KELSEYVILLE >> The Kelseyville Knights are thankful that they’re still playing football after Thanksgiving, never a bad thing.
But if you’re operating under the misguided assumption that the Knights are sans appetite following the holiday and after beating Middletown 14-12 last weekend in the quarterfinal round of the North Coast Section Division V playoffs, guess again.
Coach Erick Larsen’s 9-3 Kelseyville squad has plenty of room left for dessert. If the Knights knock off No. 2 seed Fort Bragg (10-1) tonight in the semifinals at 7 p.m. at Timberwolf Stadium, it will surely be more satisfying than the biggest, sweetest piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top.
The Timberwolves, undefeated North Central League I champions in 2016, including a 21-20 victory at Kelseyville on Nov. 4 in the league finale for both teams, are standing in Kelseyville’s way of reaching a sectional final for the first time since 1999.
Fort Bragg prevailed by the thinnest of margins in the first meeting between the two teams. In fact, one of the Timberwolf touchdowns could just have easily been ruled a touchback because of a fumble into the end zone that the Knights recovered. However, game officials huddled and awarded the score to Fort Bragg even though a video taken of the play strongly suggested the ball was loose before it crossed the goal line.
So for the second week in a row, the Knights are hoping to avenge a league loss with a playoff win. They’re also looking to end a 10-game losing streak to the Timberwolves.
How much the weather factors into the game’s outcome is a question mark. The forecast calls for rain today, possibly heavy, but the timing of that rainfall is not quite as certain.
A wet field and falling rain helped keep the score down in the Kelseyville-Middletown game, which produced four turnovers — all fumbles. Kelseyville recovered three of those and one of them led to what proved to be the game-winning touchdown in the third quarter.
When Fort Bragg visited Kelseyville three weeks ago, the Knights almost won even with the controversial fumble turned Timberwolf touchdown. Bryan Carillo had a chance to put the Knights in front with a 30-yard field goal and 4:21 remaining in the game but his kick fell short of the crossbar. Carillo more than redeemed himself last week against Middletown by kicking two extra points — the difference in the final score — and by sacking Middletown quarterback Luke Holt late in the fourth quarter, stripping him of the ball in the process. Kelseyville recovered the fumble and ran out the clock.
The Knights enjoyed a big night on offense against Fort Bragg in the league meeting, rushing for 259 yards and a touchdown and passing for another 133 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Lake County rushing leader Dwayne Yiggins led the way with 150 yards on 18 carries while Patrick Mick added 77 yards on only 10 carries. Quarterback Logan Barrick spread out his 12 completions to seven different receivers. Kelseyville’s defense also forced a pair of turnovers.
Fort Bragg is coming off a 35-0 victory over Ferndale in the quarterfinals, that after receiving a first-round bye. Kelseyville demolished Arcata 51-6 in a first-round game before beating Middletown a week ago.
Since moving from the old Class B playoff format to Class A, then Division IV and now Division V, the Knights have never won three straight playoff games, yet another thing they can check off their list with a win tonight. Their last sectional championship was a Class B title in 1982. They lost to Middletown in the Class A championship game in 1999.
Fort Bragg’s last section title came in 2009 when the Timberwolves competed in Division IV. Prior to that, they won the Redwood Empire Class 2A championship in 1999 and four straight Class A titles between 1993-96.
The Kelseyville-Fort Bragg winner will meet the winner of tonight’s other semifinal between St. Patrick/St. Vincent (9-3) and No. 1 seed Berean Christian (8-3) for the Division V championship on either Dec. 2 or Dec. 3 at a location and time to be determined.
