KELSEYVILLE >> Though there were plenty of bumps along the way, the Kelseyville Knights showed they know how to finish. They beat the Lower Lake Trojans 27-14 on Friday night in the North Central League I varsity football finale for both teams at Kelseyville, their second straight win.
Kelseyville (2-5, 3-7) escaped the league cellar in the process, leaving Lower Lake (1-6, 4-6) and Clear Lake tied for last place in the final NCL I standings.
A solid running attack led by Dwayne Yiggins and Asa Peters and another strong effort on defense by the Knights fueled the victory.
Yiggins scored on both sides of the football. He had 17 carries for 92 yards and a touchdown as a running back and it was his 6-yard interception return for a TD with 8:58 left in the game that sealed the Kelseyville victory as the Knights moved out to a 27-8 lead.
Peters rushed for 92 yards and a touchdown and caught the Knights’ only completed pass for another 14 yards.
Kelseyville scored the first two times it touched the ball to open up a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The Knights pushed that advantage to 21-0 midway through the second quarter on a a Manny Sanchez 1-yard run.
Lower Lake closed to 21-8 in the third quarter as quarterback Hokulani Wickard scored on a 4-yard keeper. He hooked up with Kono Geary on the conversion pass.
Robert Calderon’s 3-yard run with 7:05 left in the fourth quarter cut Kelseyville’s lead to 27-14.
Kelseyville’s defense picked off the sophomore Wickard, who went 13-for-28 for 131 yards, three times and the Knights also recovered an onside kick to open the game and later scored.
Geary’s 84-yard interception late in the third quarter set up Lower Lake’s first TD.
Kelseyville won the junior varsity game 27-8 to clinch at least a share of the NCL I title pending the outcome of the JV game between Willits and St. Helena (Willits needed a victory to earn a co-championship). The Knights finish 6-1 in league and 8-2 overall. Patrick Mick rushed for 239 yards and two touchdowns, one on a 95-yard run.
