MIDDLETOWN ? It”s only week seven of the high school football season, but it”s the last stand for the Middletown Mustangs in the big picture that is the North Central League I varsity football race.
Middletown, three-time defending NCL I North champion, needs a win tonight at home against an undefeated St. Helena squad to retain any shot at all of winning some part of a fourth straight NCL I championship.
St. Helena (3-0 league, 6-0 overall) won the NCL I South title a year ago but lost twice to Middletown (2-1, 3-3) ? 40-7 in interlock play at St. Helena and again 56-0 in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs at Middletown. The Saints will be looking for some payback tonight at Bill Foltmer Field.
In other NCL I games tonight involving Lake County schools, Clear Lake (2-1, 2-4) celebrates its homecoming against Lower Lake (0-3, 0-6), and Kelseyville (0-3, 0-6) travels to Fort Bragg (1-2, 3-3). On Saturday, Upper Lake (1-0-1, 4-1-1) completes the first half of its NCL II schedule with its homecoming game against Calistoga (0-2, 0-6).
St. Helena at Middletown
Middletown needs a win over St. Helena to remain in the hunt for the league title along with the Saints and the Willits Wolverines (3-0, 5-1), who visit Cloverdale tonight to play the Eagles (1-2, 1-5). If the Mustangs lose and sustain a second league loss, they won”t be mathematically eliminated from the race but it”s hard to envision a scenario in which both St. Helena and Willits lose two of their final three league games.
“We”ve got to have a win,” said Middletown coach Bill Foltmer, who is dealing with the absence of several starters this week.
Logan Smith and Taylor Holton are out and Nick Dellia will miss his second straight game because of a school suspension. Anthony Castaldo is doubtful because of a hand injury and Blaine Amos is questionable because of a back injury. Even starting quarterback Kyle Brown is less than 100 percent.
“It”s one of those seasons when you think it”s bad and then it gets a little bit worse,” Foltmer said. “But no excuses. We”ve practiced long and hard preparing for St. Helena.”
After last season, Foltmer believes the Saints are probably looking for a little payback.
“St. Helena is licking their chops,” he said. “They have an opportunity to lay one on Middletown and they have the capabilities to do it.”
Running back Charles Bertoli and quarterback Richard Hoppe are two of St. Helena”s big weapons and both are enjoying great years.
“Bertoli is probably the best back in the league and Hoppe is having a great season,” Foltmer said. “You can”t just pack the box against them because Hoppe can chip away at you on the outside. But I still think Bertoli is the key.
“We”re going to have to play extremely well to beat these guys,” Foltmer said.
Lower Lake at Clear Lake
The Clear Lake Cardinals look to bounce back from a 42-0 home loss to the Willits Wolverines but won”t have quarterback Steven Edwards (shoulder) in their lineup tonight.
“That was probably our worst game of the year,” Clear Lake offensive coordinator Mike Hansen said. “We”ve moved the ball in all our games this year, but they just manhandled us, no doubt about it.”
Though the Trojans are winless, Hansen said he doesn”t think the Cardinals are overlooking the Southshore team.
“We”ve talked about that (with the players),” Hansen said. “We”ve got two wins and can”t afford to take anybody lightly. It”s not like we”ve dominated people.”
The Cardinals will have to keep an eye on Lower Lake”s speedy wide receiver Alphonsos Daniels, who has 24 catches for 390 yards and two TDs.
“He”s a good athlete,” Hansen said. “He makes big plays.”
Lower Lake is coming off a 58-6 home setback at the hands of St. Helena. With just three league games remaining after tonight, the Trojans are running out of chances to secure that elusive first win of the season. After Clear Lake, they host Cloverdale and Willits before finishing up on the road at Kelseyville.
Fans attending tonight”s game are encouraged to bring canned goods for the Homecoming for a Cause food drive.
Kelseyville at Fort Bragg
The Knights just missed winning their first game of the season last week against Cloverdale ? the Eagles capitalized on a late Kelseyville fumble and went on to score with 1.5 seconds left in a 34-29 victory at Kelseyville. They try again tonight on the Mendocino County coast against the Timberwolves, who were shut out 7-0 last week in Middletown. Fort Bragg”s only league win to date came two weeks ago in a 26-14 victory at home against Lower Lake.
Kelseyville has lost eight straight dating back to last season, including its last four league games.
Calistoga at Upper Lake
While there may be no such thing as an automatic victory, this one comes pretty close. Calistoga is not only winless this season, but one of the Wildcats” losses was a 10-8 decision to the same South Fork team that Upper Lake beat 70-13.
In other words, the Cougars appear to be in for a happy homecoming Saturday afternoon just as long as they remain injury free. Starting fullback/defensive end Joey Valdez will sit this one out after missing the second half of last week”s 46-40 win at St. Vincent with a severe stinger.
Even with Valdez out, Upper Lake has more than enough firepower to deal with the Wildcats.
Senior running back Bradley Brackett and junior running back Ward Beecher could be line for a big game. Brackett needs just 154 yards to reach 1,000. He”s currently on a pace to finish the regular season in the vicinity of 1,400 yards. Upper Lake”s all-time single-season leader is Jim Knops with 1,709 yards (1987).
Valdez”s backup at fullback, Broc Pasqual, will also miss the game with an ankle injury, so Stoney Timmons will draw the start.
“He knows football and he can play any spot we ask him to play,” Upper Lake coach Alex Stabiner said of Timmons. “We want our fullback to hit people and Stoney has no problem with that.”
While the Wildcats have struggled mightily at times this season, Stabiner said the Calistoga team has also shown “flashes of brilliance,” so the Cougars need to be on their game.
“Our goal is to go out there and get better each game whether we”re playing Calistoga or Tomales,” Stabiner said.
By Stabiner”s count the Cougars haven”t won a homecoming game in many years, a streak Upper Lake is looking forward to ending on Saturday.
