KELSEYVILLE — For all the success they’ve experienced this season, the Kelseyville Knights were relegated to the No. 16 seed in the Northern California Division III playoffs and a five-hour-plus road trip for first-round action on Tuesday.
Eliminated last week by Head-Royce of Oakland in the semifinal round of the North Coast Section Division IV playoffs, Kelseyville (33-6) will play at Yosemite High School of Oakhurst on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Travel time from Kelseyville to Oakhurst is nearly 5 ½ hours. Oakhurst is located just 14 miles south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park.
The four-time defending North Central League I champion, Kelseyville will face a Yosemite team that won the North Sequoia League with a 10-0 record before capturing the Central Section Division III championship. The Badgers are 38-8 overall.
If the Knights pull off a major upset, they would be on the road again Thursday against the first-round winner between Presentation High School (San Jose) and Soquel High School (Soquel), the eighth and ninth seeds, respectively.
Head-Royce also made the Division III field as an at-large team and is the No. 6 seed. The Jayhawks host Aptos in a first-round game Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Branson School of Ross, the team that defeated Head-Royce to win the North Coast Section Division IV tournament on Saturday, ended up as the No. 15 seed in the NorCal Division II playoffs.
Kelseyville last appeared in the NorCal playoffs in 2016, losing to Monte Vista Christian of Watsonville in a first-round match.
