LAKE COUNTY — Two of the preseason favorites to win the North Central League I varsity football race won”t have to wonder about who the other guy is playing tonight. That”s because they”ll both be in the same place — Bill Foltmer Stadium in Middletown — for a key league contest, one that might go a long way toward determining the eventual champion.
The Fort Bragg Timberwolves (1-0 league, 2-2 overall) take on the Middletown Mustangs (1-0, 3-1) in a battle of NCL I heavyweights. Middletown, despite what it”s record may suggest, remains undefeated on the field — a 21-14 win over Salesian in week one was forfeited although that forfeit is in the process of being appealed with the North Coast Section. Middletown opened league play with a 67-0 thrashing of the Willits Wolverines last week while the Timberwolves overwhelmed the Lower Lake Trojans 33-6.
In other action under the lights tonight, it”s Kelseyville (0-1, 3-1) celebrating its homecoming against Cloverdale (0-1, 0-4); Lower Lake (0-1, 2-2) at home against St. Helena (1-0, 3-1); Clear Lake (1-0, 3-1) hosting Willits (0-1, 0-4); and, in NCL II action, Upper Lake (0-1, 0-4) hits the road to play also-winless Stellar Prep (0-1, 0-4) squad.
? Fort Bragg at Middletown
Fort Bragg-Middletown is usually one of the best NCL I games of the year. The two teams have hooked up for some real classics down through the years, including a 49-41 shootout victory for the Mustangs in 2009 at Middletown, a nail-biting 7-0 Middletown defensive struggle in 2011 at Middletown, and last year”s 18-14 Middletown loss at Fort Bragg. In 2010, the year the Mustangs came within a whisker of capturing a fourth sectional championship, Middletown dominated Fort Bragg 24-0 at Fort Bragg.
No team in the league has better balance between its running and passing games than does Middletown. Austin Benson has 420 rushing yards and six TDs in just three games this season while quarterback Josiah Amos has passed for 694 yards and 10 TDs. In fact, Amos has more passing yards and TDs than Lake County”s other four starting quarterbacks combined.
While the play of Middletown”s offense has been impressive, the play of the Mustangs” defense may be even better. Middletown has shut out three straight opponents — Healdsburg (35-0), El Molino (48-0) and Willits (67-0).
It will take another strong effort by the Middletown defense to get past Fort Bragg, according to coach Bill Foltmer.
“Our outside linebackers, our corners, our defensive ends have to do a good job of containing and taking good pursuit angles,” Foltmer said. “Fort Bragg is a team that does a good job of attacking the edges of your defense.”
Fort Bragg running back Zach Smith, who burned the Mustangs for two long touchdown runs last season in Fort Bragg, anchors the Timberwolf offense along with backfield mate Nathaniel Johnson. Fort Bragg also returns its quarterback this season, Tyler Ashby, but he”ll have to sit this one out after being ejected for a late hit while playing defense — he”s one of Fort Bragg”s best linebackers — a week ago in a win over Lower Lake.
Smith, a breakaway threat any time he touches the football, is a player the Mustangs need to slow down.
“They try all different ways to get the ball to Smith and their other running back (Johnson) is pretty good, too,” Foltmer said.
Ashby”s absence might hurt the Timberwolves more on defense, according to Foltmer.
“He”s out there talking all the time, getting kids in the right places,” Foltmer said. “He”s a leader.”
Middletown”s offense has played relatively mistake-free ball all season and Foltmer said he hopes that streak continues tonight.
“Our receivers haven”t dropped any balls and we”ve played real clean games, with penalties at a minimum. We can”t afford them now.”
Fort Bragg”s offense is a hard to scout because it does a lot of different things well, according to Foltmer, who added that the Mustangs are the same way. “We”re not at an easy scout either because we can run or pass. What are you going to try and take away?”
St. Helena at Lower Lake
Another of the league”s top offenses and defenses visits Lower Lake tonight as the Saints, led by star running back Sebastian Segura, visit Gordon Sadler Field. Segura, who has 660 yards and six TDs on the season, broke loose for 196 yards and three TDs in a 42-12 rout of Kelseyville a week ago in the league opener for both teams at St. Helena. Quarterback Jack Preston, who has thrown for 418 yards and two TDs, and a St. Helena defense that has allowed only 35 points make the Saints even tougher.
The Trojans have the added handicap tonight of not having their quarterback, Isazah King, who was ejected during the Trojans” loss to Fort Bragg a week ago. He”ll be on the sidelines watching teammate Dominick Dingess make his first career start.
“The thing I love about Dominick is he has a wrestling mentality,” Lower Lak coach Justin Gaddy said. “The players are rallying around him and giving him all their support.”
While Gaddy certainly knows all about Segura from watching game films, he”s even more impressed with the play of the St. Helena offensive line.
“It”s not a big line but it”s small and tough,” Gaddy said.
As for Segura, Gaddy says, “He”s tough and physical and runs hard.”
St. Helena”s offense isn”t complicated, according to Gaddy, but the Saints do what they do very well.
“I”m sure they”re going to open up their playbook the deeper into the season they get and we have to be ready for that,” Gaddy said.
Without King, who leads the Trojans in rushing as well as passing, Gaddy said it”s time for other players to step up.
“We have plenty of other playmakers who need to come through right now,” Gaddy said.
Lower Lake”s first-year coach said the play of his offensive and defensive lines will be critical.
“We need to make their offense drive a long way, not give up big plays,” Gaddy said. “And we need to keep our offense out on the field and put some pressure on them.”
If Lower Lake can get the ball deep into Fort Bragg territory with any regularity, the strong leg of kicker Mauricio Jauregui might come in handy.
“He”s kicking the ball 40 yards in practice,” Gaddy said. “We won”t be afraid to use him from that distance.”
Willits at Clear Lake
The Willits Wolverines are 0-4, but that doesn”t mean the Clear Lake Cardinals are an overconfident group going into tonight”s game.
“We ran into some issues with South Fork (28-24 loss) and we didn”t exactly blow Cloverdale (20-19 win last week) off the field, so that sent a message,” Clear Lake assistant coach Mike Hansen said. “We need to not turn the ball over and we need to continue what we”ve been doing on offense, moving the ball with a good mix of passes and runs.”
Two-way starters David Mansell and Gabe Oilar-Strong, both injured on the same play in the loss to South Fork two weeks ago, are cleared to play tonight against the Wolverines, and Nathan Powers is back from a trip to Nepal, so he”ll be available as well.
“We”ll try not to use them too much,” Hansen said of Mansell and Strong. “We”re trying to hold them back but they”re ready to go.”
Willits is a team that likes to throw the ball and Hansen said the Clear Lake defense needs to make sure it isn”t burned by the deep pass.
“They had success throwing the ball early in the game against Middletown,” Hansen said. “We”re concerned.”
A victory keeps the Cardinals atop the league standings with the Fort Bragg-Middletown winner and St. Helena if it gets past Lower Lake, the Cardinals” homecoming opponent next week.
Cloverdale at Kelseyville
The Knights celebrate their homecoming against the Cloverdale Eagles. Whether they”ll be celebrating after that game depends on how well coach Mike McGuire”s Knights rebound from last week”s 42-12 shellacking at the hands of St. Helena.
Cloverdale gave Clear Lake all it could handle a week ago before falling 20-19 to the Cardinals.
After Cloverdale, the Knights have back-to-back tough tests against Fort Bragg and Middletown.
Upper Lake at Stellar Prep
It”s not exactly the Super Bowl although it may feel like it for one of these winless teams after Friday night. In a battle of 0-4 squads, someone is going to get victory No. 1.
After generating just 24 yards of total offense and two first downs a week ago in a 60-0 loss to California School for the Deaf, things can only get better for Upper Lake.
“They”re trying to pull it together just like we are,” Upper Lake coach Alex Stabiner said of Stellar Prep. “They have a lot of talent. Their quarterback is 6-3 and mobile, but he”s just not connecting with his receivers. If there”s no one open, he”ll just tuck the ball and run and he”s a load to bring down.”
Upper Lake has its own problems on offense, especially since losing running back Ian Seevers to fractured hand two weeks ago.
“We”ve got to get it together so we don”t keep shooting ourselves in the foot with turnovers and penalties and missed blocking assignments,” Stabiner said.
Because Stellar Prep has no JV team, the kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. Upper Lake will also promote a handful of JVs to the varsity roster, which will be missing two players for disciplinary reasons. Two others – Tyler Herman (knee) and Nicholas Bills (ankle) are questionable for the game.
“I think it”s going to be a battle to see who can not give up,” Stabiner said. “I think it”s going to be a pretty competitive game.”
