KELSEYVILLE — Jesus Duarte scored the tying and game-winning goals as Kelseyville rallied in the second half to beat the Willits Wolverines 3-2 in North Central League I boys soccer action at Kelseyville High School.
In a match that was tied 1-1 at the half, Willits pushed ahead 2-1 early in the second half. Duarte’s first goal, a shot that slipped underneath the Wolverines’ keeper, knotted the score at 2. His second goal put Kelseyville ahead to stay.
“It was a power shot,” Kelseyville head coach Eduardo Ledesma said.
Kelseyville (3-5-2, 3-5-2) took a 1-0 lead in the first half on a corner kick by Damian Ledesma that twisted into the net.
“They played a lot better today,” Ledesma said of his team’s performance, that following losses to Fort Bragg and Lower Lake in the Knights’ previous two games.
Kelseyville standouts were forwards Duarte and Ledesma, keeper Jj Rodriguez and midfielder Luis Soto.
Kelseyville hits the road next week to play Middletown on Tuesday and Cloverdale on Oct. 11.
In other boys soccer action Thursday:
Fort Bragg 6, Clear Lake 1
At Lakeport, playing the undefeated Fort Bragg Timberwolves was tough enough, but playing them without one of their best players proved an impossible task for the Clear Lake Cardinals, who lost Nick Holmes to a leg injury about 15 minutes into the game.
“It was a 50-50 ball on a corner kick and he collided with a Fort Bragg player,” Clear Lake head coach Shaun Hornby said. “You could hear the crack.”
Holmes had to the leave the game on a stretcher, according to Hornby, who said he didn’t know how severe the injury is.
“He’s our captain and the heart of the team,” Hornby said. “We lost the heart of our midfield and the team fell apart.”
Clear Lake and Fort Bragg were locked in a 1-1 tie when the injury occurred. The Timberwolves pushed ahead 2-1 by halftime before breaking the game wide open in the second half.
Clear Lake is now 4-5-1 in league play and 7-6-1 overall. Fort Bragg improved to 9-0-1 and 11-0-2.
Middletown 2, Cloverdale 2 (tie)
At Middletown, the Middletown Mustangs and Cloverdale Eagles battled to a draw in NCL I action.
The Mustangs are 2-6-2 in league and 2-9-2 overall.
Scoring and other game details were not reported.
