WILLITS >> Haile Billings collected a rebound off the Willits keeper and punched the ball into the net midway through the second half to lift the Middletown Mustangs to a 1-1 tie against the Willits Wolverines in North Central League I boys soccer action on Thursday in Willits.
Willits’ lone goal came 10 minutes into the game.
“Probably the best game we’ve played this season,” Middletown coach Luis Chairez said. “It was a pretty physical game and we lost a couple of players to injuries. We were able to maintain and hold them off.”
Middletown is now 0-1-1 in league and 0-4-1 overall.
Chairez said the play of his midfielders and defenders helped the Mustangs finally avoid the loss column.
“The guys did an excellent job,” Chairez said.
Carlos Ferrari anchored Middletown’s defense.
“We’re finally putting the right players into the right positions,” Chairez said.
Middletown is home Tuesday to play Cloverdale at 4 p.m.
In other boys soccer action Thursday:
Lower Lake 4, Clear Lake 0
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans improved to 2-0 in the NCL I standings by shutting out the Clear Lake Cardinals.
“They seem pretty good,” Clear Lake coach Shaun Hornby said of the Trojans (2-0, 3-1), who overpowered the Cardinals (1-1, 2-1) with their physical play.
“They are very, very physical,” Hornby said. “It kind of intimidated our guys a little bit. There were a lot of yellow cards.”
One of those yellow cards led to a Clear Lake injury as the Cardinals lost their starting keeper.
“It should have been a red card,” Hornby said.
Another Lower Lake player did receive a red card and had to leave the game.
Lower Lake led 3-0 at halftime. The Trojans did not report their scoring.
Clear Lake hits the road Tuesday to play Fort Bragg while Lower Lake hosts St. Helena. Both games begin at 4 p.m.
Kelseyville 2, Fort Bragg 2 (tie)
At Fort Bragg, Fort Bragg scored with five minutes remaining to earn a tie with the Kelseyville Knights, who couldn’t quite hold on for the victory.
“We almost had it,” Kelseyville coach Eduardo Ledesma said.
Fort Bragg scored the only goal of the first half. Kelseyville tied it early in the second half on a shot by Damian Ledesma, part of a wild sequence during which Ledesma’s teammate, Justin Perez, actually knocked the ball into the net but the officials wouldn’t count the goal. Play continued and Ledesma finished off the play.
Kelseyville took a 2-1 lead midway through the second half on a free kick by Anthony Pantaleon following a Fort Bragg foul.
“It was a beautiful kick,” Ledesma said.
Kelseyville, the three-time defending NCL I champion, is now 0-1-1 in league play and 1-3-1 overall. The Knights are home Tuesday to play Willits at 4 p.m.
