Cards tie Willits, Mustangs lose road game at Fort Bragg
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UPPER LAKE >> Eric Tinoco Onofre scored twice as the Kelseyville High School boys soccer team pulled away in the second half to beat Upper Lake 5-0 in North Central League I action Thursday at Upper Lake.
Omar Mercado Marquez added a goal and two assists while teammate Julio Lopez and Uriel Castillo Ochoa also scored goals for the Knights (2-1 league, 5-4-1 overall). Angel Bernal and Julian Arias had assists.
“Just a really interesting game today,” Kelseyville head coach Kc White said. “We scored on the first play of the game. Eric Tinoco Onofre (an Upper Lake transfer) got us started on an assist by Omar Mercado Marquez and that was the only score of the game until the end of the first half.”
Kelseyville entered play minus the services of three senior starters – Jair Inostroza Carrillo, Gerardo Garcia and Joey Watson. Their absence was keenly felt in the communication department, according to White.
“It sounded like a library out there in the first half,” White said. “We really needed a leader to stop up, and it took a pep talk from Inostroza Carrillo (out with a foot injury) in the halftime huddle to get us going.”
Mercado Marquez scored on a penalty kick right before halftime to make it 2-0.
“We came out in the second half a different team,” White said. “The energy level was much improved.”
Tinoco Onofre scored six minutes into the half on a “beautiful assist” from Bernal, according to White. Lopez, who was moved to striker, scored in the 56th minute on a Mercado Marquez assist to give the Knights a 4-0 cushion. Castillo Ochoa added an insurance goal in the 74th minute, taking a crossing shot from Arias and booting it into the bottom left corner of the net.
Upper Lake spotted Kelseyville a one-man advantage to open the game, according to Upper Lake head coach Fred Miller.
“We started the game with 10 players with my starting keeper out because of a one-game suspension, and a couple more starters out sick,” Miller said. “And my backup keeper was late.”
Evan Wojecjeszak opened at keeper before being replaced by Carlos Narvaes, who went on to log 14 saves.
Miller said his players did their best given the circumstances.
“Missing three starters, including my goalkeeper and striker, and not having any subs, this Upper Lake team still had one of its best games against a very tough Kelseyville team,” Miller said. “My two center backs, Gavin Dooley and Mario Olvera, along with my two fullbacks, Dezmond Solomon and Roberto Urucha, backing up a very new keeper, Carlos Narvaes, made this a really good game. It was fun to watch and I’m proud of their hard work.”
Upper Lake (0-2, 0-8) had two shots on goal.
White praised the play of Tinoco Onofre.
“He has been grinding away at practice waiting for his shot to play,” White said. “We had to wait for him to move residences to Kelseyville before we could file for a transfer, which didn’t happen until the beginning of this month, then there’s all kinds of hoops to jump through. We finally got him cleared last Friday. He played on Tuesday (against Fort Bragg), but the real game he had targeted was his return to Upper Lake, and he scored about as quickly as one could score in a game. I’m super proud of him for sticking with it. He’s a really good kid.”
Kelseyville is home Tuesday to play Willits at 4:30 p.m. Upper Lake returns to action Thursday in Willits at 6:45 p.m.
In other NCL I action Thursday:
Fort Bragg 7, Middletown 1
At Fort Bragg, the Fort Bragg Timberwolves built a 4-1 halftime lead en route to defeating the Middletown Mustangs.
“Hats off to head coach Oscar Estrada and his coaching staff for the work they’ve put in,” Middletown head coach Katie Robinson said of her Fort Bragg counterpart. “One of the best parts about playing in Fort Bragg is always the kindness and sportsmanship we’re shown.”
Carter Rarick scored at the end of the first half for Middletown (1-2 league, 4-4-2 overall).
“We had some great movement and plenty of positive moments, but Fort Bragg showed why they are such a well-oiled machine,” Robinson said. “They controlled the game, made clean passes, and seemed to always know exactly where their teammates were.”
Fort Bragg is 2-0 in league and 6-3-1 overall.
Middletown hosts Lower Lake on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
Lower Lake 7, Cloverdale 2
At Lower Lake, the Lower Lake Trojans defeated the Cloverdale Eagles, improving to 2-0 in league and 4-1-2 overall.
Scoring and other game details were not reported.
The Trojans play in Middletown on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
Clear Lake 1, Willits 1 (tie)
At Willits, Clear Lake battled the Willits Wolverines to a tie.
The Cardinals are now 1-1-1 in league and 6-2-3 overall.
Scoring and other game details were not reported.
Clear Lake hosts Cloverdale on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.
