There are certain games that while the team performance was impressive, you remember it as much, if not more, for the individual efforts. On Week 2 of the 2004 high school football season, St. Helena’s Robert Covey rushed 29 times for 266 yards and five touchdowns in his team’s 48-26 win over the Salesian (Richmond) Chieftains, who have since been renamed to the Pride. Though St. Helena has gone on to enormous success under current head coach Brandon Farrell, specifically from 2011-present, the Saints 2004 team was also a special one that should not be forgotten.
Covey’s numbers broke Tom Blanchfield record for yardage in a single game, which stood since 1960. Blanchfield was inducted as a member of the first class of the newly established St. Helena High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013. Covey’s record stood for nine years until Sebastian Segura eclipsed the mark in a playoff game against Kelseyville, going for 270 yards. Segura, who ran for 1,710 yards that season, also broke Covey’s single-season yardage mark that year as well. Covey rushed for 1,610 yards in 2004.
Setting the scene: St. Helena’s 1998 senior-laden team enjoyed a 9-2 season, one of the best in school history. From 2000-2003, however, the Saints struggled to a 12-29 record and had three coaching changes. That record, however, was somewhat inflated because of a 10-11 mark from ‘02-’03 under Bryan Powell. That mark is also considered a disappointment by most Saints fans based on the talent they had returning such as J.J. Warren, Nick Wignall, Sean Boswell and Lance Zepeda to name few.
In May 2004, Powell resigned and Iain MacMillan took over two months later after going 38-12 in five years as Justin-Siena’s head coach including a 26-game winning streak. When MacMillan was hired, there was skepticism about his age (25 at the time) and coming from Justin. At that time, St. Helena and Justin still had elements of a rivalry because of their days in the now defunct Superior California Athletic League from 1986-2000.
MacMillan brought a young and dynamic coaching staff with him that included Mike McNamara and Chris Yepson. MacMillan also brought with him the Houston Split Back veer that Rich Cotruvo brought to Justin beginning in 1997 along with the 3-4 defense that he learned from Braves defensive coordinator Steve Vargas. In 2004, the Saints went 9-2 including a 21-18 win at Middletown.
That St. Helena team was senior heavy and the next season the roster would turn over very heavily but was led by twins Luke and Eddie McMullen. I will always remember that duo because while they may not have been the most talented players they had great intangibles highlighted by their work ethic.
MacMillan decided to make yet another key maneuver. He moved Robert Covey from offensive tackle to running back. Salesian had a dynamic athlete of its own in Jahvid Best, who went on to play at the University of California followed by a brief NFL stint with the Detroit Lions.
One week earlier, St. Helena shut out Delta (Clarksburg) 20-0 in MacMillan’s debut. Could the Saints make it two in a row against an always athletic Salesian team?
Thumbnail sketch of the game: Salesian had its early momentum curtailed when Best’s 73-yard run was nullified by a holding penalty which would have given his team a 7-0 lead. However, given that Salesian had no answer for Covey, it likely would not have mattered. Covey scored on runs of 58, 5, 8, 27 and 9 yards behind the offensive line of Alex Lapuyade, Ross Bentley, Scott Dale, Alex Wignall, Patrick McCreary and tight end Carlo Trinchero. Two weeks later, MacMillan moved Trinchero to running back to be paired with Covey. Trinchero had a tremendous season on the defensive side at linebacker earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in the NCL I, all-Napa County team and on the Redwood Empire team.
Salesian would cut the lead to 21-14 early in the second quarter but got no closer. What I remember most about this game was that at halftime, I was conversing with the referee. His response to me was, “I heard the quarterback (Luke McMullen) say ‘16-veer’ 10 straight plays.” It was a prime example of Salesian knew what was coming but still had no answer.
What it meant: The Saints went on to go 9-2 that season with the lone losses being to eventual NCL I champion Willits (12-6) and a playoff loss to John Swett (24-14). This game undoubtedly helped St. Helena enjoy the season it wound up having.
St. Helena also scored another signature win that season in defeating Middletown. That game will be revisited at a later date on this blog.
The Saints’ roster turned over drastically as 2004 was a senior dominated club. The Saints went 5-5 the following season and then went 7-4 to win the NCL I South title in 2006, the first league crown since the 1978 campaign. MacMillan resigned after 2006 and was replaced by Dave Collinsworth. The Saints went 2-8 in his lone season before landing current head coach Brandon Farrell. St. Helena has gone 57-22 in Farrell’s time as head coach, including 43-5 since 2011.
The two programs have also developed more chapters in this matchup since this game that will also be revisited on this blog.
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