MIDDLETOWN >> If there’s a game film to be had on the Kelseyville Knights this season, Middletown head coach Bill Foltmer has probably watched it the last two weeks … multiple times.
Meticulous in his preparation for the next opponent, Foltmer said the Mustangs (7-3) are as ready as he and his coaching staff can make them for the Kelseyville Knights (8-3), who visit Bill Foltmer Field on Saturday night for a North Coast Section Division V quarterfinal-round game. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
The stakes are high and the objective for each team clear and straightforward. The winner advances to meet either Fort Bragg or Ferndale the following week in the semifinals and the loser turns in its gear on Monday. There is no moral victory check-off box at this time of year.
Middletown, the No. 3 seed in the Division V field, had the benefit of a first-round bye and has been focusing on Kelseyville since playing its final league game two weeks ago in Willits. Foltmer said he expected the Knights to beat Arcata in the first round of the playoffs and made no qualms about picking coach Erick Larsen’s club last week. Kelseyville obliged by pounding Arcata 51-6.
“Obviously they are coming in here with a lot of confidence,” Foltmer said of the Knights. “By winning last week and playing Fort Bragg tight the week before (the Knights fell 21-20 to the Timberwolves in the league finale for both teams), they are feeling good about themselves and they should be.”
Middletown felt pretty good about beating Kelseyville 40-8 earlier this season in Middletown, the league opener for both teams, but that game was more than two months ago and both teams have changed plenty since then, mainly for the better.
In that first meeting, the Mustangs made the most of three Kelseyville turnovers, including a 69-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Robbie Carey. A pair of Ty Chorjel interceptions helped set up two other Middletown touchdowns in the first half as the Mustangs held a 34-8 lead by halftime.
Kelseyville briefly led the game 8-6 after Patrick Mick 33-yard run in the first quarter.
“Turnovers will play a key part,” Foltmer said. “Even if it’s a dry field (rain is in the forecast Saturday), it comes down to who will make that mistake and can the other team take advantage.”
Larsen said he’s all in favor of the Knights winning the turnover battle this time around.
“That would be really nice if Middletown returns the favor. It would be nice, but we can’t count on that.” With both teams running similar offenses, Foltmer said the familiarity factor is high.
“Both teams know each other pretty well and know what’s coming at them,” Foltmer said. “The question is can the kids stop it? When we play Fort Bragg, we know that big fullback (Trystin Strickland) is coming at us, but can we stop him? Knowing is one thing and stopping it is another.”
Kelseyville’s offense has a few new wrinkles that Foltmer calls the “Stan Weiper influence.” Weiper, the longtime head coach of the Knights, is back with them as an assistant.
“Veer, pop passes, tight end delay,” Foltmer said. “That’s the Stan Weiper influence.”
Both teams run the ball to pay the bills but have more than capable quarterbacks. Kelseyville senior Logan Barrick has 1,001 yards and 14 touchdowns on the season while Middleotwn junior Luke Holt has 842 yards and nine TDs on far fewer attempts. Barrick’s 14 TDs are the second-best total in the county.
“My main concern is stopping them,” Foltmer said.
Larsen said the key for Kelseyville boils down to the play of the offensive and defensive lines, both dominated by Middletown in their league meeting back in mid-September.
“It really comes down to execution,” Larsen said of his linemen. “They have to play well and they know that.”
While postseason participation is almost an annual occurrence for the Mustangs, the Knights are certainly enjoying the ride after routing Arcata for their first playoff win since 2000.
“It’s been a good time in practice this week,” Larsen said. “We’ve brought up a bunch of sophomores and they’ve added a little extra energy. We now have enough players to do full scrimmages, which is nice.”
Kelseyville’s defense will be tasked with slowing down a Middletown running game that rolled up 336 yards in the September meeting. So dominant were the Mustangs on the ground that Holt threw only two passes all night.
“Middletown has such a solid running game you can’t overload any part of it,” Larsen said.
Rain or no, Larsen said he’s looking forward to one thing: “A good old fashioned smash-mouth football game.”
