50-18 win over McKinleyville comes with huge price tag attached
MCKINLEYVILLE >> Kyle Watkins rushed for 179 yards and five touchdowns as the Kelseyville Knights used a 30-point first half to rout the McKinleyville Panthers, 50-18, in the season opener for both of these varsity football teams Friday night in McKinleyville.
While it was an impressive opener for the Knights (1-0), who also scored on a 75-yard interception return by Logan Boyles and a 14-yard pass from quarterback Brock Barrick to wide receiver Michael Dougherty, the victory came with a huge price tag attached. Senior running back Max Hommer, a key part of last year’s 8-4 squad, was lost for the season with a broken collarbone, the second straight year a Lake County team has lost a player for the entire year in a season opener – a year ago it was Clear Lake sophomore running back/receiver Jesse Hayes (knee), who is still out a year later.
It took a while for the Knights to get rolling on offense – their defense produced a safety for the first two points of the game late in the first quarter – but once Watkins and company began to click, Kelseyville rolled up and down the field with plenty of help from the defense, including two Boyles interceptions that led to Knights touchdowns, the second one coming in the third quarter as he returned a 75-yard pick six.
Watkins scored the first of his five TDs with 10:59 left in the second quarter on a 6-yard run. The Knights were on the move minutes later thanks to a three-and-out stand by their defense. Watkins capped a 73-yard drive with a 30-yard run, and Barrick’s conversion pass to Dougherty made it 16-0 with 6:50 remaining in the half.
Boyles’ first interception of the evening put the ball right back in Kelseyville’s hands and a three-play, 24-yard scoring drive followed, Watkins scoring on a 3-yard run for a 22-0 lead with 4:17 left.
Kelseyville got the ball back with 2:35 to play in the half and quickly moved 61 yards for another score as Barrick found Dougherty for the touchdown. The same two players hooked up on the conversion to make it 30-0.
McKinleyville took the second-half kickoff and was driving in Kelseyville territory where Boyles stepped in front of a Panthers pass and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown and a 36-0 lead.
The Panthers answered with a long touchdown pass to make it 36-6, but Kelseyville was on the move again following a 36-yard kickoff return by Bryce Keener. Overcoming a series of penalties, the Knights moved out to a 42-6 lead on Watkins’ fourth touchdown of the game, a 6-yard run.
McKinleyville scored twice in the fourth quarter to get as close as 42-18. Watkins capped his big night with a 12-yard run, and Barrick’s conversion pass to Jeffrey Ballard pushed the Knights’ advantage to 50-18.
Watkins amassed his 179 yards on 23 carries. Michael DeJohn chipped in another 65 yards on six carries and Keener had 35 yards on three carries. Barrick went 10-for-14 for 135 yards with one interception and one TD.
The Knights picked off three passes in all – River Calhoun had the other interception – and DeJohn led the team with two solo tackles, seven assisted tackles and one sack.
Kelseyville travels to Orland (1-0) next Friday. Orland beat Paradise 46-21 in its season opener Friday night in Orland.
