LAKE CONTY — Six out of eight Lake County high school fall sports soccer teams are advancing to the North Coast Section playoffs, which get under way Wednesday.
Upper Lake High School's undefeated girls soccer team (22-0-2) landed the No. 1 seed in the Division 3 playoffs, which includes only four teams. Upper Lake draws No. 4 seed Ferndale (4-8-3) in the semifinals Wednesday night at Upper Lake. The other Wednesday semifinal has defending Division 3 champion St. Bernard (5-5-3) of Eureka home against Mendocino (10-2-2).
Semifinal winners advance to the Division 3 championship game either Friday or Saturday at a location and time to be determined. Upper Lake would host the finals provided it beats Ferndale on Wednesday.
A year ago, St. Bernard's defeated top-seeded Upper Lake 5-2 at Upper Lake for the sectional championship, a game in which the Cougars were without their top player, injured Karlee Zimmerschied.
Advancing along with the Upper Lake girls to the sectional playoffs are the Middletown and Clear Lake girls, co-champions in the North Central League I, in the Division 1 tournament. Both teams have first-round byes Wednesday and will play either Friday or Saturday in the quarterfinals. Middletown (10-3), the No. 4 seed, hosts No. 5 McKinleyville (12-7-1) while Clear Lake (8-4-1), the No. 6 seed, hits the road to play No. 3 seed Arcata (7-4-2).
Among the county's boys teams, NCL I champion Middletown (10-3) is home Wednesday at 7 p.m. to play Fort Bragg (5-11), a team it has already beaten twice in league play, in a first-round game in the Division 1 playoffs. No. 10 seed Lower Lake (5-3), second in the NCL I standings this season, is on the road Wednesday to play No. 7 Del Norte (7-4-1) in Crescent City beginning at 3:30 p.m.
In the Division 2 playoffs, No. 12 seed Upper Lake (7-13-1) travels to San Francisco's Kezar Stadium to play No. 5 International of San Francisco in a first-round game.
Division 1 girls
There are only nine teams participating in the Division 1 playoffs. The only first-round game Wednesday has No. 9 Del Norte at No. 8 Fort Bragg, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals Friday or Saturday against No. 1 seed Eureka (12-0-1).
If Middletown beats McKinleyville in the quarterfinals, it could end up facing Eureka in the semifinals on Nov. 9.
No. 2 seed Credo (15-1-2), the runner-up in the NCL II this season behind Upper Lake, is the highest seed on Clear Lake's side of the Division 1 bracket. Credo draws No. 7 seed Fortuna in a quarterfinal-round match either Friday or Saturday.
Division 3 girls
Upper Lake is just two wins away from completing an undefeated season under head coach Daniella Santana, that after going 10-0-2 in league play and 22-0-2 for the regular season, including wins over Clear Lake and Middletown.
Division 1 boys
Head-Royce (13-3-2) of Oakland is the top seed in the Division 1 boys field.
If Middletown beats Fort Bragg for a third time this season in opening-round action Wednesday, the Mustangs play No. 3 seed Making Waves Academy (14-2-2) of Richmond in the quarterfinals Friday or Saturday. Making Waves Academy has a first-round bye.
Awaiting the Lower Lake-Del Norte winner is No. 2 seed Arcata (15-0-3).
Division 2 boys
The Upper Lake-International winner advances to the quarterfinals Friday or Saturday against No. 4 seed Calistoga (13-3-2).
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