LAKE COUNTY — A second straight league loss is what the Kelseyville Knights must desperately try to avoid Friday night when they host the Middletown Mustangs in a clash of North Central League I powers.
Kelseyville (0-1 league, 1-3 overall) vs. Middletown (1-0, 2-2) is not only the headliner for Week 6 of the 2019 high school football season, but it has been the best rivalry and provided the most drama as far as Lake County sports are concerned for the last three years. The two teams have met six times the last three years – three times in league play and three times in the North Coast Coast playoffs, and four of those six games have been down-to-the-wire nailbiters, the two exceptions being Middletown’s 40-8 home league win in 2016 and Kelseyville’s 28-0 thumping of the Mustangs in league action a year ago at Bill Foltmer Field.
The other four meetings were decided by scores of 14-12 (Kelseyville won, in the 2016 playoffs), 7-6 (Middletown won, in 2017 league action), 7-0 (Middletown won, in 2017 playoffs), and 14-12 (Middletown won, in last year’s playoffs).
Middletown holds a 4-2 edge in those six games, including a 2-0 record at Kelseyville, the site of Friday’s contest.
While the Knights ran the table in league play a year ago, going 7-0, they are off to an 0-1 start this season after falling 48-27 to league favorite St. Helena last week in Kelseyville. Middletown opened with a 42-19 victory at home against Lower Lake.
“If we win, we’re still in the hunt for the league title,” Kelseyville head coach Erick Larsen said. “If we do not win, it would be pretty slim (chances) to get even a piece of it.”
Since the NCL I switched from North and South standings to a unified league standing with the 2011 season, seven of the last eight champions have gone undefeated. In 2014, Fort Bragg and St. Helena each finished 6-1 to share the title.
“We’re already at the bubble,” Larsen said of one league loss. “The league’s too tough to hope that two losses will get it done.”
“It’s kind of a big game, maybe a little bigger for them,” Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said. “Kelseyville’s a tough place to play. They have a solid coaching staff with Erick and Stan (Weiper, offensive coordinator and former longtime head coach). They’ll be well-prepared for us.”
Neither team is a mystery to the other. Like the majority of their previous six meetings, this one is likely to come down to who blinks first.
“Every time we play Middletown it’s always about who makes the fewest mistakes. Turnovers are always key,” Larsen said.
“Both teams match up well against each other,” Foltmer added.
Kelseyville sustained two key injuries in the first half against St. Helena, the result being that neither running back/linebacker Robert Chavez (shoulder) or running back/cornerback Brandon Garcia (pulled muscle) were available in the second half against St. Helena, a game that was only 28-13 Saints at halftime. Chavez, the league’s MVP on defense as well as an All-League first-team running back a year ago, is expected to play both ways Friday against Middletown, according to Larsen.
“He’s expected to go,” Larsen said of Chavez. “Garcia will be out for the next two weeks.”
Middletown is “healthy,” according to Foltmer and coming off a solid week of practice.
Kelseyville is celebrating its homecoming on Pear Festival weekend, just one more distraction for the Knights although Larsen said the team has been entirely focused in its game preparations this week.
“The nice thing about playing Middletown is you don’t have to get the kids up for that game,” Larsen said.
“Honestly, that could work for you or against you,” Foltmer said of the way his teams have handled the multiple distractions inherent in homecoming week down through the years.
Both teams are capable of running and passing the ball, so it’s tough to cheat on defense, according to Foltmer.
“We’ll play a fairly honest defense against them,” Foltmer said.
Middletown attempted only three passes in its league win over Lower Lake, but Foltmer said the Mustangs are ready and willing to throw it if the opportunity presents itself. Larsen agrees.
“Middletown has done a good job of folding in a wrinkle every time we play them,” Larsen said. “They’ll hit a deep pass or two and that gets them leverage.”
Other games
In other Week 6 games involving Lake County teams on Friday, the Clear Lake Cardinals (0-1, 1-3) draw the tough assignment of hosting the St. Helena Saints (1-0, 4-0) on homecoming weekend, and the Lower Lake Trojans (0-1, 2-2) are home to face the Fort Bragg Timberwolves (0-1, 0-3), looking to snap a league losing drought that extends back to late October of 2017. Upper Lake (1-3) has a bye.
St. Helena at Clear Lake
With 499 yards of total offense against Kelseyville a week ago, the undefeated Saints will be a real test for the Clear Lake defense.
Cardinals head coach Mark Cory said he’s up for the challenge and he’s hoping his players are too.
“For me, and hopefully the team feels the same way, I look forward to playing teams like that,” Cory said. “We’re the underdogs, we have nothing to lose.”
St. Helena’s defense has allowed points this season but the Cardinals have struggled in recent weeks to find the end zone, largely the victim of their own turnovers and penalties.
“Offensively we have to keep pace,” he said. “That means no fumbles, no penalties, things we can’t do. It’s too hard series after series to be behind the chain (in first-and-long and second-and-long situations). You’re just struggling to get first downs.”
Added Cory of his defense, “This is definitely a great opportunity and challenge. We have to be disciplined with our assignments and stay with them.”
Cory said the Cardinals played well enough on defense last week to beat Willits. In fact, it was an interception return by Travis Howe that produced the team’s only points in a 20-6 loss.
Since Cory took over the Clear Lake program in 2016, he’s gone 2-1 against the Saints, winning a wild 50-44 game in his first season, and coming back in 2017 to beat St. Helena 25-0 at Lakeport. The Saints won 25-14 last season in St. Helena.
“Every one of the games we’ve played with them has been a knock-down, drag-out fight,” he said.
It’s the first of two brutal tests for the Cardinals, who hit the road Oct. 4 to play Middletown.
Fort Bragg at Lower Lake
The Fort Bragg Timberwolves are squarely in the Trojans’ sights as they look to snap a nine-game league losing streak. With Fort Bragg battling the injury bug, Lower Lake has an excellent opportunity to do just that.
“They’re still big up front, but they’re not the athletes they’ve had the last few years,” Lower Lake head coach Jeremy (Jay) Jakubowski said. “We hope to be able to out-athlete them.”
While Lower Lake was held to a season-low 19 points against Middletown, Jakubowski said he can’t remember the last time a Trojans team scored 19 points in the first half against Middletown.
“The second half we couldn’t find that same magic and execution,” he said.
Added Jakubowski of the Mustangs, “We won’t see another (offensive) line that disciplined and precise the rest of the year … maybe St. Helena.”
Addressing some weaknesses on defense, the Trojans are changing up a few things this week.
“We’ve moved some kids around to get our best 11 players on defense,” Jakubowski said.
The Trojans are home for each of their next two games. After Fort Bragg, they’ll host Cloverdale (1-0, 2-2) on Oct. 4.
“It gives us a good chance to get league wins,” Jakubowski said.
