Kelseyville moves atop North Central League I standings with 5-0 record
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LAKEPORT >> River Calhoun’s interception of a Corey Rockey pass in the closing seconds preserved Kelseyville’s 20-17 victory over the Willits Wolverines in a battle of undefeated North Central League I leaders Friday night at Don Owens Stadium in Lakeport.
Willits (5-1 league, 6-2 overall) fell behind 20-9 early in the fourth quarter but was marching for a possible winning score, or at least a game-tying field goal, when Calhoun picked off Rockey to seal a hard-fought victory that featured three lead changes.
“It’s a great feeling, we’re pretty excited about it,” Kelseyville assistant coach Logan Barrick said of the big victory while filling in for a second straight week for head coach Leo Flores (vacation). “River got the interception, but I have to give Daniel (Anderson reys) big-time props. He caused it.”
A senior defensive tackle, Anderson reys was double-teamed on what turned out to be Willits’ final play of the game as the ball was snapped with 28 seconds left. He still was able to get pressure on Rockey that contributed to the interception.
“He got in his face and forced that,” Barrick said.
There were still a few anxious moments for the Knights, according to Barrick, because Calhoun didn’t hit the turf to end the play once he picked off the pass. He continued running and Willits players tried for the strip but were unable to knock the ball free.
Kelseyville (5-0, 6-1) took a knee to run the final 19 seconds off the clock and secure their first win over Willits since 2018 – which incidentally is also the last time the Knights went undefeated in league play.
While the Knights came into the game with some rather significant injuries, they were able to hand the Wolverines their first league loss, with a huge assist from the offensive line as nearly all of Kelseyville’s 339 yards came on the ground, and from a source you might not suspect.
While junior running back Michael DeJohn continued his sensational season with 123 yards on 20 carries, including touchdowns of 2 yards with 5.5 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 7-3 in the Knights’ favor and 9 yards with 2:26 remaining in the third quarter to give Kelseyville a 13-9 lead, it was senior quarterback Brock Barrick who set season and career highs with 165 yards on 19 carries, including a 51-yard keeper for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. The designed play gave Kelseyville its biggest lead of the night at 20-9.
“We had the ball in the hands of Michael and Brock almost all game,” Barrick said of the Knights’ game plan for the Wolverines.
While senior running back Kyle Watkins did suit up and play after missing the Knights’ previous two games with an injury, he was used primarily as a decoy although he did see extensive action as a receiver and blocker, and also on defense at cornerback late in the game.
“He dressed, he was feeling pretty good,” Barrick said of Watkins. “We thought we could use him to get their attention and get some (Willits) players out of the box and it worked.”
Watkins didn’t log a single carry but did catch three passes for 23 yards.
DeJohn and Barrick took care of the rest with their running.
“Brock played really well,” Barrick said of his younger brother’s night behind center. “It was his best game of the year.”
Barrick also went 8-for-13 passing for just 51 yards as the Knights were determined to keep the ball on the ground as much as possible against the Wolverines.
Willits didn’t make it easy, and Barrick said the Knights had no illusions that it would be given that the Wolverines had won the last five meetings between the two teams, including a 31-7 victory a year ago in the semifinals of the North Coast Section Division 7 playoffs.
“They’re well coached, they always have something dialed up,” Barrick said.
Willits’ most effective play Friday was a draw that the Wolverines ran several times for big yards.
Barrick said the quarterback would take the snap and circle behind the running back before reaching forward and tucking the ball into his arms.
“It’s pretty deceiving and it got us a couple of times,” he said.
Damien Reiter’s 25-yard field goal with 8:02 left in the second quarter, that after the Knights defense stopped Willits just inside the 2-yard line, gave Willits an early 3-0 lead. The score remained unchanged until Kelseyville pushed ahead on the first of DeJohn’s two touchdown runs in the final seconds of the first half, Jose Juarez added the extra point to make it 7-3 at halftime.
Willits pushed back in front 9-7 with 8:49 left remaining in the third quarter although the Knights blocked the extra point. The lead changed hands again, and for the final time, with 2:26 remaining as DeJohn scored his second touchdown. The Knights went for two points on the conversion but were unsuccessful, leaving the score at 13-9.
Kelseyville was on the move again by quarter’s end, having pushed the ball to its own 49. Barrick scored just 10 seconds into the fourth quarter, busting up the middle and then angling toward and up the Kelseyville sideline for a touchdown.
“He made a couple of nice moves,” Barrick said.
Willits closed to 20-17 with 8:56 remaining.
Kelseyville was able to work a good chunk of time off the clock after that, including picking up a big first down with 4:14 to go, but the Knights eventually had to punt, and Willits took over at its own 16-yard line with 2:26 remaining. The Wolverines worked the ball down the field in a hurry before Calhoun’s interception ended it.
Barrick said he was impressed with the play of the team’s secondary, banged up though it is, and especially with the play of junior Roman Mathis.
“He was in the right spot all night,” Barrick said.
Barrick also praised defensive back coach Drew Novak for preparing the secondary against a formidable Willits passing attack – Rockey entered the game with 1,367 yards and 14 TDs.
“He’s been huge getting all the new guys dialed in for us,” Barrick said. “The kids love him; they respond to him well and Willits might have thrown four TDs last night if he didn’t have our guys in the right spot.”
After the game ended, Barrick got his first Gatorade bath from a happy group of Kelseyville players, who improved to 2-0 at Don Owens Stadium this season, a field they’ll play at least two more times this season – Nov. 1 against Clear Lake in Bass Bowl XIV and Nov. 8 against St. Helena (4-1, 4-3), in what is shaping up to be another big game for the Knights.
While DeJohn finished the game, he sustained a minor knee injury during the game but remained in the lineup.
“We needed him in there and wanted to play,” Barrick said.
Kelseyville’s running back corps has been hard hit by injuries this season, between Watkins and Max Hommer (out for the season with a broken collar bone). Bryce Keener also missed Friday’s game with a hamstring injury.
The Knights still have three league games remaining. They are on the road next Friday to play Lower Lake (1-4, 3-4), which is coming off a bye, and they are officially the road team for the Nov. 1 Bass Bowl against Clear Lake in Lakeport although both teams are using that field this year as Kelseyville’s field undergoes renovations. Kelseyville then hosts St. Helena on Nov. 8 at Don Owens Stadium.
Last year’s regular-season between the two teams in Willits nearly had the identical score – Willits won a 20-18 thriller.
Team notes: DeJohn has 810 yards and nine TDs for the Knights this season … Barrick stands at 953 passing yards going into next week’s game at Lower Lake … In winning their fifth straight game this season, the Knights snapped Willits’ five-game winning streak … Willits travels to Lakeport next Friday before returning home Nov. 1 against Upper Lake. The Wolverines have a bye on Nov. 8, the final week of the regular season. … Kelseyville has a better record at Don Owens Stadium this season (2-0) than Clear Lake (1-2) … The Knights celebrated their homecoming against Willits. Alexis Martinez, one of Kelseyville’s best players and a team captain, was named homecoming king.
