NCL I football preview: St. Helena, Middletown should challenge Fort Bragg

The 2016 season features an NCL I that will be more balanced top to bottom than the 2015 campaign. With powerhouse Fort Bragg dealing with depth issues and the loss of graduated star quarterback Kaylor Sullivan, the race for the league title is wide open.

Another twist for the league is its expansion from eight teams to nine with the addition of St. Vincent, recently of the Bay League.

Nine teams mean an unbalanced schedule, giving one team a bye from league play in a given week over the 11-game season.

More significantly, each team will play eight league games and two non-league games instead of seven and three like last season.

“Since they added in St. Vincent, it changed the league structure,” Kelseyville coach Erick Larsen said. “There are a lot more questions this year about who is going to be the powerhouse.”

While the Timberwolves - NCL I champs in 2012, 2014 and 2015 - are certainly among the league favorites, St. Helena and Middletown, also traditional powers, should be in the fight until the end for the league crown.

“It’s obviously a more balanced, up-for-grabs situation this year,” Fort Bragg coach Roy Perkins said. “St. Helena probably has an edge this year because they have a lot of returning athletic players.”

Lucas Triplett, small-schools All-Empire Defensive Player of the Year in 2015, will continue his role as lockdown cornerback but will shift from the go-to receiver he was last season to starting quarterback. This will likely lead to more balance on offense as Triplett is more mobile than the pocket passer Sullivan was.

“We are going to run the option more and take the shackles off Lucas,” Perkins said. “People will be impressed with his passing ability. We still have playmakers with Triplett and above-average receivers.”

St. Helena will be guided offensively by 2015 All-Empire selections Dylan Martin at quarterback and running back Alfio Basile.

“We have a lot of work to do. We have had a lot of problems with Fort Bragg which we haven’t been able to solve,” St. Helena coach Brandon Farrell said. “We are like any other small school, we need to stay healthy. You lose a few players and your team takes a drastic change.”

Not to be overlooked is Middletown, which plays a very physical brand of football.

“You would be crazy to fall asleep on Middletown,” Farrell said.

Middletown coach Bill Foltmer said his team has a lot of good returning players.

“I think Middletown is going to be in the mix this season,” Foltmer said.

By all accounts, Clear Lake, Upper Lake and Kelseyville are on the upswing and should be more competitive this season.

Lower Lake will be guided by junior quarterback Hokulani Wickard, who at 6-3, 215 pounds is a load to bring down for defenses. Lower Lake coach Justin Gaddy said the team is coping with the aftereffects of the fires that hit the community and burned some equipment, including three tackling sleds. He said no players on the team lost homes. Lower Lake’s football team should provide a positive respite for the community.

“We are on the upswing but we haven’t proven anything yet,” Gaddy said. “It all starts with our O-line and D-line. We had good turnout this year and have good depth.”

Clear Lake and Kelseyville will rely on their Wing-T offenses to keep them in games.

“I feel like we are moving in the right direction,” Larsen said. “I am optimistic about the season.”

St. Vincent, which played in the NCL I in the mid-2000s, is dealing with a lack of depth. But veteran coach Gary Galloway has fielded teams that gave NCL I opponents tough battles in previous years, a positive bellwether for the Mustangs.

“St. Vincent gave us a great game a couple of years ago,” Farrell said. “Gary is a great coach and he will have his kids prepared.”

The wild cards of the league are Cloverdale and Willits, both of which are breaking in new coaches and new systems.

“Both Willits and Cloverdale had quality JV teams last year with quality athletes,” Perkins said. “Either one of those teams could surprise because they are a bit of an unknown. The league will be overall stronger than last year.”

The fun starts Friday as Fort Bragg travels to play Division 3 heavyweight Eureka to start off the non-league season for the Timberwolves, who will be big underdogs.

“As long as we are competitive there are no negatives playing at Eureka. We needed a challenge on the road before we play in league,” Perkins said. “We are ready to defend our championship. We set the bar high and we are going to do everything to achieve it.”