Time Out with Vintage High football head coach Dylan Leach

Vince D’Adamo: What is the No. 1 thing that keeps you coming back to coaching every season?

Dylan Leach: Very tough question because there are so many reasons. What comes to mind first is the relationships with student athletes and the opportunity to be a positive influence on their lives. Also the camaraderie between myself and the coaching and support staff. But to narrow it down to one thing, I would have to say the "game of football" itself. This is an amazing game that emulates life in so many ways. It teaches accountability, responsibility, discipline, relationship building, trust, staying calm under pressure, physical fitness, etc. I could go on and on. Also, it gives me an opportunity to compete at a high level matching wits and skills without the physicality.

D’Adamo: Beyond wins and losses, what is your vision for the Vintage High football program?

Leach: My vision for the Vintage High Football program has so many levels. First and foremost, my vision involves creating a program where the community of Napa benefits from having great young men as student athletes represent them. Including doing a better job as students in the classroom on not only the educational curriculum but also in leadership roles, leading by example, and respect for authority. We preach to the kids all the time about being part of the solution and never the problems. In addition, creating opportunities for the young men in our program to interact and give back to the community by volunteering in outreach programs and helping those in need. By concentrating on the above mentioned duties, We will create better citizens, fathers, husbands, and community leaders.

Furthermore, my vision for the Vintage High football program includes a major overhaul of the facilities and equipment used by our student athletes.  Beyond the initial overhaul (new team rooms, training rooms, paint, branding, sleds, pads, etc.) is the responsibility and accountability of maintaining our equipment. By keeping things clean, maintained, and put away daily in the designated spots we will teach these young men and women an important lesson that will undoubtedly translate into their home lives in the form of keeping rooms clean, organizing and putting things away, and maintaining a "routine."

On the field, my vision is to create an environment that is hard working, smart (efficient) working, discipline, respectful, and fun to be apart of.  It is my job to put the staff and kids in a position to succeed. X's and O's, and having great athletes can go a long way in football but without the mentioned attributes of a program you will never succeed on a consistent basis.

D’Adamo: You had a chance to coach with both Les Franco and Troy Mott, two historically successful coaches in Napa Valley high school football history, what common denominator did you learn from both?

Their are so many traits that both Coach Franco, Coach Mott, and myself share in common. What comes to mind first is the passion these coaches have for the game of football and to teach it passionately. You can hear it in their voice, tone, and mannerisms when they teach. I used to love watching Coach Franco turn his hat backwards and demonstrate to a player a perfect blocking technique like it was the most exciting thing in the world. Another similarity between us all is the will to prepare to win.  I don't know a player or coach who does not "want" to win on Friday nights at Memorial Stadium, but few possess the "will to prepare" to win as Coach Franco and Coach Mott have. In addition, Coach Franco and Coach Mott are not  afraid of competition. I feel many players in this generation are afraid to compete. WIN the position, WIN the drill, WIN the wind sprint, WIN in the weight room, WIN WIN WIN....and in order to do so, you have to compete to the best of your abilities. Just look at any preseason schedule of any Coach Franco and Coach Mott coached teams and you will see they want to compete themselves against the best programs (coaches) and have their kids compete against the best players in those programs. This is something we will have to address moving forward. Vintage High School football will not back down from competing against the best. I have a running joke with my players. If I play a game of Connect Four against my 8 year old daughter Emerson. I'm trying to whoop her butt (doesn't always happen). I feel I already had the traits mentioned above before working with Coach Franco and Coach Mott but they validated my reasoning.  However, the biggest thing I learned from both men is their conviction to principle and what they felt is right. These two great coaches do not waiver from their conviction and the winning formula they have and I am forever grateful to have shared the sideline with both men and learn this valuable lesson.

D’Adamo: Besides the Xs and Os of coaching, how important is it to be able to relate to kids?

Leach: I think relating with the kids is vitally important to running a successful program at the high school level. However, I don't want to confuse people about the way coaches should relate to their kids. It does not mean we have to know or understand "their" slang, music, social media terms or what not. Our players run from 13 to 18 year old young men whose minds are still developing and are learning how to become men, function in society, treat peers, etc. In many cases, they learn from "our" (coaches) examples, whether physical or verbal.  As coaches, our job is to relate to the kids with the understanding we are teaching them life lessons. We are not their BFFs. There is a clear boundary of Coach to player, teacher to student, mentor to pupil, man to young man. As coaches, I feel the best we can do for our players is to get the them to communicate with us on our level, using adult vocabulary, appropriate delivery tone, respect, eye contact etc. that will translate to the real world. In my opinion and experience, this kind of relating to the players is what they actually crave and yearn for.  

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Leach: Everyone in my family has been extremely influential to me in my development as a man, teacher, mentor, and coach.  I feel my parents were (and are) very influential to me growing up. I learned how to love unconditionally from them and how to treat people fairly and with respect. I grew up with no prejudices and was taught that people’s character should determine the way I treated or acted towards them. My parents, Bill and Debbie both excel in people skills and I feel that was passed down to both my sisters and I. My sisters, Jenni and Kendra are both great educators and parents who were also very influential to me.  My wife, Stacie, over the last 12 plus years has been extremely influential for me.  She is extremely driven, a hard worker, self motivated, disciplined and organized.  She leads me by example in these areas and was one of the main reasons I have grown into who I am today.  Of course, now I have my nephew Manny, niece Denali, my own daughter Emerson and son Brix who influence me daily and make me work harder everyday.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Leach: The easiest question here is actually the hardest. So many to choose from.  First thought on instinct was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. A person could learn so much from him.  He was the ultimate teacher to me.  Reaching so many with his message. I obviously only have seen video clips of Dr. King but his calm disposition under such unjust and the passionate delivery in which he displayed his message is nothing short of amazing. In my opinion, Dr. King was one of the greatest leaders in history and his traits and teachings would surely benefit any who crossed his message. Then my football side kicked in. Chuck Noll and Bill Walsh would top that list. Both were leaders who mastered the physiological aspect of coaching groups of men into the ultimate of teams. Not to mention the best defensive and offensive minds in the history of football. Wouldn't it be awesome to sit down and learn the intricacies of the real West Coast offense, the simplicity of deception and the short passing game.  

Time machine: Katie Layne (Hogan High/University of Wisconsin pitcher)

There are pitchers and there are athletes who happen to be pitchers. There are also athletes who excel at being pitchers.

Hogan High School (Vallejo, CA) closed its doors at the conclusion of the 2010-2011 school year and has since become Hogan Middle School. Though most of my career as a sports reporter was spent in the Napa Valley, I enjoyed a two year stretch of covering the Vallejo and Benicia beats. In that time, I had the chance to see student-athletes that were special talents: DeMarcus Nelson, Bobby Gonzalez, Sheila Lerit, Lenci Landaker, Louie Puno, Dallas Bernstine and Victor Ferrante to name a few.

I would be incredibly and remarkably remiss not to mention 2001 Hogan High graduate Katie Layne. In all of my years covering high school softball, I would have to look long and hard to find a player than single-handedly elevated her team to greater heights such as Layne, who was inducted into the Vallejo Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Without Layne, the Spartans would have been hard-pressed to win one-third of their games. I don’t mean that as a slight against her teammates but I can remember numerous games that the Spartans would win 1-0, 2-1 or 3-0. Layne would strike out 12 batters on a bad day and as Hogan’s leadoff hitter, she would either kick-start a rally or drive in a run. Translation, Layne masked a lot of weaknesses.

Though Layne was known for her pitching prowess, it’s easy to forget just how valuable she was as a hitter. Layne was a four-time first-team all-Monticello Empire League selection and a two-time MEL MVP. Layne was a two-time all-state selection and among her career achievements was throwing a perfect game against Napa in which she struck out all 21 batters. Simply making contact against Layne was a victory. She not only threw hard but could change speeds.

The Spartans reached the Sac-Joaquin Section Playoffs twice in Layne's four seasons, all on varsity, the second time reaching the double-elimination portion of the postseason tournament.

In her illustrious career, Layne recorded 80 wins and 1,539 strikeouts, among the career leaders in California high school softball history.

Layne’s talents caught the attention of numerous colleges, including Notre Dame and Wisconsin. She eventually chose the latter, helping lead the Badgers to the NCAA Regionals in 2002 and 2003.

She finished her NCAA career in the top five in 10 pitching categories for the Badgers including fifth in career ERA (2.70) and career wins (37). Layne finished sixth in career shutouts (9). She also finished seventh in career complete games (40), career strikeouts (343), career walks per nine innings (2.42). She also finished eighth in career opponents batting average (.268).

What I remember most about Layne’s time at Hogan was that there many titanic pitching matchups between Layne and Fairfield High’s Alicia Hollowell. The latter went on to pitch at the University of Arizona. Since Hogan and Fairfield were members of the MEL, Layne and Hollowell would meet twice a year.

Besides Hollowell and Layne, Solano and Napa County also included two more with excellent pitching prowess -- Vanden’s Angelica Seldon and Vintage’s Ricci Robben. Seldon went on to UCLA while Robben, like Layne, went to Wisconsin.

Though it is easy to get caught up with athletic achievements, you also remember a person’s character. I know it sounds cliche but I remember covering a handful of Spartans games. She would always say hello to me and ask how I was doing. I find that quality noticeable because even the most grounded high school students can be self-centered.

Layne was the perfect mixture of confidence and humility. As amazing as her talent was, Layne was an even better person. As soon as you sang her praises, Layne would tell you how she could have been better.

Making the transition from high school to college is an enormous step, not only athletically but as it pertains to life. I remember Layne’s freshman year at Wisconsin, the Badgers were playing a tournament at Sacramento State. So I pitched (pun intended) the idea of doing a followup feature story to my sports editor, Brian Cornelius. He could not have been more on board with the idea.

Like many people making the transition, Layne dealt with the reality of going from high school, where she was head and shoulders above to peers to college, where everyone is your equal or superior.

Layne could not have handled the transition better.

Time machine: 2002 high school football playoffs: Del Campo at Bethel

The Jesse Bethel High (Vallejo) football program has experienced 10 CIF Sac Joaquin Section playoff appearances in 17 years of varsity football, winning six postseason games in that span. However, there is only one first time.

In November 2002, Bethel scored the first postseason football win in school history in defeating the Del Campo (Fair Oaks) Cougars at Corbus Field, 21-13. The Jaguars were led by an unlikely source -- running back Marlin Butler. The sophomore running back was pulled up from the JV team one week earlier. He spent this night taking handoffs from his brother, senior quarterback Maurice Butler. The younger Butler ran for 121 yards and a touchdown, receiving the game ball in the process.

Setting the stage: The Jaguars first varsity season was a 2-8 campaign in 2000 without any seniors. In 2001, Bethel went 6-5, sneaking into the SJS Div. I playoffs but nearly shocked the world by fighting eventual SJS Div. I champion Elk Grove tooth-and-nail before losing 22-15.

The Jaguars entered 2002 with the Monticello Empire League being split into MEL I and MEL II. Bethel was aligned with the latter. Suffice it say, the 2002 season were coming with high expectations. After a 2-0 start with wins over Oakland (50-0) and Ukiah (8-6), the Jaguars stumbled with a 21-20 loss in the MEL II opener against Armijo. That loss would significantly decrease Bethel’s margin for error as the MEL II, which had six teams but only two postseason berths, season continued.

For the regular season, Bethel would go 5-1-1 the rest of the way but 4-0 against MEL II teams. The lone loss was 27-14 setback against crosstown rival Vallejo and a 27-27 tie against Davis, both MEL I teams. The Jaguars won their remaining MEL II games (41-0 over Rodriguez; 27-3 over Vintage; 73-14 over Benicia; 34-8 over Hogan). Bethel also scored a 37-16 win over MEL I foe Will C. Wood (Vacaville). The most pivotal MEL II win was the triumph over Vintage, which took the second playoff spot out of the MEL II. Armijo, meanwhile, lost its last five games after a 5-0 start.

Del Campo finished the regular season 5-5 overall and 4-2 against Capital League competition, behind league champ Casa Roble (Orangevale), which finished 10-1. The Cougars’ 35-13 win over El Camino (Sacramento) in the regular-season finale allowed them to eke into the playoffs.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: For the first time all season, Dallas Bernstine, who rushed for 1,675 yards on the way to MEL II player of the year honors, did not score a touchdown.

It was the Jaguar defense, however, that proved to be the difference in the game. Bethel took a 7-0 lead into halftime thanks to a 1-yard touchdown run from Maurice Butler.

In the earlygoing of the third quarter, Del Campo quarterback tried to connect on a pass in the right flat but Bethel safety Ron Heywood picked it off and returned it 49 yards for a score, making it 14-0 Jaguars.

On the Cougars’ opening drive of the game, they threatened but did not score as Romani lofted a pass toward the end zone but Bethel cornerback Duane Jones, who stood all of 5-foot-5 climbed the imaginary ladder to intercept the pass to halt that drive. Earlier in the drive, Romani completed a 23-yard pass to Jesse Walls, who was covered by Jones.

Del Campo would later answer Heywood’s Pick 6 with Jeff Hines scoring on a 19-yard run to shave the lead in half at 14-7. The Jaguars would later add a much-needed insurance touchdown as they embarked on an 11-play drive that Marlin Butler capped off with a 4-yard touchdown run, dragging two defenders into the end zone with him.

That touchdown loomed large because Del Campo drove 68 yards on 11 plays to slice the Jaguars lead to 21-13 with 1:54 left in the contest. Bethel’s Brandon Henry recovered the onside kick. The Jaguars achieved a first down and had three victory formations to secure the first postseason football win in school history.

What it meant: Bethel would lose the next week 35-7 against Granite Bay, which lost the SJS Div. II title game 20-17 to Oak Ridge.

In 2003, the Solano County Athletic Conference was formed, where the Jaguars have been ever since. Bethel fell short to Rodriguez in its only SJS title game appearance in 2007 but has been a regular participant in the postseason.

The only downside to this night was that Bethel was the only one of six high school football programs in Vallejo to go to the postseason. Yet Del Campo fans make an hour drive and show up with bigger numbers than the community of Vallejo. What a disgrace but that’s another story for another day.

Stop preordaining "greatest of all time" teams before winning titles

It’s amazing how listening to sports talk radio can strike a nerve. About a year and a half ago, I left the newspaper industry after 18 years to become a Route Sales Representative for Alhambra Water. Route Sales Representative? That would be a fancy way of saying truck driver.

First some primer for the paint.

I spent much of today running my route listening to KGMZ (95.7 The Game, San Francisco) for an assortment of talk radio one day after the Cleveland Cavaliers upset the Golden State Warriors for a 4-3 series win, capping it off with a 93-89 win in the deciding game at Oracle Arena. The Warriors were a heavy favorite in large part because they won a regular season record 73 games, surpassing the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls who won 72 games but punctuated that season with an NBA title.

In the process of losing, the Warriors became the first team in NBA finals history to cough up a 3-1 lead. There are a variety of factors that people attribute: Draymond Green’s suspension for Game 5 with his role in a dustup with Cavs’ star LeBron James; center Andrew Bogut missing the last two games with a knee injury; Andre Iguodala and Steph Curry being compromised with back and knee injuries. The former is one of few defenders in the NBA that can contain James and the latter is the two-time reigning NBA MVP that won the award unanimously in 2015-2016.

The Warriors went 67-15 in 2014-2015 on the way to win their first NBA title in 40 years. However, from their perspective, too many people called them “lucky” because they did not have to face the LA Clipper or San Antonio Spurs. The Clippers bounced the Warriors 4-3 in the opening round of the 2013-2014 playoffs in what marked the end of the Mark Jackson era and the ushering in of the Steve Kerr era. In the Western Conference semifinals, the Clippers coughed up a 3-1 series lead to the Houston Rockets to lose 4-3. The Spurs, who have won five NBA titles since 1999, were perceived as the Warriors biggest obstacle. The Spurs won the ‘13-’14 title and were the only team to have a winning record against Golden State in ‘14-’15. The Spurs lost to the Clippers in seven games that season.

In the Western Conference finals, the Warriors dispatched the Rockets 4-1. In the NBA finals, Golden State defeated Cleveland 4-2 with much of the narrative being how the Cavs were missing James; sidekicks’ Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

The Warriors heard criticism from multiple corners from Charles Barkely to Oscar Robertson to Scottie Pippen to Doc Rivers to James Hardin to name a few. Barkley’s continued narrative was how jumping-shooting teams don’t win NBA titles. Expect, the current cast of Warriors have more titles than Barkley received in his career.

Golden State came charging out of the gate in 2015-2016, winning 24 straight games to start the season. They made a mockery out of the NBA in winning 73 games but in the process came a disturbing trend: a) Can they beat the ‘96 Bulls? b) Can they beat the Showtime Lakers?

Fans and Warrior players alike engaged in that argument, including Klay Thompson. To be fair, Thompson’s dad (Mychael) was a member of the aforementioned teams that actually said his son’s teams would have beaten his Showtime Lakers. Magic Johnson was quick to reply that the Showtime Lakers would beat today’s Warriors. Earlier in the season, Pippen retorted that the ‘96 Bulls would have beaten the current Warriors. These comparisons began as recently as December and yours truly opined -- and made sense:

http://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2015/12/rules-changes-make-comparing-eras-and.html

I know it’s easy to be an after the fact critic but the argument is over since the Warriors couldn’t beat the 2015-2016 Cavaliers. You can give whatever reason you want but all-time great teams don’t blow a 3-1 lead. Period. End of argument. I also think the Warriors and a large segment of their fans overreacted to the cynics. Championship teams don’t concern themselves with the naysayers. Do you think Popovich cares one iota that Phil Jackson called the Spurs ‘99 title in a strike-shortened season an “asterisk?” No. When it comes to titles, you can paint whatever scenario you want. The ‘14-15 Warriors won’t apologize for their title any more than the ‘15-16 Cavs will not apologize for theirs. No more than the 1984-1985 Lakers didn’t give the Boston Celtics any sympathy when Kevin McHale had a broken foot.

The problem is, this is not the first time that premature anointings have been made. In 2007, the New England Patriots set the NFL record for regular season wins going 16-0 and reaching the Super Bowl but lost to the New York Giants 17-14. I remember throughout that season talk shows creating mock matchups of the ‘07 Patriots against the ‘75 Steelers, ‘89 49ers, etc. Well, they couldn’t even beat the ‘07 Giants that went 10-6, end of argument.

The other argument begs did the Warriors put too much effort into winning 73 games? That answer at least deserves a “maybe.” All you need to know is, the Warriors lost as many games in the playoffs as they did the regular season. Watching the last two series against Oklahoma City and Cleveland, one thought crossed my mind, “the Warriors tank may not be empty but it’s not at full capacity.”

Perhaps, the best counter-argument I heard on the radio today is “are the warriors a one-hit wonder?” When I think of one-hit wonders, I think of Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ in the Boys room.” I don’t think we have seen the last of the Warriors. The Western Conference is still chock full of good teams like Oklahoma City, San Antonio and Portland to name a few. Golden State, however, has a strong nucleus with Curry, Thompson and Green being 28 or younger.

After listening to sports talk all day while driving my Class B truck delivering water, my thought became, “two things are equally true. It was premature to put the ‘15-’16 Warriors among the all-time greats. It’s also premature to call them a one-hit wonder because the best championship teams suffer gut-wrenching losses only to bounce back to win championships.”

Time Out with Billy Hamilton (2004 Calistoga High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Billy Hamilton: I loved being able to travel to new places, meeting new people, and experiencing new challenges. Getting a chance to play baseball in Puerto Rico was an experience that I will never forget.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Hamilton: After high school, I got to play with the Santa Rosa JC and win a state championship, then after an injury ended all of that I started working and playing hockey to fill that void from not being able to play baseball.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Calistoga High?

Hamilton: I don't really think any of us jocks had a favorite class in high school, I would say PE. It was always the favorite cause we got a period to do what we love to do, be outside doing some kind of activity.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Calistoga High?

Hamilton: I would say that my favorite moment would be throwing a no hitter against St. Vincent my senior year to finally beat them in who knows how long.

D’Adamo: Between football and baseball, there were a lot of memories as a Wildcat. How much does your relationship with teammates and coaches still resonate to this day?

Hamilton: Unfortunately all of us had to grow up and go our separate ways but if I were to see any of them I'm sure it would be like no time has passed and we would all be just as close as we were back in high school.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Hamilton: I feel being a part of a team makes a big impact on your life, it teaches you to work with people and being a quarterback and trying to lead your team the best way you can is just a learning experience to being a leader at work and managing.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Hamilton: My entire family has always been amazing. My sister was an amazing pitcher for the softball team and thought of that as a challenge to push myself to be that good when I got into high school. My dad was always there to coach me and push me to be the best I could possibly be and my mom was always at my games to support me.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Hamilton: Nolan Ryan has always been my idol and I would love to sit down and ask him question after question about his baseball career.

Hiring Van Winden as volleyball a huge catch for Napa High

You hear the phrase uttered so often about “winning the offseason” or “winning the press conference” or “home run hire.”

I have always found those statements to be a mixture of hyperbole and conjecture because a program can make moves that it believes are good but there’s no guarantee of success. However, all a program can do is put itself in a position that it believes will lead to success. That said, it is my belief that hiring Kelly Van Winden as its new volleyball head coach, Napa High just got better without even playing a match. Van Winden’s hiring was reported in the June 8 edition of the Napa Valley Register.

The name alone brings the program instant credibility. For openers, Van Winden was a two-time All-American at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo who has gone on to develop a tremendous resume as a coach. Van Winden coached at Napa Valley College for 15 seasons before taking the Napa High job, replacing Heather O’Neill, who was the Indians coach the previous three seasons.

Van Winden also served as the director of the Napa Valley Volleyball Club, which was formed in 1987. Van Winden was also an assistant coach at Sonoma State for two years and spent nine more as the head coach. Van Winden earned Northern California Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors three times. She was Bay Valley Conference Coach of the Year seven times at NVC.

The hiring of Van Winden is significant because the Indians volleyball program is like a fallen champion. Though football success will be front and center on people’s mind, Napa has a rich tradition of volleyball headlined by the 1980s and 1990s under former head coach Barbara Franco. In her tenure, the Indians won nine Monticello Empire League titles, three CIF Sac Joaquin Section Div. II championships and a NorCal title (1996). Napa won 64 straight MEL matches.

The problem is, those days were eons ago. After Franco stepped down as head coach, the Indians continued to experience success on some level later under coaches such as Dustin Blank, Scott Kostecka, David Rentz and O’Neill as the Indians continued to be regular postseason participants but not the long postseason runs the program experienced in the Franco era. To be fair, eras like that come along once in a generation.

So how soon can the Indians return to prominence? Since I am out of the newspaper industry as a sports reporter, I’m not as plugged in as I used to be in terms of local sports in the Napa Valley. However, any time a new coach comes into a program, regardless of resume, I always preach the same message, “the new coach needs time with everything from implementing philosophies, developing relationships with student-athletes, etc.” I’m preaching the same message with the Van Winden hire.  

Translation, Jena Mello is not walkin’ through that door, fans. Neither is Alynda Franco.

The Indians have not sniffed the playoffs since 2012 and went 3-18 overall and 3-12 against MEL teams in 2015. Looking at those records, the narrative becomes, “there’s nowhere to go but up.”

Whenever I see a storied program fall on hard times, the narrative I preach is, “You can remember the past but you can’t rely on it. Tradition is all well and good but the past doesn’t win games today. At this point, it’s about today’s players redrawing the lines on the highway that players of the past drew.” That’s the approach the current Indians need to take because they can the group that lead the Indians back to prominence.

The fact that Van Winden has history as a professional volleyball is also a big plus. She played two seasons of indoor volleyball for the San Jose Golddiggers from 1987-1989 as an outside hitter. Van Winden also played three years in the Women’s Professional Volleyball association and seven more in a Bud Light 4-Person Beach League.

The reason that part of her resume is significant? Because she can tell youngsters, “I played at high levels of volleyball, I can show you how to get there if you so desire.” Granted, one out of every 10 high school seniors get a scholarship to play college athletics but it helps that Van Winden knows the in-roads to travel. The point is, her prowess in teaching the game can make a great player excellent, it can make a good player great and a below average one good if the youngsters absorb teaching.

Van Winden spent the better part of the past few seasons watching her daughters (Adlee and Torrey) excel at crosstown rival Vintage. Those Napa/Vintage volleyball matches just became even more compelling. Both are freshmen at their respective colleges, Adlee at Cal Poly San Luis Opispo and Torrey at UCLA.

I only know Van Winden in passing. I’ve interviewed her once and talked to her a few times but I feel confident enough to know this, regardless of what talent Napa has on its roster, Van Winden will extract the most out of it.

Hiring someone with credentials as a professional player, college coach and administrator is by definition, “checking all the boxes.”

Time Out with Steve Meyer, retired Justin-Siena High administrator/coach

Vince D’Adamo: Be it as an administrator or coach, what did you enjoy most about being involved in athletics?

Steve Meyer: Athletics help the student-athlete understand the advantages to teamwork and get them to realize that hard work pays off. I also enjoyed watching the maturation process during the four years as how those who continued with athletics improved not only within the sport but also as a person. I enjoyed the opportunity to coach football as I was learning the game and enjoyed working with the coaches I did to help me understand the game. The adjustments that had to be made every game and the results. The opportunity to work with some of the parents who believed that their athlete was going to play at the highest level. It's great to have a dream and work hard for it but you really have to work hard and believe in yourself and your coaches.

D’Adamo: It is often said that athletics and academics coexist, how much have you found that to be true?

Meyer: In high school, it needs to co-exist and most of that is on the coaches. I was lucky to be an on-campus coach and had grades available to me so I could monitor that. When I became Assistant Athletic Director, I was able to keep all the coaches updated on grades by sending them out every 2-3 weeks. In college, when I was coaching at San Jose State it depended more on the actual program. Football had an Academic Adviser while other teams did nothing. There were some situations that were not legal that I was aware of after the fact involving student athletes at the college level.

D’Adamo: Beyond victories and defeats, when bringing in a coach, what are common denominator qualities you seek?

Meyer: We always looked for a coach who could communicate to players, parents and media the ideas that they wanted to make happen within their programs. Knowledge and experience are always important and having a coach on campus helps. It was important that they taught the fundamentals of the sport and coached the players up to make them better. They always had to have a good attitude (“Playing the game shows some of your characteristics, losing shows all.” Yogi Berra) and had to instill that upon the student-athlete.

D’Adamo: From the student-athlete perspective, what life lessons do you hope they learn from sports?

Meyer: I always tried to instill the family feeling within the teams I coached. You needed to trust your team members and understand that just as there are in families, the possibility of disagreements would happen. Learn to handle adversity no matter how difficult it seemed. Understand that coaches yell at them not because of who they are but because of who they can be. Total respect for the sport, the opposition, the officials and everybody associated with the game. Set priorities in their lives that would help them to be successful in their future endeavors.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Meyer: Without a doubt my father was the most influential growing up. He would work all day at Mare Island and then I would ask him to play catch when he got home. He never said no. He was my coach most of my years growing up so we had our moments but I survived. My wife, Charlotte, has been very understanding and without a doubt the best choice I ever could have made. I don't know where I would be if I hadn't married when I did.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Meyer: John Wooden-UCLA Basketball. I would like to sit down with him and pick his brain about how he handled different situations. I know times have changed but it would be interesting to see how he handled today's student-athlete.

Time machine: 2001 football playoffs: Atwater at Vallejo

Sometimes you remember a game because no matter how imperfect the process was, the team needed the result to wipe away years of failure.

The 2001 version of Vallejo High football was like many others for the past decade and a half or so: Many regular season wins but several postseason shortcomings. On a mid-November night in 2001 at Corbus Field in Vallejo, CA, the Vallejo Apaches (now Redhawks thanks to the politically correct police) edged the Atwater Falcons 16-14 in the first round of the CIF Sac Joaquin Section Div. I playoffs.

It marked the first postseason win for Vallejo in ten years.

Setting the stage: The Apaches went 9-1 during the regular season, including 8-1 against Monticello Empire League teams. Vallejo tied for first in the MEL with Fairfield but was the higher seed in the postseason based on its 24-7 win over the Falcons in Game 2. The Apaches’ lone setback in the regular season was a 36-32 loss to the Vacaville Bulldogs in Game 5.

The 2001 version of Vallejo was a well-rounded team in outscoring the opposition 35.2-to-17.2. The Apaches were led by Cameron Thurston, who earned Monticello Empire League Back of the Year honors but was also a defensive stalwart. On offense, the Apaches were versatile in that they employed both their 800 package, two tight ends and three running backs, along with the “Playmaker” package, four receivers. The passing game included the connection of quarterback DeMarcus Nelson to wide receiver Warner West.

In the running game, when Thurston and James Parker wasn’t beating teams with power and speed on the perimeter, Devon Geter was gouging teams between the tackles. Like Thurston, West, Parker and Geter were defensive standouts. The former at linebacker and the latter as a ballhawking safety. On the defensive end, Ed Whittington and Steve Batten were a nightmare for opposing tackles and tight ends.

For all of that success, the Apaches’ season was not going to be judged on Games 1-10, it was going to be judged on Games 11 and thereafter.

This game would be played in muddy conditions. Keep in mind, Corbus Field was a natural grass surface before being replaced by FieldTurf in 2003.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: Vallejo led 8-0 with 2:30 left in the third quarter before Thurston’s 4-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion doubled the advantage to 16-0. The Apaches, however, fell asleep at the wheel thereafter.

Atwater’s Billy Bremen returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards to paydirt. Falcons’ quarterback Matt Granado connected with Cory Fagan for the two-point conversion to shave the lead in half, 16-8. Four minutes later, West muffed a punt deep in Apaches’ territory that Atwater recovered and turned into a Dan Hull rushing touchdown. Fortunately for Vallejo, a wide open Eddie Olivarez dropped the ensuing two-point conversion on a Granado pass.

That dropped pass turned out to be the difference in the game but so too was the Vallejo defense. The Apaches stymied the Falcons’ offense the entire night and if not for special teams’ blunders, Vallejo might have pitched a shutout.

To add further perspective of Vallejo’s defensive prowess, Atwater running back Marcus Jackson entered the game averaging 108 yards per contest. The Apaches stuffed him for 35 yards on 10 carries. Granado had thrown for over 1,200 yards but completed just 2 of 13 passes for 13 yards.

West would enjoy a measure of redemption later. With 42-seconds left in the contest, he intercepted a Granado Hail Mary pass near midfield. From there, the Apaches ran out the clock and sealed the win, breaking a 10-year drought for postseason wins.

What it meant: In the short run, very little, since the Apaches’ season ended one week later with a 21-14 loss to Lincoln (Stockton). In the bigger picture, Vallejo contributed to the MEL’s postseason success. The MEL had not won a postseason football game since 1998.

In 2001, Fairfield would reach the SJS Div. I title game before losing to Elk Grove, which was pushed to the brink in the first-round before losing to Bethel (Vallejo) 22-15.

The 2001 campaign, however, would be Vallejo’s last sniff at greatness. The Apaches went 6-4 in 2002, missing the postseason.

In 2003, the MEL was realigned and Vallejo moved to the Solano County Athletic Conference. The Apaches would go 8-4 the following season and reach the second round of the CIF Sac Joaquin Section Div. II playoffs. On the other hand, Vallejo has gone 31-88 since 2003 and has had just one, non-losing season (5-5 in 2003).

Time machine: 2001 football playoffs: Jesse Bethel at Elk Grove

Sometimes you remember a game because a team gets more respect following a loss than it did any of its wins.

The Jesse Bethel (Vallejo) High Jaguars 22-15 loss to the Elk Grove Thundering Herd in the first-round of the CIF Sac Joaquin Section Div. I playoffs had exactly that feeling. Elk Grove would eventually win the SJS Div. I title, beating Fairfield 34-12 but on this night in November 2001, Bethel would establish its presence as a perennial contender.  

Setting the stage: Bethel opened its doors in 1998-1999 with just freshmen and sophomores before adding the junior class in 1999-2000. The school had all four grades in 2000-2001. With no juniors on its roster, the Jaguars went 2-8 in 2000 but the 2001 campaign included a roster seniors that were improved from a season ago coupled with three transfer student-athletes from crosstown rivals, Andrew Green and Dallas Bernstine from Vallejo and Carl Jiles from Hogan.

Bethel started the 2001 season 2-0 by outscoring Oakland and Hogan by a combined score of 95-20. For the remainder of the regular season, the Jaguars alternated each week with a win followed by a loss to go 6-4. The Jaguars were member of the Monticello Empire League, which had ten teams. The league had four allotted playoff berths. Bethel needed a 46-14 win over winless Benicia in the season finale to secure the MEL’s fourth postseason berth.

The swing win, however, was a 59-38 win over Vintage (Napa). In that game, Bernstine rushed for a North California record 553 yards and five touchdowns. Like Bethel, Vintage finished tied for fourth in the MEL with a 5-4 record but Bethel won the tiebreaker based on beating the Crushers head-to-head.

Elk Grove outscored opponents by an average of 38.6 to 12.0 during the regular season. The lowest margin of victory during the regular season was 12 points (34-22 over Laguna Creek in Game 4). The Thundering Herd’s 26-6 win over Woodland represented their lowest point total of the regular season.

Suffice it to say, Elk Grove entered this contest against the upstart Jaguars as an overwhelming favorite. I remember driving to the game thinking, “If the Jaguars stay within three touchdowns I’ll be impressed.”

Thumbnail sketch of the game: Elk Grove got first-half touchdown runs of 65 yards from Tyrice Daniels, who finished with 195 yards on 18 carries, a one-yard run by Marcus Riley and a 12-yarder from Allen Murry to achieve its 22-0 halftime lead. Two of those touchdowns were the result of a short field where the Thundering Herd took over after turnovers inside the Bethel 25-yard line.

Bernstine’s score was a 23-yarder on fourth and one that capped off an 11-play, 66-yard drive. Bernstine carried 26 times for 170 yards. Bernstine would later take the reigns at quarterback as Jaguars signal-caller Maurice Butler left the game with a finger injury. Jiles’ touchdown was a 47-yarder on third and 10, the first play of the fourth quarter. Jiles accumulated 120 yards on 15 carries.

The Jaguars later faced fourth-and-two near midfield with 9:41 left in the contest. Bethel head coach Jeff Turner elected to punt but since Bethel had just one time out remaining, the Thundering Herd were able to run out the clock and escape with a win.

Another subplot to the game was that Elk Grove had two second-half touchdowns nullified by penalty. Conversely, the Jaguars had two red zone trips go by the boards because of turnovers.

What it meant: Elk Grove had yet another close win one week later (28-27 over Nevada Union) before winning its next two games decisively (34-15 over Hiram Johnson and 34-12 over Fairfield) for its fifth SJS title and third in the last four years.

The next season the MEL split into two leagues with Bethel winning the MEL II title, going 7-2-1, beating Del Campo for its first postseason win in school history. In 2003, the Solano County Athletic Conference was formed, where the Jaguars have been ever since. Bethel fell short to Rodriguez in its only SJS title game appearance in 2007 but has been a regular participant in the postseason.

What I remember about this game was that it got the attention of people throughout Northern California. I remember covering a track & field meet at UC Davis. I would have conversations with other coaches and media members. At least, five if not more commented on this game six months later.

People are often dismissive of the term “moral victory.” I am that way too because let’s not kid ourselves, one team wins and one team loses. However, I also believe that some losses are more honorable than others. For the Jaguars, there was nothing dishonorable about this loss.