KELSEYVILLE, Calif. — The Knights of Kelseyville High School will be gunning to dethrone the defending Bass Bowl Champion Clear Lake Cardinals this Friday night starting at 7:30 p.m. at Kelseyville High School Stadium in the 11th annual Bass Bowl.

Kelseyville holds a commanding lead in the series, 7 to 3, while Clear Lake is looking to win its second Bass Bowl in a row.

The visiting Cardinals will enter the game with two wins and one loss and are averaging nearly 21 points per game while giving up just 12.

The home team Knights bring a 0-3 record, and have been struggling so far this season, getting routed in each of their first 3 games.

The Cardinals will be clear favorites to keep the Bass Bowl trophy in Lakeport in spite of playing on the Knights’ home turf.

But historically, all bets are off in this heated rivalry, as the Knights will not roll over to their rivals and likely play their best game of the year.

The Bass Bowl trophy will be brought to the game by the Cardinals, and it will go home with the winning team.

It has resided at Clear Lake High for the last two years, after the Cardinals won it in 2019 by beating Kelseyville 37-30.

There were no games played last year due to COVID-19.

The trophy sits on a totem pole that has the team mascots carved into it. The scores and victors of every Bass Bowl is plated onto the trophy itself.

The first ever Bass Bowl was played in 2010, with Kelseyville winning the inaugural game 34-20.

The next two Bass Bowls were won by Clear Lake, followed by Kelseyville winning the next six games in a row, a streak broken with the last game played in 2019.

The Bass Bowl was recognized in the book “The Dirty 30: America’s 30 Greatest High School Rivalries” by Tom Ward.

The section on the Bass Bowl is entitled “Kiss My Bass,” which the author acknowledges is one of the book's best chapters.

Local realty company Country Air Properties has sponsored the Bass Bowl every year since its inception, and this year they will be awarding the winning team $500 to help with equipment and travel expenses.

General admission is $5 and $3 for children. Tickets are still available, but it is advisable to get there early as it should be a full house.

Fans of both schools are encouraged to attend and wear their team colors: black and cardinal red for the Cardinals, and black and orange for the Knights.