KELSEYVILLE >> Anyone arriving two minutes after the kickoff of the Friday night game pitting Kelseyville and Fort Bragg would have missed the entire highlight of the Knights” scoring attack.
All the rest of the game, won 33-7 by Fort Bragg, was pretty much a lowlight — more aptly dark — for Kelseyville.
Once the game got down to the serious business of defending against Timberwolf quarterback Kaylor Sullivan”s vaunted passing attack, the Knights simply couldn”t do it. Especially in their present state — missing eight starters.
Sullivan connected with his multi-receiver corps from 34, 37, 12 and 5 yards for touchdown passes, setting his total to date this season at 21 TDs.
The Knights (1-2 league, 4-2 overall) were also hampered by a storm of penalty flags. Eleven penalties adding up to more than 100 yards were marched off against Kelseyville. Fort Bragg also had 100 penalty yards.
Friday”s night”s game was expected to be a battle to stay in the North Central League I race, but didn”t live up to expectations. Fort Bragg improved its overall record to 4-2 while improving to 2-1 in the NCL I standings.
In the early moments it looked like it might be game asthe Knights” Devin Dugger ran the opening kickoff back 75 yards to the Fort Bragg 16-yard line and Kelseyville scored on an 1-yard run by county rusher leader Robert McLean four plays later.
The Timberwolves responded with a 34-yard Sullivan to Rain Saunders scoring pass before the first quarter ended.
Kelseyville led 7-6 at the end of the first quarter and was still in the game at the half, trailing only 12-7.
The Knights” last gasp came halfway through the third quarter. Kelseyville punter Elias Alvarez was about to kick the ball away at the 35 when the center snap sailed away from him. Undaunted, Alvarez picked up the ball and ran to midfield for a first down.
But a penalty negated the play and Alvarez had to punt again. More penalties against the Knights followed and a half-dozen plays later Fort Bragg fullback Casey Hunter carried the ball and three would-be tacklers into the end zone.
McLean had 59 yards on 16 totes in the first half but was held to 78 yards for the game. Kelseyville quarterback Noah Lindall, who had a fairly good season going before Friday night, was sacked twice in the first half and had absolutely zero yardage for the game. He finished 0-for-14 with two interceptions.
