First-year Middletown coach Kurtis Woodard earns Coach of the Year honors
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LAKE COUNTY >> Middletown High School senior Trenton Griffith is the most valuable player on offense while teammate Ryan Halverson, a junior, is the most valuable player on defense on the 2025 edition of the All-Lake County football team as selected by Lake County Sports.
Griffith, promoted to the varsity level halfway through his freshman season, was a key cog in an offense that helped the Mustangs (11-3) win the North Coast Section Division 7 championship and advance to the Northern California 7-AA playoffs. He rushed for 1,175 yards and 14 touchdowns while also catching 10 passes for 205 yards and five more TDs.
Halverson, who stands only 5-foot-5 and 145 pounds, was a hard-hitting linebacker who racked up double-digit tackle totals several times during the season. Middletown’s run defense, a work in progress early in the season, came on strong down the stretch as the Mustangs became only the second Lake County team to qualify for the state playoffs, a 22-18 loss to eventual state champion Redding Christian ending their season in the NorCal playoffs. Halverson returns to anchor Middletown’s defense again in 2026.
Coach of the Year honors went to Middletown’s first-year head coach, Kurtis Woodard, who carried on the tradition of winning Mustangs football that became a staple under previous head coach Bill Foltmer.
The Mustangs dominated the All-County team after their huge 2025 season. Of those Middletown players honored, seniors Jon Hawkins and Hayden Xavier and sophomore Tyler Galamay were honored on both the All-County offense and defense. Hawkins also earned the All-County nod at punter, making him the only county player to earn honors at three different positions.
Other two-way All-County players (offense and defense) were Kelseyville’s Michael DeJohn, a senior running back/defensive back; Clear Lake’s Ryken Villanueva, a senior offensive lineman/linebacker, and senior teammate Jesse Hayes, a running back/defensive back.
Offense
The All-County offense consists of Middletown senior quarterback Blake Costlow, who passed for 1,460 yards and 25 touchdowns, and running backs Griffith and Galamay (1,351 yards, 17 TDs), DeJohn, Hayes and Lower Lake’s Anthony Russell, a junior.
Blocking up front are All-County linemen Jack Harper and Brody Costlow of Middletown, both sophomores; Kelseyville senior Milez Giambra and junior teammate Elijah Watkins; Clear Lake seniors Villanueva and Colton Mendonca; and Lower Lake junior Kody Ranous.
The All-County tight end is Clear Lake senior Kaden Graham while All-County wide receivers are Hawkins (28 catches, 485 yards, 11 TDs), Xavier (15 catches, 427 yards, seven TDs), and Upper Lake junior Jubilee Faalalea.
Multi-purpose All-County players are Middletown sophomore John Finney and Kelseyville senior Max Lee.
The All-County placekicker is Kelseyville senior Jose Juarez.
Defense
All-County defensive linemen honors went to Kelseyville sophomore Gordon Astrup, Lower Lake senior Noel Preira and Middletown sophomores Galamay and Emmitt Lloyd.
In addition to junior MVP Halverson, the All-County linebacker corps features Clear Lake’s Villanueva, Upper Lake’s Billy Stillman Jr., Lower Lake’s Jason Gandeza, Kelseyville’s Adrian Garcia and Logan Farfan-Boyles, and Middletown’s Xavier, all seniors.
The All-County defensive backfield is made up of Clear Lake’s Hayes and junior teammate Ayden Moreno; Kelseyville’s DeJohn and Roman Mathis, both seniors; Middletown senior Hawkins and junior teammate Jamisen Jackson; and Lower Lake senior Ashton Hartmann.
Hawkins is also the All-County punter.
All-County players are determined by a formula that takes into account All-League honors and input from Lake County coaches.
Sponsor
The Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association sponsored the All-County football awards for a third straight year. Deputy Sheriff’s Association president James Rhine attended the All-County photo shoot Tuesday afternoon at Bill Foltmer Field in Middletown.
Besides the crystal Coach of the Year plaque and crystal MVP trophies, other members of the All-County team will receive medals, including All-County photographer Geri Costlow of Middletown, who contributed Mustangs photos throughout the 2025 campaign.
