Kelseyville visits McKinleyville on Friday night, Middletown plays at St. Vincent Saturday
By Brian Sumpter
Lake County Sports on Facebook
LAKE COUNTY >> If the deluge expected to hit Northern California does indeed happen Friday night, the Kelseyville Knights should be in for a fun time in McKinleyville against the top-seeded Panthers in the opening round of the North Coast Section Division 7 football playoffs.
Kelseyville (6-4), the No. 8 seed in the eight-team Division 7 field, will have to navigate both the Panthers and the raindrops if the weatherman is correct. On the other hand, so will a McKinleyville offense that relies heavily on its passing game. Sophomore quarterback Corbin Green has thrown for 2,343 yards and 20 touchdowns, more than twice the yardage the Panthers have run for (956 yards) this season. Their leading ground gainer, Cameron Heldebrandt, has just 450 yards and six TDs.
“Typically, they sling it,” Kelseyville head coach Logan Barrick said of the Panthers (7-3), who won the Humboldt-Del Norte Redwood League this season, including a 32-29 win over Ferndale (9-1), the No. 1 seed in the Division 5 playoffs.
While heavy rain is in the forecast for Kelseyville at McKinleyville on Friday night, cloudy/chance of rain showers is the forecast Saturday when Middletown (8-2) visits St. Vincent (4-6) in the opening round of the Division 5 playoffs in Petaluma where the all-weather field St. Vincent plays on should offer good footing.
The two former NCL II rivals haven’t met since the 2018 season. Since then, Middletown has won two section titles (2018, 2025) and reached the state playoffs once (2025) while St. Vincent made four straight section title game appearances (2022-25), winning in 2023 and 2024. The Petaluma-based Mustangs added NorCal and CIF State championships in 2023-24. A year ago they were denied a third straight trip to the state playoffs by Ferndale.
“They definitely have a lot of athletes on the field and size in the trenches,” Middletown head coach Kurtis Woodard said.
Middletown, last year’s Division 7 champion, is in arguably the toughest section in the playoffs with the likes of No. 1 Ferndale, No. 2 Fortuna (7-3), No. 3 St. Bernard (8-2) and No. 4 St. Vincent, which went 0-5 this season in the incredibly tough and competitive Redwood Empire Adobe League that includes Cardinal Newman, Marin Catholic, Windsor, American Canyon and San Marin.
Kelseyville at McKinleyville
The Knights have been preparing for wet weather conditions in practice this week, according to Barrick.
“We’ve been using a lot of wet balls,” Barrick said. “We’ve also put them in tennis shoes, which is something I learned in JuCo (junior college) practice. It makes them experience what it’s like to have no grip.”
While the Panthers are used to playing on a slick field, a torrential downpour during the game is something neither team is used to.
“I’ve played up there in August when the field was slick (at night), so I’m sure they’re used to it,” Barrick said of playing in McKinleyville’s backyard. “They question is can they throw the ball 30-35 times in conditions like that?”
Added Barrick, “If they can, I trust my coverage guys.”
Playing a No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs is usually a big mismatch, but Barrick said the Knights do not feel intimidated in the slightest.
In fact, a handful of Kelseyville seniors who were sophomores playing on the varsity squad in 2024 have only good memories of their trip to McKinleyville, which was a 50-18 Knights victory.
“The JV game we played up there two years ago might be a better comparison,” Barrick said of a 20-12 Kelseyville win.
“I think it’s going to be close (on Friday),” Barrick said.
One thing is for sure; the Knights certainly are used to that long bus ride north come playoff time.
“The last two times we’ve been league champions in football (this year and 2024) they’ve sent us north,” Barrick said.
In 2024, Kelseyville dropped a 14-13 decision to Del Norte in Crescent City with Brock Barrick, Logan’s brother, playing quarterback that year.
Kelseyville’s baseball team won the NCL I in 2025 and also had to travel in the first round, once against to face Del Norte in Crescent City (winning 12-1).
“I think they just like sending us north,” Barrick joked. “It’s something we’re used to.”
While it’s the 12th week of play (counting zero week) in the 2026 football season, Barrick said the Knights are as healthy as they’ve been in the last three or four weeks.
Resisting the urge to look ahead to a possible semifinal-round game with the winner of St. Helena at Cloverdale (on Friday in Cloverdale), two teams the Knights have already played this season, losing close games to both, Barrick said, “We’re focused on McKinleyville.”
Added Barrick of his first trip to the playoffs as head coach of the Knights, “I am excited to see what happens.”
Middletown at St. Vincent
Middletown has bolstered its depth by promoting a trio of its top junior varsity players, Colton Rodrigues, Blake Pullman and Brady Perreault, to a varsity squad that is healthy outside of linebacker/punt returner Ryan Halverson, who will be a gametime decision because of an ankle injury sustained in the win at Fort Bragg last week.
“He’s progressing,” Woodard said of Halverson and his low ankle sprain.
Halverson is Middletown’s leading tackler on the season and one of the defensive mainstays from last year’s section championship squad.
St. Vincent has been forced to deal with injuries to many of its top players this season. Not knowing who will start for the Petaluma team has forced Woodard and Middletown to prepare for several different scenarios depending on the personnel involved.
“They lost their starting quarterback (senior Willy Pederson) in the Marin Catholic game, but we’ve heard he might be back,” Woodard said. “He’s a thrower.”
Pederson has 1,561 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air. Pederson’s backups are more runners than passers.
“So basically, we’ve been preparing for two different guys,” Woodard said.
St. Vincent lost its top running back to a knee injury earlier this season and has been using a rotation of running backs since, all of whom bring something to the table, whether its speed or strength, according to Woodard.
St. Vincent’s defense will have to concentrate on slowing down a Middletown running game spearheaded by juniors Tyler Galamay (1,046 yards, 23 TDs) and Johnny Finney (889 yards, 12 TDs).
“I expect them to load the box,” Woodard said.
The key to the game?
“The game is won in the trenches, on the offensive and defensive lines, so who will do the best job of neutralizing the other?” Woodard said. “I think the footing will be fine (on the all-weather turf), so both sides will need to hold onto the football (if it’s wet).”
The winner advances to the semifinals against the winner of No. 1 Ferndale vs. No. 8 Montgomery. Woodard said the Mustangs haven’t given a single thought to a possible game next week. He said if they don’t win Saturday, it won’t matter.
“I remember those days,” Woodard said of playing for Middletown in the late 1990s when Middletown vs. St. Vincent was a big deal each and every year.
And given where these two football programs stand now, some 30 years later, future meetings are sure to be an even bigger deal.
