LAKE COUNTY >> If pigs could fly, the Middletown Mustangs might not be without their starting tailback on Saturday when they open a new football season against the Salesian Pride, a premier matchup of two perennial North Coast Section playoff contenders.
In fact, a steer in the other direction might have worked to Middletown’s benefit as well as the Mustangs go into their 2015 debut minus tailback Coleman Drew – he’s showing his pigs at the Lake County Fair this weekend – and minus do-everything senior Wyatt Jones – who has a steer entered at the county fair in Lakeport.
“I’m proud of our western heritage,” Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said of Drew’s and Jones’ participation in the fair, which he’s known about for some time. “The Labor Day holiday fell a little later this year, so that didn’t help out as far as our first game went. It’s just one of those things.”
Both Drew and Jones stand to make thousands of dollars from selling their animals, according to Foltmer.
“It’s a lot of money and a big deal for both of them and I understand,” he said.
In other games involving Lake County teams this weekend, a 13-player-strong Clear Lake squad opens the season at home against Durham (0-1), a banged up Lower Lake club is home for its opener against El Molino (0-1), and Kelseyville (0-1) travels to Healdsburg (0-1). In Saturday action, the eight-man football era opens for Upper Lake as the Cougars travel to Santa Rosa to play Rincon Valley Christian in a varsity-only 1 p.m. contest.
Middletown at Salesian
Salesian, a team Middletown has faced in week one for the last decade (and the two teams have a handful of memorable postseason meetings as well), square off Saturday in Richmond (11 a.m. JV start).
“It’s not a super Salesian team like they’ve had many years,” Foltmer said. “They graduated a lot of seniors and they lost their starting tailback last week (broken leg) against Bethel. He’s out for the season.”
Salesian rolled past Bethel 57-8 in its season opener in Richmond.
“They’re second guy (tailback’s replacement) is very quick … they always have quick kids,” Foltmer said. “Bottom line is Salesian is always going to be good and a well-coached team.”
Despite the key losses of Drew and Jones, Foltmer said the Mustangs will rely on their senior offensive line and senior quarterback, Connor Armstrong, to get the job done.
“We’re going down there without some bullets in our gun, but I have a senior line that needs to step up. I need our seniors to play like seniors.”
Upper Lake at RVC
Fear of the unknown? Nah. Upper Lake head coach Frank Gudmundson said there are a lot of variables facing his Cougars as they prepare for their first eight-man game on Saturday against Rincon Valley Christian, but he’s embracing all of them.
“I really like it because it’s the unknown,” he said. “I’ve never ever been in a situation like this.”
Gudmundson said a tighter field – 80 yards long and 40 yards wide – is one of the new features of the eight-man game.
“We’re not even sure about all the rules, but I’m sure the refs will let us know,” he said.
Practicing on the reconfigured Upper Lake field has been something of an eye-opener, according to Gudmundson.
“It’s condensed and it really does feel tight out there when you are running plays wide,” Gudmundson said. “If you’re not careful you’ll run out of bounds, so you before cut it up.”
One thing that’s for certain is the Cougars are ready to hit someone other than a teammate in practice.
“We’ve been together for a summer and practicing against the same people,” Gudmundson said. “They are ready to play and they are excited about hitting someone else.”
Derek Pritchard, a junior transfer from Florida, draws the start at quarterback for the Cougars. When not throwing the ball, he’ll be handing it off to the likes of Andreas Santos, Jacob Kaliwaia, Francisco “Pancho” Flores, and freshman Chris Fecht.
El Molino at Lower Lake
The Trojans haven’t played a game yet but they are already minus several starters with a variety of injuries, the most serious of which belongs to Jordan Harris, who is out for the season with a MCL tear in his knee.
“We’ve had so many injuries during the summer, I hope we’re passed that now,” said Lower Lake coach Justin Gaddy, who will be without a handful of starters against El Molino, a 30-6 loser to Willits in its opener last weekend.
El Molino is playing a brand of smash-mouth football this year with help of former Tomales coach Leon Feliciano, according to Gaddy.
“They’ve shifted to a double-wing, double-tight formation,” Gaddy said of the Lions. “It looks like they’ve bought fully into it.”
El Molino had a rough go in its opener largely because Willits is an improved team this season, according to Gaddy.
“That just shows how tough our league (North Central League I) is,” Gaddy said.
Lower Lake has promoted seven sophomores to the varsity level to plug some holes because of injuries and to give the team some much-needed depth.
“They’re adjusting to the varsity level very well,” he said of the sophomores.
The game marks the varsity debut of sophomore quarterback Hokulani Wickard and it’s likely the Trojans will need a big night through the air to beat the Lions.
“We passed for only 38 yards against them last year,” Gaddy said of 28-6 season-opening loss to the Lions in Forestville a year ago. “We’ve also got to be disciplined and cut down our penalties.”
Durham at Clear Lake
The Clear Lake Cardinals will suit up in the neighborhood of 13 players for their season opener tonight at home against Durham (1-0), a 22-14 winner at Williams in its opener last weekend.
“They’ve got their quarterback, running back and top receiver back,” Clear Lake coach Darin Brodnansky said of the Trojans, 15-13 losers to the Cardinals a year ago in Lakeport.
“They do like to throw the ball and they run multiple formations,” Brodnansky said. “They come to play.”
Clear Lake participated in a four-team scrimmage last week in Middletown and Brodnansky said the Cardinals turned in on after a slow start.
“I feel comfortable with the kids I have,” he said.
Brodnansky said he wouldn’t elevate additional players from the JV squad unless it’s necessary.
“I’m going with what I’ve got,” he added. “The kids I have are working hard.”
Kelseyville at Healdsburg
The Healdsburg Greyhounds put 42 points on the board in their season opener against Drake last weekend and still lost — 55-42. The task of slowing down the Greyhounds’ offense now rests with the Kelseyville Knights (0-1), who visit Recreation Park tonight.
“They throw the ball very well and have a good running back in No. 40 (Bryant Herrguth), who makes you respect the run,” Kelseyville coach Erick Larsen said.
Kelseyville will be without tight end/defensive end Tyler Riewerts, who sustained an ankle injury early in the Knights’ 13-7 season-opening home loss a week ago to De Anza.
“We’re being cautious,” Larsen said. “We’ve got a bye next week and we want him ready for our next game (Sept. 18 vs. South Fork). We don’t want to risk it becoming a nagging injury.”
Kelseyville has had a solid week in practice, according to Larsen.
“The kids have real good focus,” he said. “Looking at film (of the De Anza game) we recognized mistakes we were making.”
