Knights control own destiny as NCL I race enters final full week
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KELSEYVILLE >> Two goals were enough for the Kelseyville Knights in a 2-0 victory over the Willits Wolverines during North Central League I boys soccer action Thursday in Kelseyville.
“Four down, two to go on our second-half charge through the league,” Kelseyville head coach Kc White said.
In a dogfight with Lower Lake and Fort Bragg for the North Central League I title as the regular season winds down, Kelseyville (8-1-1 league, 13-5-2) is guaranteed some share of the title if it wins its final two games, both at home, against Middletown (Oct. 23) and Lower Lake (Oct. 28). The Knights will also be scoreboard watching Tuesday when Lower Lake visits Fort Bragg.
During Thursday’s game with Willits, White said there was a clear difference between the two halves.
“The first half was brilliant,” White said. “I have never seen us pass and open up like we did in the first 40 tonight. We created 21 shots but just could not finish with goals. We controlled possession and really wore Willits down.”
The Knights broke through midway through the first half for a 1-0 lead.
“A beautiful cross from Emmanuel Arias from about 35 yards out found the head of Sebastian Cacho to put us in front in the 21st minute,” White said.
It was Cacho’s team-leading and league-leading 19th goal of the season.
Kelseyville struck again early in the second half when Luis Alvarado sent a through ball to Alex Jimenez, who finished for the goal and a 2-0 Kelseyville lead.
“After that you could tell the team took their foot off the gas,” White said. “We started making sloppy plays and stopped pressuring on defense. We got complacent and got lucky that we had a good defensive effort from Gerardo Garcia, Jake Smart and Emmanuel Arias.”
With only two league games left, including a rematch with Lower Lake, the only team that has beaten Kelseyville in league play to date, White said now is not the time for Kelseyville to back off.
“It’s important that we don’t let up,” White said. “We have two league games left and need to win both to hang a banner in the gym. I want us to finish games strong and build momentum for the next game. The sky is the limit for this team.”
White offered his congratulations to Kelseyville’s girls soccer team for clinching a league championship with a 3-0 win over Willits on Thursday.
“I think that’s the first for girls soccer in school history, so a very big accomplishment,” White said. “We hope to replicate that in 12 days’ time.”
Kelseyville plays a non-league game Monday against International of San Francisco at the Crocker Amazon soccer fields beginning at 4 p.m. Middletown’s next league game is Thursday at home against Middletown at 6:15 p.m.
