LAKE COUNTY — So the long climb to 300 career wins begins for Middletown High School”s Bill Foltmer, who celebrated No. 200 in style a week ago with a dramatic 49-41 victory over the Fort Bragg Timberwolves at Middletown High School.
Middletown-Fort Bragg was the small-school game of the year and the Lake County game of the year, at least until further notice. Middletown (6-1), a winner of six straight, now controls its own fate in the North Central League I North race and beyond.
That said, the Mustangs also have to guard against the dreaded letdown that too often follows a big victory. And you can bet Middletown”s opponent tonight, the Kelseyville Knights (3-4), would like nothing better than to catch an overconfident Mustangs squad on their home field.
“We”ve been in this situation a ton of times,” Foltmer said. “It”s my biggest fear, but I worry more about it than the kids. We just need to keep working hard.”
Moving into a new week, Foltmer said it wasn”t the fear of being overconfident against the Knights that commanded the attention of his coaching staff. It was the Mustangs” play on defense last week against the Timberwolves.
“We gave up 41 points to Fort Bragg … that”s a lot,” Foltmer said. “We made plenty of mistakes. There were lots of missed tackles, missed assignments and players not doing what they need to do. Those are the things we”ve been trying to correct this week.”
Middletown also won last week despite turning the ball over four times.
“We can”t go to Kelseyville and expect to turn the ball over and beat them,” Foltmer said.
With two of their final three games on the road, Foltmer said the Mustangs aren”t about to start taking anyone lightly.
“We have a chance to win a league title. When have you seen any of my teams in that situation let down after a big win?”
While the Knights have been up and down this season, Foltmer said the Mustangs are preparing to see the best coach Thad Owens” Knights have to offer.
“I”ve seen their films and at times they look real good and other times not so good,” Foltmer said. “We”re expecting to see the real good Kelseyville team.”
As for a run at 300 wins, Foltmer, now in his 25th season at the school, just laughed.
“I”ll be gone long before then,” he said.
Kelseyville coach Thad Owens said the Knights” best defense against the Mustangs” is their offense — as in a four-quarter game of keepaway.
“Our offense is really designed for that,” Owens said of his nearly all-rush attack. “If you can do that, make ”em play your game, get a couple of breaks and put yourself in a situation where in the fourth quarter you”re still close, you”ve got a shot.”
The Knights will have everyone suited up for the first time in weeks.
“We”re not all 100 percent, but they”ll all be there,” Owens said.
In other games involving Lake County”s high school football teams on week eight of the 2009 season, all of which take place under the lights tonight, the Clear Lake Cardinals (3-4) host the reeling Upper Lake Cougars (1-6), and the Lower Lake Trojans (1-6) are home to face the suddenly red-hot Willits Wolverines (2-5), who ran up the score a week ago while pummeling Upper Lake 74-0.
Outside the county, the big game in week eight once again involves Fort Bragg (6-1) as the Timberwolves travel to Cloverdale (6-1) for an interlock game of some consequence. Fort Bragg lost star running back Jake Cimolino to a shoulder injury right before halftime a week ago in Middletown, and he might not be able to return this season.
Willits at Lower Lake
Mired in a 15-game losing streak only a couple of weeks ago, the Wolverines have the opportunity to keep pace with Middletown atop the NCL I North standings with a victory tonight at Gordon Sadler Field.
Lower Lake, 0-2 in the North standings to Willits” 1-0, is likely looking at its last opportunity for a league win. After tonight”s game, the Trojans travel to Middletown next week before closing out the season at home on Nov. 13 against Clear Lake in interlock action.
Willits also might be looking at its last win opportunity. The Wolverines” finish up their season with Fort Bragg and Middletown, games in which they probably won”t have to worry about running up the score.
Upper Lake at Clear Lake
Upper Lake has been outscored 358-36 this season and has been shut out four times. If ever a team needed a break, it would be coach Airic Guerrero”s Cougars, but they”re unlikely to get one against the Clear Lake Cardinals, who are coming off a 42-6 loss to St. Vincent.
Clear Lake, 0-2 in the South, won”t be winning a third straight NCL I title this season, but the Cardinals do have an opportunity to finish the regular season with an overall winning record if they can beat the Cougars, St. Helena and Lower Lake in their final three games, not an impossible task.
“That”s what we”re shooting for, definitely,” Schweitzer said of a winning record.
With their high school football careers winding down, the Clear Lake seniors need to set the tone, according to Schweitzer.
“This is a team that can play great when it wants to,” Schweitzer said. “We did that in the second half against Fort Bragg and then against Middletown. “We can also play not so great when we want to.”
That was true a week ago in a 42-6 loss to St. Vincent.
“I just want the kids to respect the game and all that goes with it,” Schweitzer said. “Have fun with it, but keep on improving as players and as a team.”
Should the Cardinals find themselves in the same situation that so many other Upper Lake opponents have found themselves in this season — with a big lead late in the game — Schweitzer said he definitely will not run up the score against the Cougars, something the Wolverines couldn”t resist doing last week.
“I”ve been in that situation as a coach. It”s not a good feeling, just a horrible feeling,” Schweitzer said. “That won”t happen.”
