Regardless of win-loss record, Homecoming games in high school football can be a blessing or a curse.
The outcome is either another step on a journey to a great season or if you have a mediocre-to-bad season, winning that game can be bright light in an otherwise forgettable season.
The 2004 Calistoga High football team went 4-6, which on the surface is approaching respectability. The margin of victory in the four wins was 14.5 points. However, when the Wildcats lost, they were a hot mess. The margin of defeat in the six losses was 37. 2 points. The narrowest of those defeats was a 22-6 loss at St. Vincent (Petaluma).
In Week 6 of the 2004 season, Calistoga defeated the Upper Lake Cougars 20-7 to even its record at 3-3.
Setting the scene: After a 2-1 start, the Wildcats had consecutive ugly losses (30-0 to Berean Christian-Walnut Creek; 40-6 to Point Arena).
The Wildcats were 1-9 in 2003. This era of Wildcats’ football was a team that had its share of talent but was not long on discipline. The other problem Calistoga faced was the league it was competing in at the time.
The Wildcats have faced re-alignment more times than I can count. Calistoga, whose enrollment is about 200 or so, moved from North Central League III where they played schools of comparable but mostly lower enrollment. The Wildcats moved to the NCL II with St. Vincent, which is a private school with an enrollment of 400. The league also included Middletown and Upper Lake, which have enrollments of over 400. Tomales was also in the league with an enrollment of about 180 but in football, the Braves were a perennially strong team. To be fair, even with more discipline, that team would have gone 5-5 at best because the league was so daunting.
Thumbnail sketch of the game: Thanks to a minor offensive adjustment, a big play on special teams and a 'bend but don't break' defense, the Wildcats made the 2004 edition of Homecoming night a special one in defeating Upper Lake Cougars.
The crowd was not filled to capacity but was one of the bigger and more enthusiastic ones in recent memory — and for good reason.
The backfield tandem of Shane Kohler (16 carries for 82 yards, two touchdowns) and Anthony Shorrock (14 carries for 70 yards) spearheaded a Calistoga (3-3 overall, 1-0 North Central League I) ground game that produced 235 yards behind the blocking of center Fidel Mendoza, guards Luis Nunez and Eric Mora, tackles Shane Calkins and Andrew Watkins and tight end Jeremy Campbell.
For a rare, and frankly much-welcomed time this season, quarterback Vince Gutierrez actually saw daylight when looking to run. Gutierrez accounted for 59 yards on seven carries.
Anyone who is still uncertain as to whether or not special teams is one-third of football just like offense and defense should rent a film of this game.
Gavin Richard returned the opening kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown. Richard took the kickoff in the middle of the field and raced toward the left sideline and back to the middle. Luis Bravo was one of a handful of Wildcats to deliver key blocks.
The extra point was no good and the Wildcats led 6-0. Upper Lake's offense could not muster a first down on its opening series. Then, after a short punt, Calistoga took over at the Cougar 31.
Kohler then scored on a 20-yard touchdown run. The extra point was no good and the Wildcats led 12-0 with 8:36 left in the opening period.
Calistoga had been plagued by slow starts in its previous two games, a 30-0 loss to Berean Christian (Walnut Creek) and a 40-6 loss to Point Arena.
In this case, however, it was the opponent having to play catchup.
In the Point Arena loss, Wildcats head coach John Antonio opted to pair Shorrock in the backfield with Kohler and split the ball-carrying chores in the process. That method worked in allowing the Wildcats to churn out consistent yardage.
Calistoga's lead swelled to 20-0 on Kohler's 4-yard run and subsequent Gutierrez-to-Shorrock two-point conversion.
On the defensive side, the Wildcats applied pressure in sacking Cougars quarterback Brenden McCarthy five times. Campbell had two of those sacks while Shorrock, Mora and Kohler each had one. Nunez and Mora each added a fumble recovery while Richard intercepted three passes and Kohler one.
The Wildcats defense yielded 199 total yards but Antonio agreed that total was somewhat misleading because of the five sacks. Upper Lake running back Curtis Smith tallied 169 of those yards. Smith scored the Cougars' lone touchdown midway through the third period.
What did it mean: In the long run, very little, the Wildcats went 2-5 the rest of the season. The John Antonio head coaching era would end after just two seasons. However, if you like a team persevering in spite of itself, this was a good win to enjoy. To be fair, though, this is Div. V high school football, even the best teams will have flawed wins.
Calistoga football has continued to be like the stock market, pockets of ups and pockets of downs.
Antonio briefly returned to his alma mater (St. Vincent, Petaluma) as an assistant before becoming the head coach of Richmond High. Antonio, who is a full-time patrol officer with the Petaluma Police Department, later went on to coach Piner (Santa Rosa). The Prospectors went 22-32 under his guidance but steadily improved in each season. Piner scored a 43-29 CIF North Coast section Div. IV playoff win in 2013 over St. Patrick’s (Vallejo). It marked the Prospectors’ first postseason win in football since 2003.
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