To admire an accomplishment means to appreciate the
journey. If you followed Calistoga High football in the 1990s, you experienced
the highest of highs and lowest of lows.
The team’s 22-18 win over the St. Bernard (Eureka)
Crusaders at St. Helena High two days after Thanksgiving in 1999 for the CIF
North Coast section Class B title was a representation of that journey. The
team was knocked to the canvas early but rose off the deck for a triumphant
victory, marking the Wildcats first section title in football since 1978.
Setting
the stage: The program had fallen on hard times from 1992-1995 before Dan
Conner took over as head coach in 1996. Conner had been the Wildcats head coach
from 1974-1977 and was also an assistant coach for several seasons. Conner infused
a phrase known as “Restore the Roar.” Calistoga reached the NCS Class B
playoffs in 1996 and 1997 only to get ousted in the first round by St. Bernard
(Eureka) and Ferndale respectively.
In 1998, the Wildcats
went 8-2 in the regular season and would get yet another four-hour bus-ride to
Humboldt County for the third straight postseason. This time against St.
Bernard, which ended Calistoga’s 1996 season with a 29-14 loss. In 1998,
however, Calistoga upset St. Bernard 14-6 to reach the NCS Class B title game,
only to get whitewashed 25-0 against Tomales.
The Wildcats would
return 17-of-23 starters in 1999. Every mile they ran, every hour they spent in
the weight-room was focused on completing unfinished business from the previous
season. Calistoga would also move up from the North Central League III to the
NCL II. The Wildcats went 24-8-1 in NCL III and 9-2 one year later in NCL II.
Calistoga also went 2-1 against NCL I clubs that season.
Thumbnail sketch of the game: St. Bernard took a 12-0 lead as running back
Dustin Echevaria scored on a 69-yard touchdown run and quarterback Alton
Tomlin’s 1-yard run.
Calistoga closed the
gap to 12-8 on Ernesto Marron’s 68-yard touchdown run with Loren Brown, Juan
Mora and Adrian Orozco opening up the hole. Ben Alfaro added the two-point
conversion.
The Crusaders then
went in front 18-8 as Echevaria scored on a 79-yard run on a draw play with
1:21 left in the first half. The game was looking like shades of the previous
season’s title game loss to Tomales.
St. Bernard, however,
would not score the rest of the night. Late in the third quarter, Calistoga
faced fourth-and-goal at the St. Bernard 1-yard line. Conner did not hesitate,
he kept the offense on the field. Alfaro scored on a 1-yard run off-tackle with
Mike McCloskey and Randy Tscharner leading the way. Alfaro added the two-point
conversion, making it 18-16 St. Bernard.
Calistoga took the
lead with 8:56 left in the contest. Facing second-and-15 from the Crusader 16,
quarterback Jake Blakeley fired pass toward Tscharner, who climbed the
imaginary ladder to haul in the pass at the goal-line for the touchdown. The
two-point conversion was no good, putting Calistoga in front 22-18.
What I remember most
about that drive was Marron’s 15-yard run. However, it was not just any 15-yard
run. I remember him bouncing the run outside the tackles toward the sideline
with St. Bernard defensive back Jeffrey Prudomme in his sights. Marron’s eyes
looked like they were bulging out of his head and he barreled into Prudomme
near the Calistoga sideline. Just seeing the emotion on the Calistoga sideline
gave one the belief this was the Wildcats’ night.
Calistoga looked
poised to ice the game when recovering an Alfaro blocked punt at the St.
Bernard 15 but Marron’s fumble gave the Crusaders’ possession and new life with
just under four minutes left in the game.
On second-and-17,
Tomlin connected with Echevaria for a 49-yard aerial to the Calistoga 35. The
Crusaders then faced fourth-and-18 from the Calistoga 43, Tomlin threw a long
pass down the right sideline toward Prudomme. Thanks to hearing footsteps from
Drew Bohan and Alfaro, the pass landed incomplete.
The Wildcats later
completed the dream “victory” formation.
What it meant: Despite its peaks and valleys since the turn
of the century, Calistoga football has reached the postseason five times in
nine seasons since 2006 (twice each under Mike Ervin and Paul Harrell).
However, this victory in 1999 was the Wildcats’ last postseason win.
Games and seasons like
this, illustrate how much high school football success means in a small community
like Calistoga because there is only one high school. Years like this one also
illustrate that when you have a mixture of talent, coaching and team chemistry,
it behooves you to take advantage of your window of opportunity.
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