It’s all or nothing for K’ville, Willits in North; M’town rooting for Cloverdale in South race
By Brian Sumpter
Lake County Sports on Facebook
LAKE COUNTY >> This is the way it’s supposed to end.
When the Kelseyville Knights step foot onto Maize Field in Willits on Friday night to play the host Wolverines in a North Central League I North football game, the league and regular-season finale for both teams, the stakes couldn’t be much higher.
How high?
“Win or else,” Kelseyville head coach Logan Barrick said. “It all comes down to this.”
Kelseyville (2-0 North, 5-4 overall) brings a three-game winning streak into Maize Field, a location that has not been kind to the Knights over the last decade. Kelseyville is facing a Willits team that is 2-0 and 4-5, and that’s not bad given the Willits lost its first three games, getting outscored 75-12 in the process.
“Neither team started very well,” Barrick said of the Knights’ own 1-2 record after three games. “We’ve both played a lot better since then.”
While the winner Friday night secures an automatic playoff berth by virtue of winning the North championship, the loser is most likely done.
“As far as the playoffs go, if we win, we’re in,” Barrick said. “If we don’t, there is a slight chance we could make it. Willits has to win to make it.”
The NCL I North isn’t the only league championship that will be decided in Week 10 of the high school season. The NCL I South race isn’t completely over yet as Stuart Hall (3-0 South, 8-1 overall) needs a win at home Saturday against Cloverdale (2-1, 7-2) to secure the outright league title. If Cloverdale wins, the South race ends in a three-way tie between Stuart Hall, Cloverdale and Middletown, all at 3-1.
In other Week 10 games, Middletown (7-2) closes its regular season with an interlock game at Fort Bragg (1-8), Lower Lake (0-3, 1-7) travels to St. Helena (0-3, 4-5) in NCL I South action, and Upper Lake (3-6) visits Colusa for a non-league game. Win or lose, it’s the final game of the season for both Lower Lake and Upper Lake.
Middletown’s junior varsity clinched the South title last week with a win at Cloverdale. Kelseyville’s JV can lock up the North crown with a victory at Willits.
Kelseyville at Willits
“It’s never easy to play there,” Barrick said of Maize Field. “They (Wolverines) are going to be flying around and being physical. I hope we’re ready for it.”
Barrick believes the Knights are ready based on their last two games – a 27-20 road win against Dougherty Valley two weeks ago and a 31-0 victory last week at home against Fort Bragg.
Kelseyville has lost its last three trips to Willits, a streak the teams needs to snap if it wants a league pennant. Ironically, Knights’ last two wins against Willits have helped them capture league titles both years – in 2018 (at Willits) and 2024 (at Kelseyville).
“I’ve seen some weird things happen there (at Maize Field),” Barrick said. “The light pole caught on fire one time. You never know what you’re going to see there.”
On the Injury front, Kelseyville’s Andrew Souza returns and will start on defense, according to Barrick.
“On offense he’ll contribute in different ways,” Barrick said.
Two other players who are a banged up will be game-time decisions.
“We’ll see how they feel,” Barrick said.
The winner will learn Sunday who, when and where it is playing next week in the North Coast Section playoffs, most likely in Division 7.
Kelseyville last qualified for the postseason in 2024, losing to Del Norte in a first-round game. Willits has reached the playoffs three times in the last four years, missing out only in 2024 despite an 8-2 record.
Middletown at Fort Bragg
Depending on the outcome of the Cloverdale at Stuart Hall game on Saturday, the Mustangs will either be a South champion or league runner-up. Regardless, it looks like the defending Division 7 champions will be moving up to the Division 5 playoffs this year.
Although the Fort Bragg game has no bearing on the South race since it’s an interlock game, Middletown still has some things to check off its list before entering postseason play next week, according to Middletown head coach Kurtis Woodard.
“I think the goal is to go there and play well,” Woodard said. “We need to take care of our backyard first. After that, we have kids who have made every practice and every weight day who we haven’t been able as use as much as we would have liked, and we want to get them playing time.”
To that effect, the Mustangs are determined to get one of their reserves his first touchdown if at all possible and will do what they can to make that happen.
“He’s a great kid that I have bonded well with over the last few seasons,” Woodard said.
Fort Bragg won its first game of the season but has since dropped eight straight. The Timberwolves have been able to move the ball, but have had considerable trouble finishing off drives, hurt by penalties, turnovers or both.
Middletown’s high-powered running attack, led by juniors Tyler Galamay (nine touchdowns in his last two games) and Johnny Finney, will present the Timberwolf defense with plenty of challenges. Galamay is just seven yards shy of 1,000 for the season while Finney (764 yards) could hit that milestone before the Mustangs’ year is over. Galamay rolled up 1,348 yards a year ago.
The Mustangs will learn on Sunday what playoff division they’re in, who, when and where they play next week when postseason play begins.
Lower Lake at St. Helena
The Trojans don’t have a whole bunch to play for, but they can at least escape the NCL I South cellar with a win and end a six-game losing streak in the process. It won’t be easy against a rebuilding Saints team that has played especially well at certain times this season, and St. Helena has the added advantage of playing at home.
Lower Lake did put 26 points on the scoreboard a week ago in a 44-26 loss at Upper Lake, getting multiple touchdowns from its offense as well as a kickoff return for a score.
St. Helena had a chance to make the South race a little more interesting last week at home against Stuart Hall, but the Saints didn’t have a good night and fell 55-20, one of their more lopsided losses of the season. Stuart Hall clinched no worse than a tie for the South championship with that win.
The Saints have won their last seven meetings with the Trojans, but there have been some nail-biters in there, including a 43-37 overtime St. Helena win in 2024. Both the 2025 and 2023 games were competitive as well. Lower Lake last beat the Saints in 2017, a 33-14 victory at St. Helena.
Upper Lake at Colusa
The Cougars are looking to build momentum for next season, and a third straight win to close out the 2026 season would be a good start. The last time Upper Lake won three or more games in succession as an 11-man football team was 2012.
Upper Lake’s offense has been on fire the last weeks as have the Cougars as a whole. They’ve scored 99 points in the last two weeks alone compared to 52 in their first seven weeks.
Colusa (3-6) has lost two in a row and five of its last six.
Since winning a state championship in 2023 (14-0), the Redhawks have struggled, winning just eight games. This is their third losing season in a row.
