KHS boys fall to Del Norte High in Division 2 first-round contest at Crescent City
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CRESCENT CITY >> Five hours to get there, five hours to travel back, and a playoff game sandwiched between.
The Kelseyville High School boys soccer team spent more than five times longer on the road than on the pitch Wednesday as their season ended with a 4-0 loss to Del Norte High School in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 2 boys soccer playoffs in faraway Crescent City.
The 2:30 p.m. starting time had the nights out of bed and on the road early, according to head coach Kc White.
“I will start by congratulating Del Norte on today’s win,” White said. “They were far and away the better team and deserved to win. It’s really hard to put into words how difficult a day this was for my team. We asked a lot of them today. First, to wake up around 5 a.m. this morning, then to drive more than five hours, and finally to play a grueling game of soccer at 2:30 in the afternoon and then drive home after. I just didn’t feel like I saw the team that we are capable of being today because of all that.”
Added White, “With all that said, I’m proud of my team for all they accomplished this season. Coming into the season, we had to replace 11 seniors (nine of them starters) from last year’s (league) championship team. I always externally showed faith that we would be good despite my inner feelings and questions floating in my head. They exceeded my expectations by finishing third in a very competitive NCL I this season where five teams qualified for the postseason as compared to just three last year.”
Del Norte (11-6-5), the No. 7 playoff seed, opened up a 3-0 halftime lead before adding an insurance goal in the second half against the 10th-seeded Knights (10-7-5).
“The reason why we were so successful is because of my seniors,” White said. “We got welcome additions in Nick Arredondo and Joey Watson this year, both of whom displayed athleticism and heart every time out there. Julio Lopez has been a four-year player for us, but he faced medial issues this season, which kept him out a majority of the year, including today’s game. Angel Bernal didn’t play much his first three seasons, but his growth is an example for every player to emulate moving forward. He quickly became one of our most important players this season. Jair Inostroza Carrillo has been one of our best players since he joined the team last season. He is probably the best athlete at Kelseyville, and I’m so grateful to have formed a deep bond with him.
“Gerardo Garcia deserves all the praise thrown at him,” White added. “Since he started his freshman year, he has played almost every minute of every game. As good a soccer player as G is, he may be the best human being I have ever met, and that’s absolutely a testament to his upbringing. His parents should be very proud.”
White said the loss of those seniors will hurt moving forward to 2027, but that the Knights have the makings for continued success.
“We received huge contributions from our freshmen and sophomores this year, and my junior class runs about nine deep,” White said. “I’m proud of the culture we have built here and I’m hopeful we can continue to make impactful strides for years to come.”
Kelseyville is one of two Lake County teams to qualify for the Division 2 playoffs. Lower Lake, the No. 5 seed, plays No. 4 seed Summit K2 on Friday at Martin Luther King Memorial Field in Richmond at 2:30 p.m.
