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.
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