Week 11 games
North Coast Section playoffs
Division IV
First-round games
Friday
Middletown 62, Harker School 0
St. Patrick-St. Vincent 65, Clear Lake 22
Fort Bragg 15, McKinleyville 12
Saturday
Valley Christian 35, Cloverdale 25
Justin-Siena 29, Berean Christian 7
Salesian 45, Willits 0
Statistics
Rushing — Middletown”s Max Dixon had only four carries for 73 yards in the Mustangs” 62-0 dismantling of Harker School in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs. Clear Lake”s Ryan Lunas also had 73 yards in a 65-22 first-round loss to St. Patrick-St. Vincent of Vallejo. Teammate Kevin Burt finished his career with three carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. Middletown”s Jake Davis had 46 yards on four carries and two touchdowns — all in the first quarter against Harker School.
Passing — Middletown”s Kyle Harmyk completed six of eight passes for 101 yards and three touchdowns against Harker School. Harmyk”s season numbers now stand at 1,543 yards and 21 TDs. Clear Lake”s Ryan Richardson closed out his high school career by going 7-for-16 for 118 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions against St. Patrick-St. Vincent.
Receiving — Middletown”s Dylan Galusha had three catches for 51 yards and two TDs. Teammate Danny Beckwith had a 33-yard TD reception.
Highlights
Special teams — Middletown”s Danny Beckwith went 8-for-9 in the extra-point department against Harker School. Teammate Jereomy Hoefer blocked a punt.
Defense — Aaron Adams of Clear Lake returned an interception 13 yards for a touchdown. Middletown”s Tyler Hicks had two sacks. The Mustangs” defense logged its fourth straight shutout and allowed only 53 yards of offense in the process. Clear Lake”s Seth Glazier had seven tackles, two assists and a sack.
Streaks — Middletown has won 10 straight.
Quarterfinal report — Middletown”s opponent on Friday night in the quarterfinals, Valley Christian of Dublin, upset No. 5 seed Cloverdale 35-25 during first-round action Saturday night in Cloverdale. Valley Christian is the highest seed (12) remaining in the playoffs. The ninth-seeded Justin-Siena Braves are also very much alive after working over Berean Christian 29-7 in a first-round game on Saturday. Justin-Siena plays at No. 1 St. Mary”s on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the winner of that game will meet the winner of the Middletown-Valley Christian game in the semifinals the weekend of Dec. 4-5. If Middletown beats Valley Christian, it will host the semifinal game, most likely on Dec. 4.
34-0, over and out — Middletown scored on its first four possessions and on five of its six in the first quarter to take a 34-0 lead. Field position was key as the Mustangs started at, in order, the Harker School 38-yard line, the Middletown 38, the Harker School 33, the Harker School 45 and the Harker School 30.
Nice season — Clear Lake senior running back Kevin Burt finished with 1,500 yards and 19 rushing TDs. Unfortunately, he had to leave the playoff game against St. Patrick-St. Vincent with a knee injury late in the second quarter and did not return. The 1,500 yards by Burt ranks him sixth on the all-time list for most yards in a single season by a county player.
Now second on all-time list — Jake Davis” two rushing touchdowns for Middletown in the first quarter were his 20th and 21st of the season, elevating him to second on the single-season list for most rushing TDs. Only Kelseyville”s Jared Holley (28) has more.
Now sixth on all-time list — Middletown quarterback Kyle Harmyk has 1,543 yards and counting, placing him sixth on the all-time county list for most passing yards in a season. The five players ahead of him are Mike Merchen (Upper Lake, 1990) with 1,868, Justin Lappin (Middletown, 1997) with 1,840, Anthony Portillo (Middletown, 1991) with 1,813, Zane Jensen (Clear Lake, 2001) with 1,711, and Jim Lujan (Lower Lake, 1991) with 1,614.
More Jake Davis — His 152 points scored are the second-highest single-season total by a county player. Only Kelseyville”s Jared Holley (188 in 1998) had more.
From the Bill Foltmer files — While discussing his team”s first-round playoff game on Thursday with the Record-Bee, Foltmer said Harker School of San Jose wouldn”t enjoy the comforts of home (i.e, artificial turf field) on Friday at Middletown and boy, was he right. “They”ll know they”re not at home when they”re walking past the animal stables on their way to the field.” Harker School had no success trying to roll out on a muddy and slippery Middletown natural grass field.
Long-range forecast — As of Monday, the outlook for Friday”s game was for partly cloudy and cold conditions. Maybe Middletown should start the sprinklers and run them all week. Just a thought.
Only Friday game — Middletown-Valley Christian is the only Friday night game in Division IV this weekend. The other three — St. Mary”s and Justin-Siena, Ferndale and Fort Bragg, and Salesian and St. Patrick-St. Vincent ? all take place Saturday at 1 p.m.
Double-digit winners — Ferndale, Salesian and Middletown all have 10 wins.
Middletown”s most patient man — That would be varsity boys” basketball coach Mike Mullin, who won”t have his full compliment of players through this week and possibly longer. “I”m used to it,” Mullin said.
Some great scheduling that was — This year”s Lake County Tournament for varsity and JV girls” basketball teams. Tournament days are Friday, Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Both Fridays are playoff football Fridays. Great job there guys.
Sweet — San Francisco”s Tim Lincecum wins back-to-back Cy Youngs.
From the Chad Ochocinco files — Hey, Chad, how about just shut the hell up?
Whoever loses, it”s all good — Raiders at Cowboys, Thanksgiving Day.
16th annual Record-Bee Hoop Classic — Will take place the week of Dec. 14-19 at Lower Lake High School”s new gym.
Next year”s tournament goes to Clear Lake. No host school has been picked for the 2011 tournament.
Was there ever a kid more wide open … — than Middletown”s Danny Beckwith, who hauled in a 33-yard touchdown pass midway through the first quarter Friday night against Harker School. Beckwith was an area code away from the nearest Harker School defender.
