KELSEYVILLE — Never have there been so many unknowns entering a high school football season in Lake County as the 2021 campaign, with game play starting Friday night.
At Kelseyville High School, varsity head coach Erick Larsen has a grand total of one returning player from the 2019 season, and senior linebacker Jake Keithly played only a handful of games for the Knights two years ago after being called up from the junior varsity squad.
Kelseyville’s 2020 season died a slow death thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic that broke out in mid-March of that year. The Knights kept out hope that a season might be held at some point, but the Coastal Mountain Conference, which includes all of Lake County’s schools, finally pulled the plug on fall and winter sports (except cross country) in late January of 2021 so that spring sports teams, who missed their 2020 season because of COVID, could proceed without having to worry about losing athletes to spring basketball or spring football.
“I was part of that decision and it was the right thing to do,” said Larsen, who is also Kelseyville High’s athletic director.
Maybe the right thing but not a fun thing, according to Larsen, who like other football coaches in the county had the unhappy task of informing last year’s seniors that their high school playing days were done.
“Not easy,” he said. “We would have been very competitive with the skill players we had and a solid line.”
And don’t for a minute think Larsen made his decision lightly because one of those 2020 Kelseyville seniors was two-way starter Chase Larsen, Erick’s son.
“But at least our kids got a real spring season (in baseball, softball, golf, tennis and track),” Larsen added.
Leadership
Losing 2020 meant the continuity of team leadership took a direct hit. Last year’s juniors didn’t have a chance to learn from the seniors, leaving a void that remains unfilled going into this season.
“They (this year’s seniors) didn’t get that leadership model,” Larsen said. “So we’re teaching leadership this year along with everything else that we do.”
To help in that area, Larsen is looking for a handful of his seniors to step up, including the aforementioned Keithly.
“I’m expecting Jake to be a leader on defense, a coach on the field,” Larsen said. “Jake has an understanding of the game.”
Other seniors that will be asked to shoulder some of that leadership burden include Omar Cacho, Lander Hockett and the Leary twins – Kyle and Tyler.
“They (Leary twins) brought so much energy to the weight room in the offseason, so it’s really nice to have those guys on the team,” Larsen said.
Offseason
The Knights have remained incredibly active in the offseason between attending voluntary workouts and working out in the weight room.
“Luke Punzalan ran the weight room in the springtime and we really had nice numbers attending,” Larsen said. “Our summer turnouts were also really nice.”
While COVID-19 did no favors for area athletes and sports teams, it may have helped change some attitudes.
“They are happy to be out there, grateful to be out there this year,” Larsen said of his players. “They have a ‘whatever-I-need-to-do-for-the-team-I’ll-do’ attitude.
“And the coaches are just as happy to be out there as the kids,” Larsen added.
Experience
No Kelseyville varsity team has ever entered a season as raw as the 2021 Knights.
“What’s tough is we’re so green, greener than the grass we play on,” Larsen said. “I’m having to do a lot more explaining why we’re doing things, which is very different for a varsity team. The kids can do the drill, but you have to give them some context as to why they are doing them, why it’s important for them to learn that and know that.”
New approach
Kelseyville’s coaches are working as a unified staff this year for the first time since Larsen assumed head coaching responsibilities in 2015.
“Coaches are not split between JV and varsity staffs,” Larsen said. “We’re doing individual skills together. JV and varsity players are working together.”
Is it helping?
The early returns say it is, according to Larsen.
“I’m seeing more continuity within the program,” he said.
COVID-19
With the Delta variant still running rampant, there is the real possibility that players could test positive and be quarantined for up to 10-14 days.
“There are a lot of unknowns there,” Larsen said. “The timing of when a player tests positive or is quarantined really matters. With a football injury, if it happens in a game, which is most likely, you have time to prepare (before the next game) so that you can move people around and bring them up to speed on the position they’re playing. But if a player tests positive, say on a Thursday, you won’t have any time to prepare for a Friday game. You’ll just have to throw someone in there.”
And if a group of players are quarantined at the same time?
“It depends who those players are,” Larsen said. “If you lose your entire line, you really can’t bring up new guys to play those positions and expect to be competitive.”
And with depth being almost non-existent this season after losing the 2020 season to COVID, it creates a safety situation.
“The safety of our players comes first, that would be my first consideration,” Larsen said. “I wouldn’t want to do that (forfeit games), but if we lose our entire offensive line, there are really no (qualified) subs, so I’m not going to put kids in that situation.
“I hope it doesn’t happen,” he added.
Offense
The Knights have two quarterback candidates in Zayne Barker and Luke Watkins, both juniors.
“They both look really good and Zayne also looks good at tight end,” Larsen said. “Watkins gives us a speed dimension as well.”
Running back candidates are sophomore Cisco Howland, junior Colin Jensen and senior Kyle Leary.
“Cisco runs low and compact,” Larsen said. “Jensen looks solid and Leary has the speed. All three are hard workers and are fun to work with.”
An offensive line of Cacho, Barker, sophomore JoseCarmen Calvillo, senior Brandon Frace and juniors Sam Vanoven, Triton Marlowe and Payton Lyndall is young and inexperienced.
“We’re going into the Lake County Scrimmage (held last weekend in Middletown) with our eyes wide open,” Larsen said.
“We have some bigger kids (more than 220 pounds) and some younger and quicker kids (around 175 pounds),” Larsen said.
Keithly will see double duty as a wide receive on offense.
“He’s kind of our Swiss Army Knife,” Larsen said.
Defense
“I feel like we have speed back in our secondary, which was our Achilles heel in 2019,” Larsen said.
Jensen, Howland, Watkins and junior Joey Gentle have the tools to be successful, according to Larsen.
“It’s a matter of getting experience,” he said.
Larsen expects his two middle linebacker, Vanoven and Frace, to be much more than adequate.
“They’re both strong and quick,” he said. “I feel confident with them in the middle. They also have the speed to get outside.”
Outside linebackers are Keithly, Hockett, Howland and senior Hunter Keener.
“Lander is someone I really expect a lot from,” Larsen said.
Up front for the Knights will be Cacho, Marlowe and Calvillo.
“The tools are there to stop people if we don’t make mistakes,” Larsen said.
Preseason
The Knights open the season Friday night against San Marin in Novato. Following a bye week Sept. 3, they hit the road Sept. 10 to play Fortuna before returning home Sept. 17 against Del Norte. They begin North Central League I play Sept. 24 at home against archrival Clear Lake.
“That’s how you get better, playing better teams,” Larsen said. “Steel sharpens steel as we say. As green as we are, it will expose weaknesses. Those are three solid programs.”
League
“The tools are there to do well and be competitive in league if we can coach them up to where they need to be,” Larsen said of his 20-strong squad. “We should be in the mix in league.”
Bright future
The Knights’ junior varsity program numbers 30 players and is loaded with talent, skill players and linemen alike.
“We have good speed with the running backs, good size on the line for JVs, and two solid quarterbacks,” Larsen said. “There’s a lot there.”
