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- Written by: Rich Mellott
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Trying to evaluate a football team on the basis of its first couple of games can be tricky business – even when you’re coaching that team.
That’s why a lot of coaches wait two or three weeks before venturing an educated guess about how good – or not so good – their football team is. Or is likely to become.
Clear Lake High assistant coach Mike Hansen believes it might even take a little longer.
“When we get into league play, we’ll get more of a sense of how good the teams are, and how we’ll match up with them,” Hansen said following Clear Lake’s 48-0 victory over Stellar Prep of Hayward in the Cards’ home opener Friday night.
Two games into the season, it appears safe to say a couple of things about the 2012 Cardinals, who’ll take a 1-1 record into next week’s game at home against South Fork: They seem to be progressing nicely, which is what inexperienced teams like the Cards are expected to do to be successful.
Also, they’re obviously capable of surprising people – opponents, prognosticators, maybe some of their fans. Who knows? Maybe a couple of their own coaches.
After a tough loss to what looked like a solid Div. III team, Durham, 27-20, in last week’s opener, the Div. IV Cards bounced back Friday and did what good teams do – dominate inferior opponents.
Clear Lake’s offense rolled methodically and efficiently for 260 yards, including 209 on the ground.
The defense, meanwhile, held The Thunder to a net 53 yards (when you include the minus 36 yards from five quarterback sacks).
“We took control early and we stayed in control,” said Hansen, the longtime Milo Meyer assistant who coaches the running backs and linebackers.
The Cards built a 14-0 first-quarter lead and extended it to 27-0 at the half as Luke Punzalan rushed for two touchdowns and quarterback Kenny Henninger threw for two (9 yards to David Mansell and 12 yards to Rone O’Rourke). The defense also scored on a safety.
“We really had good field position in the first half,” Hansen said. “They fumbled a couple of times, we kept the pressure on, and we got a good punt return from Mansell.”
Vince Rave, who joined the team this week, assumed most of the running duties in the second half and ended up leading Cardinal rushers wth 82 yards in 14 carries and a touchdown.
Andre Buendia added 48 yards as well as returning a kick 58 yards to set up an early Punzalan score.
A lot of different players contributed. Henninger, who tossed a couple of interceptions last week, was much more efficient in his second varsity start, completing 4 of 6 passes for 60 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 35 yards in seven carries.
Mansell caught two passes for 27 yards, gained some good yards on a couple of punt returns, and had a strong performance at his defensive back position.
Lineman Josh Larsen was solid again and had a sack. Julian Lewis had two sacks and Cory Banfil had one.
“We really didn’t know how good they were,” Hansen said of the Hayward team that will compete in the NCL II/Bay Football League. “We knew they were a bunch of sophomores and we knew they were bigger than us, and probably had more team speed. And we knew they scored a lot of points (in a 52-26 win) against Stone Ridge Christian.”
On paper, and according to the MaxPreps computer, it looked like a decent matchup.
The Cardinal coaches hadn’t seen any video of the team, so they had to rely on what other coaches had told them, ones who had played against them or at least had seen them play.
But what kind of team is Stone Ridge Christian? Or how about Mendota, which defeated The Thunder, 48-14, in their season opener.
As it turned out, “I think we matched up with them with our quickness better than we thought we would,” Hansen said.
Email Rich Mellott at
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – With continued firing operations on the 16 Complex and the outbreak of the Scotts Fire on Friday, Lake County residents saw another influx of smoke and haze in the air basin.
Lake County Air Quality Management reported that air quality conditions were good much of Friday, with several hours of significant smoke intrusion midday.
The Clearlake and Northshore areas experienced more significant degradation of air quality on Friday. The district reported that levels of ozone and particulate were elevated, but did not exceed state health-based air quality standards, though some areas may have experienced significantly higher levels.
Air Pollution Control Officer Doug Gearhart said the prediction for the weekend is for “moderate “ to “unhealthy” air quality in Lake County. All areas of the County may be significantly impacted should
meteorological conditions worsen.
Wind forecasts for the weekend include periods of North and Northwest winds which would result in
potentially significant air quality degradation from the Scotts Fire, Gearhart said.
Smoke impacts are most likely to occur overnight, Saturday afternoon through Sunday, depending on the progress of the firefighting efforts, Gearhart reported.
At times this weekend, areas of the county could experience “hazardous” air quality levels as smoke settles into the basin, he said.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Although it again showed significant growth on Friday, a wildland fire complex burning in Colusa and Yolo counties is expected to be fully contained by Monday.
The two-fire 16 Complex, burning since Tuesday in the Rumsey Canyon off of Highway 16, burned more than 4,200 acres on Friday, rising to approximately 16,719 acres burned, according to Cal Fire. The incident was 35 percent contained.
Approximately 1,467 personnel, 71 fire engines, 52 fire crews, 21 bulldozers, 10 helicopters and three airtankers were assigned to the incident on Friday, according to Cal Fire.
Six structures have been damaged by the fire, but none destroyed, Cal Fire reported.
Firing operations to get fuel out of the fires’ path continued on Friday, which led to more smoke in some areas of Lake County. Cal Fire said if the firing operations succeed, additional fire spread will be minimal.
Highway 16 from Highway 20 to the town of Rumsey remained closed, with Cal Fire reporting the possibility of a closure or restricted traffic on Highway 20 if the fire reached it.
An advisory evacuation remained in effect for the Cortina Rancheria area, Cal Fire said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
NORTH COAST, Calif. – A two-fire complex burning for the last three weeks in northern Mendocino County are nearing full containment.
The North Pass Fire, caused by lightning in the Williams Valley 10 miles northeast of Covelo on Saturday, Aug. 18, remained at a total of 41,983 acres on Friday, with containment at 76 percent.
Based on updated damage assessments, eight residences and 18 outbuildings have been destroyed to date, according to a report from the unified command of Cal Fire and the US Forest Service. Nine injuries also have occurred.
Assigned personnel were reduced to 685 on Friday, with 11 engines, 11 fire crews, one airtanker, six helicopters, five bulldozers and 24 water tenders also remaining on scene.
Officials said fire suppression repair has been ongoing for several days and will continue after full containment, which is expected on Monday, Sept. 10.
The repair work includes water bars within constructed fire line to prevent soil erosion, chipping of brush piles, repair of drainages and roads, and removal of hazardous trees.
The Forest Service said new fire starts have occurred on state land south of the main incident and smoke is still settling in the Covelo area.
Closures still remain in effect for areas of Indian Dick Road (Forest Road M-1) and Mendocino Pass Road (Forest Highway 7), with roads in the area to remain closed until hazards are removed and fire crews leave, officials reported.
The US Forest Service said the Covelo Ranger District north of Mendocino Pass Road to the Six Rivers and Shasta-Trinity National Forest boundaries also remains under a closure order.
Email Elizabeth Larson at