LAKE COUNTY >> Fort Bragg won a third straight North Central League I championship in 2016 led by senior quarterback/defensive back Lucas Triplett, but it was Lake County teams Middletown, Kelseyville, Lower Lake and Clear Lake earning the bulk of first-team spots on the All-League football team as recently selected by a vote of the league’s coaches.
Fort Bragg, undefeated in league play at 8-0 and a North Coast Section Division V finalist this season, had six players land a total of seven spots on the first team, led by two-way selection Triplett, who was the league’s most valuable player on offense and a first-team selection as a defensive back.
Also for the Timberwolves, first-team selections were senior running back Trystin Strickland, senior wide receiver Shane Giaccani, senior offensive lineman Justin Celeri, and senior defensive linemen Jesse and Michael Cavender. The Timberwolves also had one honorable mention in senior linebacker Daniel Solano.
Middletown, the league runner-up at 7-1, had six players earn a total of seven first-team spots. Senior Ty Chorjel was a two-way selection as he was named the league’s defensive MVP as a linebacker and also honored at running back. Also for the Mustangs, first-team selections were junior lineman Colton Hall, who was a unanimous selection, senior wide receiver Robbie Carrie, junior defensive linemen Devin Ross and Cameron Ketchum, and senior defensive back Gabe Guzman.
Kelseyville, tied for third in the league standings at 5-3, had four players earn a total of five first-team spots. Aaron Teal, a senior offensive and defensive lineman, was a two-way selection. He was joined on the first team by senior running back Dwayne Yiggins, sophomore linebacker Bryan Carillo and junior defensive back Aiden McAdon. Quarterback Logan Barrick, a senior, was an honorable mention.
Lower Lake, tied for third in the league standings at 5-3, was represented on the All-League first team by junior quarterback Hokulani Wickard, junior offensive lineman Virgil Ellis, junior middle linebacker Peerliss Brooke and senior defensive back Marlon Jones. Honorable mentions were running back Nick Sani on offense and Reed Diener on defense.
Clear Lake, tied for fifth in the league standings at 4-4, had three players claim four first-team spots. Junior lineman Gavin Bartell was honored on both the offense and defense. The Cardinals’ other first-team picks, both on defense, were junior linebacker Bobby Gonzalez and senior Brandon Orozco.
St. Helena, tied for fifth in the league standings at 4-4, was represented on the first team by senior running backs Niko Lopez and Alfio Basile and senior linebacker Austin Cia.
Cloverdale, Willits and St. Vincent were shut out of the All-League voting in regard to first-team selections but did have a handful of honorable mentions. For Cloverdale, honorable mentions went to Tristen Rege, a senior running back, and James Wirt, a junior defensive back. For St. Vincent, senior wide receiver Michael Davis and senior linebacker Nick Murphy were honored. For Willits, junior lineman Mitchell Hollingsworth was the team’s only honorable mention.
Editor’s note: The All-North Central League I football team list recently submitted by the Coastal Mountain Conference to its member high schools and media outlets was incomplete. One first-team player was inadvertently left off the team and there were no honorable mentions reported. The above story represents the complete team with the honorable mentions included.
