LAKE COUNTY >> Middletown’s Mustangs and Fort Bragg’s Timberwolves meet in the biggest North Central League I game of the season, at least to his point, on Friday night when they collide at Timberwolf Stadium.
Both teams bring undefeated league records into the game while their closest pursuers — Kelseyville (3-2) and St. Helena (3-2) — are hoping for a strong finish. What that means is Friday’s winner will be alone in first place and in the driver’s seat as the NCL I season enters the homestretch.
Middletown improved to 5-0 on Friday night with a 36-0 road win against the Clear Lake Cardinals in Lakeport. The next day it was Fort Bragg’s turn to win big, which the Timberwolves did in a 56-7 romp against St. Vincent at Petaluma, their sixth league win in as many games.
After Friday’s collision in Fort Bragg, Middletown has two more games remaining — an Oct. 28 home game with St. Helena and a Nov. 4 road trip to Willits. The Timberwolves have a bye on Oct. 28 before closing out their league and regular-season schedule at Kelseyville on Nov. 4. While the winner on Friday will have a distinct edge in the league race, both Middletown and Fort Bragg still have some work to do regardless of the outcome. And both Kelseyville and St. Helena retain some say in how the league race finishes up. They could even grab a piece of the title with a little luck.
Following are some of the highlights/lowlights and everything in between from Week 7 of the high school football season for Lake County’s teams:
Statistics
Rushing — Lower Lake’s Nick Sani didn’t exactly shy away from the football with 32 carries for 176 yards and a touchdown in the Trojans’ 24-14 win at Kelseyville. Ty Chorjel of Middletown made the most of his 10 carries, going for 132 yards and four touchdowns against Clear Lake. Kelseyville’s Dwayne Yiggins had 86 yards on 23 carries and a TD in the loss to Lower Lake.
Passing — Clear Lake’s Alex Adams completed nine of his 15 passes for 125 yards but also was intercepted twice. Lower Lake’s Hokulani Wickard went 4-for-8 for 106 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Receiving — Marlon Jones caught four passes for 60 yards, a touchdown and two two-point conversions in Lower Lake’s win. Clear Lake’s Bobby Gonzalez had three catches for 46 yards while teammate Cameron Borg had two receptions for 43 yards.
Special teams
Setting the table — Austin Davis of Clear Lake had a 42-yard kickoff return to the Middletown 40-yard line early in the fourth quarter.
Defense
Sack attack — Deshaun Bridges had three of Lower Lake’s six quarterback sacks against Kelseyville.
One of each — Aiden McAdon of Kelseyville intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble against Lower Lake.
Turnovers = points — Middletown forced four turnovers against Clear Lake leading to three touchdowns.
Plenty of tackles — Kelseyville’s J.D. Prescott had 13 solo tackles and six assists against Lower Lake. Peerliss Brooke’s 12 total tackles led the Trojans, followed by nine each for teammates Eric Egger and Keshaun Bridges.
This and that
It’s a running thing — Of Middletown’s 337 yards of total offense against Clear Lake, 261 came on the ground along with all five Mustang touchdowns. Lower Lake had 269 rushing yards against Kelseyville. If you think the Trojans are an all-pass team, think again.
From the JV files — Kelseyville’s junior varsity squad improved to 5-0 in league play and 6-1 overall with a 33-16 win over Lower Lake. The Knights have won their last six games.
From the Election 2016 files — Nope, not going there, not even a little bit.
Breaking the big plays — Middletown’s fullback Ty Chorjel scored on a 63-yard trap play in the second quarter against Clear Lake. Robbie Carey’s 62-yard reception set up another Chorjel scoring run. In Lower Lake’s win over Kelseyville, running back Eric Egger’s 44-yard touchdown run in the first quarter put the Trojans ahead to stay.
It’s the big one — Middletown (5-0) at Fort Bragg (6-0) on Friday night in Fort Bragg. Clear Lake coach Mark Cory, who has faced both teams, said it’s a matchup of two solid teams and programs. “I can’t wait to see how it turns out,” he said.
What else is cooking for Week 8 — Clear Lake (2-3) visits Lower Lake (2-3) while Kelseyville (3-2) hosts St. Vincent (0-6) in NCL I action. On Saturday, Upper Lake (3-4) entertains Los Molinos in a non-league game where sophomore quarterback Ray Moran makes his first varsity start in place of senior Derek Pritchard (out for disciplinary reasons).
Expecting horrible weather … — The weather conditions on Friday night between Clear Lake and Middletown at Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport were ideal. Skies were clear after early morning rainfall, it was cool but not chilly, there was no wind, and the grass was just a bit slick.
Heard it through the grapevine — A handful of Lake County players had their own Colin Kaepernick-style protest ready to go a few weeks back, but it never materialized.
Don’t look now but … — Winter sports practices are underway throughout the county, meaning both basketball and wrestling.
Being Kaepernick — 49er Faithful, the few left these days, are hoping he continues on as starting quarterback so that the team can sew up the first pick in next year’s draft.
