Time Machine: 2006 Calistoga High football

In order to understand a team in victory, you have to understand their moments of defeat. Those moments of setback include their darkest hour.

Calistoga High football has had seasons where it achieved far more success than the 2006 team that went 7-5. Without that team’s efforts, however, there’s a good chance Calistoga High does not have a football program today.

To appreciate the 2006 Calistoga High football team, you first have to understand the peaks and valleys between 1999-2005. Like most any high school football program, Calistoga High has seen both the top of the mountain and the bottom of the ocean. The 2005 season, however, it could be surmised fell below the bottom of the ocean if such is possible.

The Wildcats played just four games on the field that season which began with the excitement of the return of Dan Conner as head coach. Conner replaced John Antonio after just two seasons and had coached the Wildcats in two others stints (1974-1977; 1996-2000). Calistoga won the 1999 CIF North Coast Section Class B title in 1999.

Conner would soon discover that “what was” is not always “what is.” Conner always had a rule that if a kid would miss practice for any reason, he had to first let him know. The 2005 season was full of weeks like that in addition to academic ineligibility and even when games were played on the field, it was not a good representation. The poor on-the-field representation included things like post-possession penalties that revealed lack of self-control.

Frustrated with the constant issues, Conner wanted to cancel the rest of the season. That led to strife between Conner and the Calistoga administration (specifically principal Kevin Eisenberg and to a lesser degree, athletic director Frank DiFede). The latter would make the argument that Conner only had the authority to cancel individual games but not an entire season. Conner resigned and Joe Russo took over as head coach the rest of the season. The Wildcats would only play one game, which was a 27-20 win over Laytonville. The remainder of the contests were forfeited. At 1-0, Russo is the only undefeated football head coach in school history.

Throughout the entire offseason, there were questions as to whether or not Calistoga High would have a football team in 2006. Assistant coach Shawn Garrity, who was a teacher at Calistoga High, oversaw the offseason program between opening the weight-room and organizing team fundraisers that included a car wash. Garrity even oversaw spring practice.

The other problem facing the future of the high school football program was that the Calistoga Cubs, which is the youth football program, did not have a season in 2004 and 2005. I remember asking DiFede throughout the offseason, “at which point do you decide one way or the other whether or not Calistoga will field a football program?”

In late June, it was like the cavalry arrived. First, Calistoga High hired 1962 graduate Mike Ervin in June 2006. Ervin had coached in various locations both at the college and high school levels including but not limited to Mendocino College, Sonoma State University, Cardinal Newman, Anderson Valley, Analy and Reid High in Sparks, NV. Shortly thereafter, Laura Wilson, who graduated from CHS in 1985, came aboard to become Cub football president. The Cubs generated enough interest for a JV and varsity team.

If you would have told me, “Vince, make a parlay bet that both Calistoga High and the Calistoga Cubs will have a season in 2006,” my response would have been, “There’s a better chance I’m going to sleep with Cindy Crawford.”

Ervin would inherit a talented but mostly unproven senior class that included Ziggy Gutierrez, Andrew Watkins, Alex Cedarquist, Alex Lynch and Russ Rider. There were also talented juniors in the mix such as B.J. Schlieder, Jesus Cachu and Bryant Rubio. Ervin would bring in the shotgun veer and a 4-2-5 defense. He would also bring in assistant coaches Jesse Atkinson and Aaron Debacker, both of whom played for Ervin at Analy. That staff also included Calistoga High graduates Julio Ambriz and Jake Blakeley.

The question is, how soon could Ervin get the players to buy into his way of coaching? The first answer to that question would come on Week 1 against North Hills Christian (Vallejo), coached by former Calistoga and St. Helena coach Richard Eaton.

I remember vividly going into that game and season saying that “if Calistoga went 2-8 and didn’t have to forfeit games to academic ineligibility and would get rid of discipline issues the season would be a success.” I also remembered asking, how would the Wildcats do the first time they faced adversity since they were prone to crumbling in times of crisis the previous few seasons before?

The responded very well, beating the Eagles 24-16. Calistoga, however, would lose four of its next five games by a combined 137-70. That total is skewed because of a 55-0 win over Rincon Valley Christian and a 19-18 loss to Berean Christian (Walnut Creek), which was a division higher than Calistoga. The Wildcats were facing the meat of their schedule because it also included three playoff teams (Vacaville Christian, Mendocino and Tomales).

Sitting at 2-4, the Wildcats won their next three games (42-12 over Laytonville, 36-0 over round Valley-Covelo and 39-22 over Potter Valley). Despite losing the regular season finale 34-27 to Anderson Valley-Boonville, Calistoga earned a CIF North Coast Section Class B playoff berth only to lose 48-0 to St. Bernard (Eureka).

I remember a couple weeks following loss thinking that while the defeat was disappointing, it should not reflect the 2006 season. You hear a common narrative that says: “You’re only as good as your last game.” I agree to a point but to appreciate a team’s success, you have to remember their journey.

Without 2006, I don’t think 2007 to present happen.