LAKE COUNTY — Whatever Lake County”s football teams have done up to this point of the season certainly counts, but whatever they do starting tonight counts even more. That”s because the North Central League I and II races open this weekend.
On a Football Friday where all the action tonight takes place outside of Lake County, the Middletown Mustangs (1-2), still awaiting word from the North Coast Section on whether their forfeited games to Salesian and Healdsburg will be reinstated as wins, visit the Willits Wolverines (0-3) in a classic NCL I mismatch. In other NCL I action, Clear Lake (2-1) travels to Cloverdale (0-3), Lower Lake (2-1) makes the long haul to Fort Bragg (1-2), and the Kelseyville Knights (3-0) hit the road to play two-time-defending league champion St. Helena (2-1).
On Saturday afternoon, the Upper Lake Cougars (0-3) host California School for the Deaf (1-2) out of Fremont in their NCL II opener.
Middletown at Willits
No matter how you analyze this one on paper, Middletown is a decisive favorite, having outscored its first three opponents 104-14, including shutouts in its last two games against El Molino and Healdsburg, two Sonoma County League teams. Willits, coming off a bye week, has been outscored 102-6.
The Mustangs are moving the ball on the ground, where Austin Benson has 280 yards and four TDs rushing in only two games, and through the air, where quarterback Josiah Amos has passed for 554 yards and seven TDs.
About the only thing better than a league-opening win for Middletown would be news that one or both of its forfeited games will be reinstated as wins. The Mustangs had to forfeit their first two victories of the season because paperwork regarding a transfer player had not been filed with the section office. The player in question is cleared to take the field tonight in Willits. However, the Mustangs have a handful of players out or doubtful for tonight”s game.
“Seven kids won”t be suiting up for various reasons,” Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said. “We”re a little thin on depth. Hopefully we”ll start to get a little bit healthy the next couple of weeks.”
Even though the Wolverines are struggling this season, Foltmer said it”s never a good idea to look past an opponent.
“Our coaches understand you have to be ready to play every game, but sometimes the kids forget that,” Foltmer said. “It”s always a tough game for us in Willits. On paper we”re heavy favorites, but things can happen.”
Clear Lake at Cloverdale
With no timeline set for the return of defensive end/tight end Gabe Oilar-Strong and defensive back/wide receiver David Mansell, both hurt on the same play in Clear Lake”s 28-24 loss to South Fork last weekend, the Cardinals enter tonight”s game in Cloverdale with two major pieces of their puzzle on the sideline with ankle injuries.
Clear Lake has plenty of weapons left on offense, but the team struggled on defense against South Fork”s scrambling quarterback a week ago and will need to address that issue quickly now that league play is here.
“Too many people were trying to sack the quarterback instead of applying pressure and staying in their lanes,” Clear Lake coach Milo Meyer said. “He (South Fork QB) found the holes and hurt us.”
Cloverdale is the third spread-offense team the Cardinals will face, joining South Fork and Durham.
“Their quarterback runs as good as he throws,” Meyer said. “They really don”t do anything different than the other two spread offenses we”ve faced.”
One notable advantage for the Eagles is their schedule. They had a bye last week, which means they”ve had two weeks to heal and prepare for the Cardinals.
“They”re healthy and we”re not,” Meyer said. “Our goal is to get by these games with our injuries and survive until we”re healthy again. Our schedule only gets tougher.”
Clear Lake”s first three league games are against Cloverdale, Willits and Lower Lake. The Cardinals close with St. Helena, Kelseyville, Middletown and Fort Bragg.
“We have to win these games if we”re going to hold our own,” Meyer said.
Lower Lake at Fort Bragg
The Trojans, coming off a successful preseason, face a major test right out of the gate when they visit the Mendocino County coast tonight to take on the Timberwolves.
Fort Bragg, a preseason favorite of many to win the NCL I, has struggled mightily since beating McKinleyville 20-7 in its season opener. Since then, the Timberwolves have lost 40-7 to St. Bernard”s of Eureka and 57-30 to Galileo High School, a San Francisco team that has only one winning season in its last eight. To the Lions” credit, they are 3-1 this year.
Kelseyville at St. Helena
Though the Saints aren”t the team they”ve been the last couple of years, they”re off to a 2-1 start in 2013 and figure to give Kelseyville its first real test of the season. The Knights roll into league play having outscored their first three opponents 164-29.
St. Helena routed Kelseyville in each of their last two meetings — 45-19 a year ago in Kelseyville and 49-12 in 2011 at St. Helena.
Kelseyville running backs Robert McLean and Kevin Duty have combined for almost 800 yards of rushing offense in the first three weeks of the season. Duty already has 10 touchdowns – eight rushing and two on kickoff returns.
CSD at Upper Lake
After a steady diet of NCL I teams (Kelseyville, Clear Lake and Lower Lake) in the preseason, the Upper Lake Cougars look to finally make some noise Saturday against California School for the Deaf. If coach Alex Stabiner”s club is going to notch its first win of the season, it will be without star running back Ian Seevers, who is out of action with a fractured hand suffered near the end of the Cougars” 40-14 loss to Lower Lake last week — it was sandwiched between the helmets of two Lower Lake players. Seevers rushed for at least 100 yards and one TD in each of Upper Lake”s first three games. Replacing his contributions to the offense is going to be a formidable task.
Another Upper Lake starting running back, Gabe Anderson, left last weekend”s game with a strained bicep and didn”t return to practice until Thursday.
On defense, the Cougars will be without linebacker Charles Edmunds, who sustained a concussion in the loss to Lower Lake.
“We”re banged up,” Stabiner said. “For the small squad we have it is a problem.”
Nick Stith and Indio Drapeau are being pressed into service in the backfield, according to Stabiner.
“Nick runs real hard and uses his blocking,” Stabiner said. “Indio is very quick.”
CSD opened its NCL II schedule a week ago with a 32-14 loss to Calistoga, a game that was over by halftime.
