OAKLAND >> Kelseyville High School dropped a 40-32 decision to the Stellar Prep Thunder in the varsity football season opener for both teams on Friday night in Oakland.
The Knights (0-1) also lost one of their best players, senior Adrian Villalobos, to an injury late in the third quarter.
“He was doing a good job on offense and defense until he was injured,” Kelseyville head coach Erick Larsen said of Villalobos, a standout running back/receiver and defensive back for the Knights.
The exact nature of the upper body injury will be determined after Villalobos sees a doctor, according to Larsen.
While the Knights kept the game close the entire way, they were the victim too often of their own mistakes, according to Larsen.
“We kept shooting ourselves in the foot (with turnovers),” Larsen said. “We had two turnovers inside our own 20. They (Thunder) also returned two kickoffs inside our own 10.”
Kelseyville primarily kept the ball on the ground where running back Robert Chavez excelled, according to Larsen.
Like teammate Villalobos, Chavez played well on both sides of the football, racking up several yards on the ground and playing well on defense at linebacker. Other standouts were defensive back Zack Watkins, who had an interception, and Javante Gregoire on the line.
Larsen said the Knights’ late start this season because of the Mendocino Complex fires wasn’t a major factor in the loss and he said he wouldn’t use it as an excuse.
“We can’t blame something in the past,” he said. “We have to look forward and learn from our mistakes. We’ve got to improve and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Stellar Prep’s speed and physicality were considerable, according to Larsen.
“They have a bunch of good athletes,” he added.
Kelseyville won last year’s season opener between the two teams 8-0 at Kelseyville.
The Knights didn’t fare any better in the junior varsity game, losing 48-16.
Kelseyville returns home next Friday to play Berean Christian of Walnut Creek.
