyville Knights still did a number on the Lower Lake Trojans, rolling up nearly 400 yards on the ground while winning 35-13 in a North Central League I North varsity football game Friday night at Lower Lake.
Bouncing back from a 20-16 loss to Willits a week ago in their NCL I North opener, the Knights (1-1, 3-4) took out some of their frustration on the Trojans (0-2, 1-6). Steven Grossner rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns and Morgan Nelson added 120 yards and a touchdown.
“If you get two guys over 100 yards that”s usually a pretty good sign,” Kelseyville coach Thad Owens said.
Neither Grossner, Nelson or Nick Rodrigues were anywhere near 100 percent for the game because of the flu, according to Owens.
“They played their hearts out, all my kids did,” Owens said. “We had almost 400 yards on the ground and that”s a testament to these kids and how hard they worked. They did it all.”
Rodrigues and Mike Allen also rushed for touchdowns.
Lower Lake led 7-0 after one quarter on the strength of a 10-yard pass from Stephen Whitcomb to Carmari Onwuasoeze in the first quarter.
Kelseyville scored twice in the second quarter to take a 14-7 halftime lead, getting touchdown runs of 28 yards from Grossner and 32 yards from Nelson.
Lower Lake closed to 14-13 on an E.J. Jermany 5-yard run in the third quarter, but the Knights scored the game”s final 21 points on touchdown runs by Grossner and Rodrigues in the third quarter and by Allen in the fourth quarter.
“We tried a few things and it worked on our first drive,” Lower Lake coach Stan Weiper said. “But we had a little trouble after that keeping it going.”
Kelseyville returns home next Friday to take on Middletown. Lower Lake hosts Willits.
Lower Lake game statistics were not available at press time.
