MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – On Saturday, Sept. 12, as the Valley fire roared toward Middletown and with smoke already a dominant backdrop, the Middletown High School Lady Mustangs were hosting the Saint Bernard’s Academy Crusaders of Eureka in a non-league soccer matchup.

The match was suspended midway through the second half as the fire approached Middletown.

Nearby, tankers laid down a barrier of fire retardant which likely saved the schools and much of Middletown’s commercial sector.

On Oct. 3, representatives of Saint Bernard’s Academy and the Eureka community arrived to present the Middletown team members with gift bags, cash and hugs.

Mustang players who lost their homes were gifted with $350 cash, bedding and other much-needed items.

Similar efforts are under way by various teams in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino counties to support the student-athletes and families, many of whom simply lost everything.