Mustangs improve to 5-0 in league play, 7-0 overall with home victory
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MIDDLETOWN >> Middletown High School’s undefeated junior varsity football team spotted Kelseyville a quick 7-0 lead, but that was all the offense the Knights could muster as the Mustangs rallied for a 20-7 victory in North Central League I action Friday at Bill Foltmer Field.
Middletown (5-0 league, 7-0 overall) gradually reeled Kelseyville (1-2-1, 1-3-1) in, closing to 7-6 at halftime and finally pushing ahead 12-7 in the third quarter before putting the game out of reach in the fourth quarter when Esteban Muniz scored his third touchdown of the game on a 32-yard run. Kolton Costlow’s conversion pass to Jay Lee made it 20-8.
Muniz, a sophomore running back, also scored on runs of 61 and eight yards while finishing with 103 yards on eight carries. Nearly all of Middletown’s yardage came on the ground where the Mustangs accumulated 168 of their 176 yards.
Muniz wasn’t the only 100-yard rusher on Friday. Kelseyville’s Case Pivniska, the heart and soul of the Knights’ attack, finished with 141 of his team’s 215 rushing yards, including an 18-yard touchdown in the first quarter. He also kicked the extra point.
Zayden Merrill added 52 rushing yards for Kelseyville.
Colton Karp anchored the Middletown defense with 13 total tackles while Devin Shippee added nine. Brooks Schuster recovered a fumble.
Deake Lyndall’s five tackled led the Knights.
Both teams return to action next Friday as Middletown travels to Fort Bragg (4-0-1) for a first-place showdown with the Timberwolves, and Kelseyville returns home to play Willits (2-2).