NCL football preview: Can Middletown repeat as section champions?

Among all the teams in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties that played high school football last year, the last one left standing was from the North Central League I - the Middletown Mustangs, winners of the North Coast Section Division 5 title.

Last year's league standings tell you that the Mustangs aren't exactly in position to run away with things any time soon. It was the Kelseyville Knights who were atop those standings a year ago with a 7-0 record, and Middletown was in a tie with Fort Bragg at 5-2.

In fact, the Mustangs had to go through local independent team St. Vincent of Petaluma, Fort Bragg and Kelseyville to reach the finale, where they beat Salesian College Preparatory to win the school's first football title since 2001.

Parity is in play for the 2019 football season in the NCL I, and the eight teams in that league are just part of the Coastal Mountain Conference's contingent of small schools competing in football, including the NCL II and NCL III eight-man football leagues, this season.

For Middletown, the quest to defend their section title begins with a tough nonleague schedule, starting with Napa of the Vine Valley Athletic League - a team that struggled in the first year of that league last year but comes from a high school with an enrollment of about 1,900, compared to Middletown at about 500.

Middletown may be handing the keys to the car over to a first-year quarterback in Isaac Perez, but the senior has already earned the respect of teammates who praise the composure and intellect he showed in spring practice and in summer passing league.

“Isaac is smart. He's clever,” said senior lineman James Hernandez. “The first week of football practice last year, we weren't able to go on ‘two.' Isaac is making red calls, he's making things work that shouldn't work. We are already leaps and bounds ahead of where we were last year.”

But if last year is any indication, Middletown's progress just means they'll be in the hunt again in the tough NCL I.

Meanwhile, the St. Vincent Mustangs will be playing their last season as a “freelance” team, joining the North Bay League with much larger schools next school year. The Mustangs are big on the lines with LB-OL Giovanni Antonini and OL-DL Giovanni Vaca among the returning seniors.

Underclassmen who earned all-league honors last year in NCL I include Kelseyville RB/LB Robert Chavez, the NCL I defensive player of the year, as well as St. Helena running back Cody DiTomaso; receiver Nico Barrio, lineman James Hernandez, defensive lineman Jared Pyzer and linebacker Dillon Tingle of Middletown; lineman Roman Navarro and linebacker Chase Larsen of Kelseyville; lineman Dion Brewster-Ramirez of Clear Lake; quarterback Shayne Turner of Cloverdale; defensive back Jullian Clavelle of Fort Bragg; and receiver Jacob Arms and defensive lineman Hunter Ford of Willits.

Underclassmen from the 8-man NCL II and III leagues who earned all-league honors last year included Calistoga's Christian Caldera; Izzy Lopez from Roseland Collegiate Prep; Hank Nevarez of Upper Lake; Levi Bowes, Lewis Mota, Buster Christensen and Anthony Freeman of Round Valley; and Bradley Sneathen and Russell Gordan of Upper Lake.

Here's a brief look at the Coastal Mountain Conference schools playing football this season in the NCL I, freelance, NCL II and NCL III leagues this season:

NCL I

Clear Lake Cardinals

Coach: Mark Cory

2018 record: 2-8, 2-5

Cloverdale Eagles

Coach: Greg Alexander

2018 record: 7-5, 4-3

Fort Bragg Timberwolves

Coach: Roy Perkins

2018 record: 7-5, 5-2

Kelseyville Knights

Coach: Erick Larsen

2018 record: 10-2, 7-0

Lower Lake Trojans

Coach: Jay Jakubowski

2018 record: 2-8, 0-7

Middletown Mustangs

Coach: Bill Foltmer

2018 record: 11-3, 5-2

St. Helena Saints

Coach: Brandon Farrell

2018 record: 7-5, 4-3

Willits Wolverines

Coach: Brandon Norbury

2018 record: 2-9, 1-6

FREELANCE

St. Vincent Mustangs

Coach: Trent Herzog

2018 record: 6-5

8-MAN NCL II

Calistoga Wildcats

Coach: Jim Klaczak

2018 record: 6-4, 2-3

Roseland Collegiate Prep Grizzlies

Coach: Javier Isais

2018 record: 0-9, 0-5

Tomales Braves

Coach: Dominic Sacheli

2018 record: 5-5, 2-3

8-MAN NCL III

Laytonville Warriors

Coach: Corey James

2018 record: DNF

Potter Valley Bearcats

Coach: Jeff Adams

2018 record: DNF

Round Valley Mustangs

Coach: Ardie Eleck

2018 record: 1-6, 0-3

Upper Lake Cougars

Coach: Vince Moran

2018 record: 4-8, 3-1