When we revisit games that took place years and decades ago, we often think of close games that were decided on the last possession. However, games do not always need to have such ramifications to be remembered. In fact, there are times when a great individual performance makes you remember a game.
One such high school football game that I come back to is a contest that took place on Oct. 27, 2001. On that day, the Bethel (Vallejo) Jaguars defeated the Vintage (Napa) Crushers 59-38 at Corbus Field in which running back Dallas Bernstine rushed for a Northern California record 553 yards on 21 carries and five touchdowns. The previous record (350 yards) was set by the late Tonnell Grant of Wood (Vacaville) in 1998. Bernstine’s performance was the second best in California history behind Ronney Jenkins’ 619 yards in 1995 for Oxnard High and at the time, the eighth best nationally. Jenkins went on to play in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers.
Setting the Stage: It was Week 8 of the regular season. The Monticello Empire League had eight teams and four playoff berths. Both teams entered the game 3-3. Vintage was reeling from losses of 45-10 and 46-7 to Vallejo and Fairfield respectively. Bethel had lost to intracity rival Vallejo 35-14 one week earlier.
Vintage High opened in 1968 and was the established school. Bethel opened its doors in 1998 and was the new kid on the block. The MEL had four allotted playoff spots. Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville were the top three teams in the league that season. In which case, this contest between Bethel and Vintage would amount to an elimination game.
The previous season, Vintage had one of the best turnaround seasons one will witness under head coach Les Franco, who returned to coaching after an 11-year absence. Vintage went from 2-7-1 in 1999 to 8-3 in 2000. Bethel went 2-8 in 2000 in its first season as a varsity program but 2001 was its first campaign with seniors. The Jaguars would also get a boost with the arrival of Vallejo High transfers Dallas Bernstine and Andrew Green.
Thumbnail sketch of the game: Watching the game unfold on the opening possession, you knew it would be a long day for Vintage, which entered the game with a defensive line already thin on depth because of injuries. Bernstine’s 76-yard run gave the Jaguars a first-and-goal at the Vintage 7 to set up a Victor Reyes touchdown. Bernstine later scored touchdowns of 78, 23, 67, 72 and 60 yards. He also started that game at safety.
What was even more amazing about Bernstine’s performance was that they were in no way padded yards that took place in a blowout. Bethel needed all of those yards to secure the win. The Jaguars took a 32-0 lead midway through the second quarter before Vintage pulled within 52-38 with two minutes left in the game. Granted, Bethel was never in danger of losing but the game got close enough to where it was not signed, sealed and delivered.
Another subplot to this game was that it took place two years before Fieldturf, which has become commonplace at many high schools, was installed at Corbus Field. Especially in its later years, the grass field at Corbus had so many divots you would have thought a bunch of sand wedge shots took place there.
What it meant: In my 18 years of sports journalism, it’s hard for me to rank athletes but I definitely put Bernstine in a very select category. Jeff Turner is the only football head coach that Bethel has known and while the Jaguars came up short in their only appearance in a Sac-Joaquin Section title game (2007), the program has been a consistent playoff participant.
However, I point to the arrival of Bernstine that put the program on the radar. Bethel lost to Vacaville one week later, 65-54, and beat what was a winless Benicia team 46-14 on a Thursday night to improve to 6-4. Bethel, however, needed a Fairfield win over Armijo to secure a playoff berth. The Jags had lost to Armijo 21-14 earlier in the season. Bethel got the help it needed with Fairfield beating Armijo 26-7.
The reward? An all expenses paid trip to perennial power Elk Grove. Bethel got behind 22-0 before falling short 22-15 to a Thundering Herd team that would go on to win the SJS D-I title. More on that game in a separate Time Machine blog.
Vintage would rebound to beat Benicia (51-6) and Napa (21-16) to finish 5-5 but out of the playoffs.
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