When a team enjoys a championship season, we often remember the game followed by the postgame celebration but we often forget the journey. In 1999, the Calistoga High football team won the CIF North Coast Section Class B title for its first Section crown since 1978. Before it could accomplish that feat, however, the Wildcats had to clear three significant hurdles in a matter of as many weeks. Calistoga needed to beat Upper Lake on the road, Tomales at home and a to be determined opponent in the first round of the NCS Class B playoffs. That foe wound up being Anderson Valley, which Calistoga beat 20-2. Tomales, meanwhile, beat the Wildcats 25-0 in the previous year’s NCS Class B title game.
Calistoga would go on to complete its journey in 1999 by defeating the St. Bernard (Eureka) Crusaders but its 30-19 road win over Upper Lake was also a crucial step in that direction.
Setting the stage: The Wildcats entered the game 5-2 but with one of those losses being a 7-6 setback to North Central League II foe Middletown, Calistoga was out of mulligans. What was unique about this era of Wildcats’ football was their work ethic, commitment and mental toughness. Heading into the 1999 campaign, every mile the Wildcats ran and every hour spent in the weight-room came with one thing in mind -- win the NCS Class B title that eluded them the previous season.
This Wildcats team had both vocal and “lead by example” of leadership. The one that personified the latter more so than anyone was Juan Mora, who anchored the offensive line at the center position and was also a solid defensive player. What I remember most about the pregame was that as the team was going through its stretches, the intensity was lacking. Mora shouted, “Come on, guys! I didn’t come all the way up here to lose!”
Though the game was played in early November, the weather in the Northern Lake County town was closer to summer time with temperatures approaching 90 degrees.
Thumbnail sketch of the game: The biggest play of the game was not a scoring play, nor did it lead to a score. However, it subdued the Cougars momentum. Calistoga had built a 23-0 lead at halftime but went scoreless in the third quarter while Upper Lake cut into the lead with two touchdowns, both touchdown passes from quarterback Daniel Gonzalez to Kelly Summers, who had 168 yards receiving on seven catches.
With Calistoga still clinging to a 23-13 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Upper Lake was on the move but safety Mike Batdorf’s 61-yard interception return to the Upper Lake 25. Though the Wildcats did not convert that takeway into a score, it changed field position and kept the Cougars momentum at bay. Calistoga clinched the victory with 2:27 left in the contest when Ben Alfaro scored on a 2-yard run to give the Wildcats a 30-13 lead.
Alfaro and backfield-mate Ernesto Marron combined for 35 carries for 187 yards and three touchdowns.
After the game, the team huddled with head coach Dan Conner addressing the team followed by assistant coaches Frank Giammona and Travis Bounsall. Shortly thereafter, quarterback Jake Blakeley said to the team, “Guys, we owe Tomales after last year.”
What it meant: Watching the game unfold, you never thought Calistoga was in danger of losing but without Batdorf’s aforementioned interception return, things would have gotten interesting.
Though it’s easy to remember the championship postgame celebration that would take place four weeks later, it is also important to remember that with this win over Upper Lake and the 36-31 win over Tomales one week later, there is no 22-18 win over St. Bernard.
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