Knights edge Trojans in OT, Cards topple Saints, Cougars lose at Fort Bragg
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CLOVERDALE >> With one practice under their belts, or to be even more accurate “one and a half hours of instruction,” according to Middletown head coach Jake Diehl, the Mustangs’ Emmitt Lloyd and Jon Hawkins transitioned from football field to basketball court Tuesday night for the team’s North Central League I opener against Cloverdale in Cloverdale.
“There was plenty of rust,” Diehl said.
Plenty of points, too. Lloyd, a 6-foot-8 sophomore center, scored 26 points and pulled down 14 rebounds as the Mustangs overwhelmed the Eagles in a game that was never close after the middle of the first quarter, 66-36. Middletown successfully opened defense of the league co-championship it shared with St. Helena last season.
Hawkins added eight points, including his first slam dunk of the 2025-26 campaign, as well as seven rebounds, five assists and three steals. Harrison Brown finished with 13 points, including three 3-pointers, while Cody Perez had six points, all on 3-pointers.
“It was a rough game, it’s always rough in Cloverdale, but they still responded well,” Diehl said of his players, and especially the four football players that joined the team Monday after the team’s extended playoff run that ended Friday in the Northern California Division 7-AA championship game. “They did a good job of adjusting during the game.”
As for the newest members of the team such as Lloyd and Hawkins, Diehl said he was extremely pleased with their learning curve as the game progressed.
“They were soaking it up and playing selfless basketball,” Diehl said.
While Lloyd is new to the varsity level, Hawkins was a key component of Middletown’s run to the NorCal playoffs last season.
“Oh my gosh, just having them back makes a huge difference,” Diehl said.
Middletown went 1-3 without their full complement of players.
Lloyd scored 12 points in the first quarter alone as Middletown built an 18-11 lead. The Mustangs continued to pull away in the second quarter when Perez hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Brown added another. It was 30-13 by halftime.
Hawkins’ dunk in the opening minute of the third quarter made it 32-15. The Mustangs led 50-25 going to the final period.
Jasiah Pike pulled down seven rebounds for Middletown.
Middletown (1-0 league, 2-3 overall) opens play in the 76th annual Redwood Empire Invitational Basketball Tournament Wednesday against Mendocino at 6:30 p.m.
Middletown’s junior varsity squad fell 38-37 to Cloverdale. The Mustangs (0-1, 3-2) had a chance to win the game in the final seconds but turned the ball over. The Eagles ran out the remaining time.
Lucas Hernandez and Jovial Najd scored 13 points apiece to power Middletown. Hernandez also had eight rebounds.
“We came out unprepared and they punched us in the mouth,” Middletown head coach Mike Myers said.
Middletown returns to action Tuesday in Kelseyville.
In other boys league openers Tuesday:
Kelseyville 54, Lower Lake 51 (OT)
At Lower Lake, Jair Inostroza Carrillo sank a pair of pressure-packed free throws late in the overtime period to give the Kelseyville Knights and first-year head coach Chaze Russell not only their first win of the season, but a league-opening victory against the Lower Lake Trojans.
Gordon Astrup (13 points) also hit some big shots for the Knights (1-0, 1-2) in their win. Carrillo finished with 11 points while Elijah Watkins, Kimo Brown and Ryan Keithly finished with six each.
Kelseyville trailed nearly the entire way in regulation before outscoring Lower Lake 17-8 in the fourth quarter. The Knights took a small lead midway through the final period, but the Trojans (0-1, 2-3) rallied to tie the game at the end of regulation on a shot by Zackquez Saunders.
“It wasn’t pretty, but we pulled it out,” said Russell, who said Carrillo’s composure throughout the game, but especially when the Trojans began to pressure the Knights late in the game, held the young Knights together.
“He was our most composed player,” Russell said. “He handled the pressure well.”
Lower Lake led 15-9 after one quarter, 24-19 at halftime as Raijhier McKneely hit a 3-pointer from beyond the half-court stripe in the final seconds of the half, and 38-29 after three quarters. The game was tied 46-all at the end of regulation.
Kelseyville outscored Lower Lake 8-5 in a back-and-forth overtime period.
Brody Shields led the Trojans with 14 points, McKneely had 11 and Tucker Benson seven. Shields made three 3-pointers.
Kelseyville won the JV game 67-40 behind 28 points from freshman Darin Sprague, 16 from Chris Salmina, who sank four 3-pointers, and 10 from Hugh O’Boyle.
“And we missed a bunch of layups or we might have had 80,” Kelseyville head coach Stan Weiper said of the Knights’ offense.
Lower Lake scoring was not reported.
Kelseyville hosts Justin-Siena in a JV-only game Thursday at Kelseyville.
Among the varsity teams, Lower Lake draws Los Molinos on Thursday in the opening round of the Irene Wells Memorial Tournament in Maxwell, and Kelseyville plays tournament host Healdsburg on Wednesday in the opening round of the Redwood Empire Invitational in Healdsburg. Tip-off is 8 p.m.
Clear Lake 57, St. Helena 50
At St. Helena, Zane McAuley scored 22 points and Jesse Hayes added 13 as the Clear Lake Cardinals outscored the St. Helena Saints 21-8 in the third quarter to beat the defending co-league champions on their own floor.
“It was a great team effort against a physical St. Helena team,” Clear Lake head coach Shady Cerezo said. “Our offense struggled in the first half, but our defense kept us in it.”
Clear Lake (1-0, 2-1 overall) trailed 21-19 at halftime.
“AJ Bruch did a great job all game defending,” Cerezo said.
St. Helena made a run at Clear Lake in the fourth quarter to get close, but clutch free throws from Hayes, Sawyer Smith and Kaden Graham sealed the victory, according to Cerezo. The three players combined to go 7-for-8 from the line.
“I’m proud of my guys for the way they battled through a very physical game,” Cerezo said.
Clear Lake also won the JV game 57-51, improving the Cardinals’ record to 4-2 overall.
Individual scoring was not reported.
Clear Lake’s varsity plays tournament host Calistoga on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the opening round of the Gene Duffy Memorial Tournament at Calistoga.
Fort Bragg 70, Upper Lake 59
At Fort Bragg, suiting up only six players, the Upper Lake Cougars put up a fight but dropped their league opener to the Fort Bragg Timberwolves.
“Showing up with six players in always hard, especially being undersized,” Upper Lake coach Thomas Santana said. “But we played hard, just couldn’t get the ball in the basket in the first quarter.”
TJ Malicay’s 20 points powered Upper Lake’s offense. Tyler Collins and Landen Robinson each had 13 while Wyatt Hallman had seven.
Upper Lake opens play Thursday in the John McMillan Holiday Invitational at Cloverdale.
Fort Bragg defeated Upper Lake 60-43 in JV action.
Individual scoring was not reported as the Cougars slipped to 0-5 on the season.
