LAKE COUNTY — Ready or not, the Middletown Mustangs and Kelseyville Knights usher in a new football season Friday night, one team opening at home and the other a long, long way from there.
While Clear Lake, Lower Lake and Upper Lake all have byes in week one — often referred to as zero week — before opening their seasons next week, Middletown hosts St. Mary’s of Albany while Kelseyville makes the long haul — 269 miles (or about five hours of travel time each way) — to Crescent City to play the Del Norte Warriors.
Middletown-St. Mary’s is a rematch of last year’s season opener won 25-14 by St. Mary’s in Albany. Kelseyville-Del Norte also met a year ago, but in week three, and the Warriors dominated the Knights 55-12 at Kelseyville.
Middletown
With a roster of only 16 players, only 12 of which were able to participate in the annual Lake County Scrimmage last week in Lakeport, the Mustangs need to up their game considerably if they expect to bring home a win against St. Mary’s at Bill Foltmer Field.
So says veteran head coach Bill Foltmer, who didn’t like the overall effort turned in by his club at the scrimmage.
“I wasn’t very happy with the scrimmage,” Foltmer said. “If we are going to be a good football team, and this team has the potential, certain players need to elevate their play. If our best players don’t play like best players, it’s going to be a long season.”
While a handful of players underachieved at the scrimmage, according to Foltmer, others drew his praise, among them senior running back Elijah Diaz, senior center John Kennedy, sophomore guard Jacob Pullman and sophomore wideout Troy Taber.
Unable to participate in the scrimmage because he didn’t have enough practices in, senior Jacob Urbani will be in uniform against St. Mary’s.
“He brings a toughness to us that is needed,” Foltmer said of the fullback/linebacker.
Middletown’s opponent, St. Mary’s, finished 3-7 a year ago but has a new coach this season in John Trotman Jr.
“St. Mary’s looked good in its scrimmage (last week) against all bigger schools,” Foltmer said. “They have a kid who plays fullback and middle linebacker who stood out. Blocking him on offense and tackling him on defense is going to be the key to the game for us. He’s their athlete, he seems to bring the energy.”
Added Foltmer, “They also have a good split end.”
Knocking heads with tough teams in the preseason is nothing new for Foltmer and the Mustangs, who have been doing that for years as a way to prepare themselves for the league schedule that follows.
Middletown’s veteran coach said he’ll have a better idea where his team stands after Friday’s opener. With a limited roster, which means almost no depth, he said the season could just as easily go either way. Much depends on how quickly his players get up to speed.
“I’ve never gone to the scrimmage with only 12 kids and three of those were sophomores,” Foltmer said. “Maybe my expectations for this team are a little high, but I’m a positive person and go into every game thinking we have a chance to win.”
Middletown hosts Bradshaw Christian of Sacramento on Sept. 2 before a bye week Sept. 9.
Kelseyville
“We’re hoping to be able to compete with them this year,” Kelseyville head coach Erick Larsen said of the Warriors, who are coming off a 10-2 season in 2021 compared to the Knights’ 2-8. “That would give us something to build on.”
Kelseyville, now a Division 7 team in the North Coast Section for playoff purposes after previously competing in Division 6, faces a Del Norte team that moves up from Division 5 into Division 4.
“A solid program with a solid football tradition and with good coaching,” Larsen said of the Warriors. “They lost some key players, mainly in their line, but their kids execute very well.”
Del Norte scrimmaged other Humboldt-Del Norte League teams last weekend.
“They run the power and counter off of the power,” Larsen said. “We’re expecting them to run the football. They did an exceptional job of running it last year against us.”
Kelseyville’s key focus on defense will be slowing down the Warriors’ running game.
“We need to trust our keys (on defense),” he said.
The Knights saw their first live action a week ago at the annual Lake County Scrimmage against Clear Lake, Lower Lake and Middletown at Lakeport, and Larsen said Kelseyville held its own.
“I was pleasantly surprised,” Larsen said. “We’re green, we’re young, but we’re enthusiastic. The biggest thing is our conditioning. By the third set we were gassed, so that’s something we’re addressing. We need to be able to play the full four quarters against Del Norte.”
Compared to last season at this time, Larsen said the Knights are well ahead of the game.
“We’re on the right track, miles ahead of where we were last year in week one,” he added.
Offensive and defensive mistakes made during the scrimmage are another focus for the Knights this week in practice.
“We’re fixing them,” Larsen said.
Kelseyville will be without linebacker Jon Dougherty this week because of an elbow injury, otherwise the Knights are ready to go in their opener.
“We have some other minor stuff, normal stuff. For the most part we’re pretty healthy,” Larsen said.
The Knights have a bye in week two (Sept. 2-3) before returning to action Sept. 9 at home against Fortuna, another Humboldt Del-Norte large school.
Added a game
Upper Lake filled an empty date on its schedule and will officially open the season on a Thursday night (Sept. 1) at home against Potter Valley in eight-man action.
Other openers
Other season openers have Clear Lake home against Pierce on Sept. 2 and Lower Lake on the road against Rio Vista on Sept. 2.
