KELSEYVILLE >> Feeling more at home as he enters his second season at the helm of the Kelseyville High School football program is Erick Larsen and there are positive signs the Knights should be improved from Larsen’s 3-7 rookie campaign in 2015.
Looking back at 2015, Larsen said the junior varsity team was certainly impressive as it finished 8-2 and claimed a share of the league title.
“Our JVs accomplished their goals,” Larsen said. “The varsity had it a little rougher.”
Following a first-year baptism under fire, Larsen said he is a “little more comfortable” entering his second season and his coaching staff is a more cohesive unit.
“JV and varsity, we’re working better together this year,” Larsen said.
Turning to his 2016 roster, Larsen added, “I feel we are in a better position. We have more depth in general and more team speed. We definitely have more depth in the backfield.”
The question mark for Kelseyville as a new season begins is the offensive line. The Knights do have bodies up front but they’ve been shuffled around from position to position in practice as Larsen and company look for the best combination.
“The scrimmage (Lake County Scrimmage held on Friday in Middletown) will hopefully answer some questions because we’ve been moving kids around,” Larsen said.
Team strengths are its aforementioned speed and its unselfishness.
“We have more team speed overall and I already have kids coming up to me telling me they’ll play any position if it helps the team,” Larsen said.
Larsen is also excited about how the Knights closed out 2015, which was quite good. In their final three North Central League I games, they lost 7-0 at home to Middletown, beat Clear Lake 26-6 in Lakeport, and knocked off Lower Lake 27-14 in their season finale at home.
“We were in every game except St. Helena,” Larsen said of a 41-8 loss to the Saints in early October. “I felt like we lost some games we should have won early on,” Larsen said of a season-opening 13-8 upset loss to De Anza of Cupertion and a 20-13 loss at Healdsburg the following week.
The Knights also dropped a 28-19 league decision against Willits in late September at Kelseyville.
Three players who need to come through in a big way for the Knights in 2016 are quarterback Logan Barrick, running back Dwayne Yiggins and middle linebacker Aaron Teel.
Logan Barrick
Taking over the quarterback job at midseason in 2015, Barrick completed 29 of 60 passes for four touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s done nothing but improve and mature in the offseason.
“And he’s developing into a leader,” Larsen said of his senior signal caller.
Dwayne Yiggins
Yiggins sat out the Knights’ first two games in 2015 but was a solid addition as he went on to rush for 485 yards on only 85 carries, a 5.7 average. His four rushing TDs led a team that had only 14 rushing scores overall.
“He’s worked hard in the offseason,” Larsen said. “There is a lot of fun stuff we can do with Dwayne.”
Higgins, a senior, has good size at 5 feet, 10 inches and 200 pounds.
Aaron Teal
Senior middle linebacker Aaron Teal figures to anchor a Kelseyville unit that allowed an average of 22 points a game last season although that number is inflated by the 41 points the Knights allowed St. Helena and the 57 they gave up to league champion Fort Bragg.
“If these three guys (Barrick, Yiggins and Teal) play well and rally together, I will expect good things from this team,” Larsen said.
Other keys
Larsen said he’s expecting several other players to step up as well, among them senior offensive lineman Adrian Arroyo, junior tight end Scott Sanchez, junior Kyle Moore and senior Gideon Turner.
Moore and Turner have the ability to play at several positions and most likely will, according to Larsen.
“They are willing to work wherever there is a need,” he said.
Other players to look out for include linemen Andreas Aceves, who returns from a knee injury, Jorge Carrillo, and Nate Carpenter, who will be used on offense as well as defense this season.
The team’s only two sophomores, lineman Saul Duran and running back and defensive back Brian Carrillo, are also expected to contribute this year, according to Larsen.
Offense
The Knights kept the ball primarily on the ground in 2015, rushing for 1,884 yards compared to only 747 through the air. They averaged about 10 passes per game. Will they open up the offense a bit more this year behind the strong-armed Barrick?
“I feel we will be able to pass more,” Larsen said. “A lot of that will depend on the line.”
Defense
“We have two pretty good defensive ends in Sanchez and Turner,” Larsen said. “And I like our two defensive tackles (Arroyo and Nick Melero). Depth in our secondary is the biggest concern.”
Numbers
The varsity entered the second week of practice with 24 players in uniform while the JVs had 26. Given shrinking rosters around the North Coast Section, the Knights are more than holding their own in that category, at least so far.
League race
Larsen didn’t want to hazard a guess as to the strength of other teams in the North Central League I.
“I’m trying to focus on us, on what we can do. I can’t control what other teams do.”
Kelseyville will be tested early. After its season opener Sept. 2 at home against a Healdsburg program that is hurting for players this season, the Knights open their league schedule with back-to-back games against St. Helena (at Kelseyville on Sept. 9) and at Middletown on Sept. 16. They return home Sept. 23 for their homecoming game against non-league opponent South Fork, then jump right back into league play on Sept. 30 at Cloverdale.
“We need to hit the ground running against St. Helena,” Larsen said. “St. Helena and Middletown are two teams that will take advantage of undisciplined opponents.”
