KELSEYVILLE >> The Kelseyville Knights just missed.
Lucas Triplett’s 2-yard run midway through the fourth quarter and the ensuing extra-point kick pushed the Fort Bragg Timberwolves to a 21-20 victory over the Knights on Friday night in Kelseyville.
Kelseyville came within a missed 30-yard field goal by Bryan Carillo of scoring a big upset as the Timberwolves entered the game undefeated in league play. The win gives them the outright North Central League I varsity football champion at 8-0. Middletown (7-1) would have clinched a co-championship had the Knights prevailed.
All three teams are headed to the North Coast Section playoffs next weekend – Fort Bragg and Middletown in Division V and Kelseyville (5-3, 7-3) in Division IV. The playoff fields in both divisions will be released on Sunday.
“Our kids played their hearts out,” Kelseyville coach Erick Larsen said. “They did everything we asked them to do. They played hard on defense, hard on offense. There are things we can build on in this game as we head into the playoffs.”
Kelseyville grabbed a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter on a Dwayne Yiggins 49-yard run and it remained 6-0 until late in the first half. In fact, Fort Bragg didn’t score its first points until there was 1:18 left in the second quarter. The Timberwolves got the ball back on a turnover and came up with the play of the game as Triplett’s 45-yard Hail Mary pass, the ball still in the air when the clock expired, landed in the arms of wide receiver Shane Giaccani for the touchdown. The Timberwolves added the extra point to take a 14-6 lead into halftime.
Kelseyville battled back in the third quarter to go in front 20-14, scoring twice on touchdown passes from quarterback Logan Barrick, the first one a 14-yard strike to Yiggins and the second a 35-yard connection with Ian Valenzuela. Patrick Mick’s conversion run gave the Knights a tenuous six-point lead that held up until Triplett’s short touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Along with the Hail Mary pass that hurt the Knights right before the half, Kelseyville also failed to score in the first quarter when it had the ball fourth-and-goal at the Fort Bragg 1-yard line. A false start penalty backed the Knights up five yards and they ended up turning the ball over on downs.
“They hurt us with two deep passes, one that set up their first touchdown and the Hail Mary,” Larsen said.
Carillo’s potential game-winning field goal fell just a bit short of the crossbar, according to Larsen.
The Knights rushed for 259 yards and Yiggins led the way with 150 on 18 carries. Mick added 77 on 10 carries. Barrick was 12-for-28 passing for 133 yards. He spread the ball around to seven different receivers.
J.D. Prescott anchored the Kelseyville defense with 11 solo tackles and three assists.
