WILLITS — Quarterback Luke Watkins ran both of Kelseyville’s touchdowns but the the Knights fell 20-12 to the Willits Wolverines in a North Central League I varsity football game Friday night in Willits.
Watkins’ second score, a 1-yard run with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, cut Willits’ lead to 20-12 as the Knights’ extra-point kick was blocked. Kelseyville tried an onside kick but Willits recovered and ran out the clock.
Kelseyville (1-2 league, 1-5 overall) fell behind 6-0 in the first quarter but held the Wolverines (2-1, 5-1) right there until they scored again late in the third quarter for a 13-0 lead. The Knights immediately answered with a scoring drive of their own capped by Watkins’ 2-yard run. Willits blocked the extra-point kick.
The Wolverines scored what proved to be the winning touchdown with four minutes left in the game on a 62-yard pass.
Kelseyville gained 220 yards on the ground led by Sam Vanoven’s 96 yards on 20 carries and Kyle Watkins’ 75 yards on 16 carries. Luke Watkins completed just two passes, one of them a 60-yarder to Reme Strong.
Vanoven also had a big game on defense with 11 tackles, including two that resulted in losses. Joey Gentle recovered a fumble and Ty Steely had a quarterback sack.
Kelseyville’s job doesn’t get any easier next Friday when it hosts Cloverdale (3-0, 5-1). Willits is on the road at Middletown (2-1, 2-4).
The Knights did win the junior varsity game, 34-6, using a balanced attack — 159 yards rushing, 159 yards passing — to improve to 3-0 in the league standings. Quarterback Brock Barrick ran for a pair of 2-yard touchdowns and also passed for two scores — one to Tyler Bryant (eight catches for 116 yards) and one to Michael DeJohn.
Max Hommer led Kelseyville on the ground with 90 yards on 13 carries and Nick Nonato added 34 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown.
Placekicker Jose Juarez went 4-for-4 on his extra-point kicks.
Kelseyville’s offensive line of Hunter Dowdy, Milez Gambria, Daniel Anderson Reyes, Landon Johnson, Adam Astrup and River Calhoun dominated up front against the Wolverines.
DeJohn lead the defense with five tackles while Johnson and Calhoun each had four. Hunter Dowdy added three.tackles
Kelseyville’s special teams also played a part in the win as Astrup had momentum-building punt block in the first quarter that gave the Knights great field position at the Willits 19-yard line and led to Kelseyville’s first touchdown.
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