LAKE COUNTY >> Scrimmages tonight in Upper Lake and Middletown open the high school football season in Lake County.
The annual Red & White Scrimmage in Upper Lake has a little extra meaning for players, coaches and fans this year because of new lights at the school. The Cougars will play all their home games under the lights for the first time in their history and a lights dedication ceremony gets things rolling tonight at 7:30 p.m. Following the ceremony, members of Upper Lake’s eight-man football team will break up into red and white squads and do battle.
Upper Lake officially opens its season a week from tonight against Los Molinos in a non-league road game.
By the time Upper Lake’s scrimmage gets underway tonight, the annual Lake County Scrimmage featuring the junior varsity and varsity teams from Lake County’s North Central League I-member schools — Clear Lake, Kelseyville, Lower Lake and Middletown — will be wrapping things up at Bill Foltmer Field in Middletown. The scrimmage has each county team going up against every other county team in a round-robin format. JVs start at 5 p.m. and the varsity teams follow at 6 p.m.
Clear Lake, Kelseyville and Lower Lake play their first official games of the season a week from tonight when Clear Lake travels to Colusa, Kelseyville hosts Stellar Prep, and Lower Lake visits De Anza. Middletown’s first game is Sept. 1 at home against Hercules.
Both the Red & White Scrimmage and Lake County Scrimmage are fundraisers for the county’s football teams. Admission is charged at the gate and concession stands will be in operation.
