Whetting your palate for Big Game

The words are “Big Game.”

Use those words in Napa, CA, and the only question is the Blue & Gold of Napa or the Burgundy & Gold of Vintage?

The 46th edition of the football version will take place Friday at Memorial Stadium. The event is social as much as it is athletic in that the stadium packs in fans by the thousands for this contest. People who normally do not attend football games, make a special effort to attend this one.

The series has produced some great memories, including but not limited to 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002. Those games were all decided by a touchdown or less.

In recent seasons, however, the matchup has not been compelling on the field. Could 2017 be the year the trend changes? Napa has won 14 of the last 15 contests by an average score of 33.4-11.4 since 2002. The last time Vintage beat Napa was in 2005, 28-7. The current Crusher seniors would have been in kindergarten. Between 2002-2016, Napa went 131-44-1 with a CIF Sac Joaquin Section Div. I title in 2007 and went to the playoffs in every season. In that same span, Vintage went 65-88-1 with Dylan Leach being the fifth head coach in that time frame.

In 2017, however, the two programs have gone opposite directions. To that end, this contest is the first time in goodness knows how long where you can say Vintage has a legitimate chance to win and not be looked at as if you were drunk.

Napa’s program went sideways with a hazing scandal dragging the program through muddy waters. Without rehashing particulars too deeply, the scandal led to a power struggle between now former head coach Troy Mott and the administration. Mott and the entire varsity coaching staff resigned. The school had difficulty finding a replacement and was on the verge of cancelling the season before Jesus Martinez, who was the Indians JV coach and 2004 NHS graduate, was named Mott’s replacement. The program averted not having a season but the proceedings on the field have been difficult despite the best efforts of Martinez and staff. Napa is 3-5 overall and 1-2 in Monticello Empire League.

Vintage, however, has enjoyed a rebirth under Leach in his second season. The 1992 Vintage High graduate was a long-time Crusher assistant from 2000-2009 before spending 2010-2015 on Mott’s staff at Napa. Leach returned to his roots in April 2016. Vintage is 6-2 overall and 2-1 in MEL.

Regardless of Friday’s outcome, Napa will miss the postseason for the first time since 2001 while Vintage will qualify for the SJS Div. II playoffs and learn of its opponent and venue either Saturday or Sunday. With a victory, Vintage will seal its first seven win season since 2000.

With Vintage’s rebirth and Napa’s demise, Friday’s game becomes compelling. I say that more to celebrate Vintage’s rebirth rather than Napa’s demise. For many of the past 15 matchups, the narrative was “it’s not a matter of if Napa wins but by how much?” Though I changed careers and sports journalism is no longer my career, writing is still my passion via this blog and helping my former employer (Napa Valley Register) on Friday nights during football season. I have had many conversations with people on both sides. Right now, the narrative is, “This is Vintage’s chance to shift the balance of power.”

Another narrative throughout the season is that despite the record disparity, Napa played a more stringent nonleague schedule. I am generally pretty cynical about that topic because rankings have a subjective undertone. Plus, you can’t truly judge teams until they build up a body of work. Napa’s nonleague foes have an overall record of 18-27 with an average ranking score of 20.78 by calpreps.com. Vintage’s nonleague opposition has an overall mark of 16-27 with an average ranking of 16.26 by calpreps.com. While I’m not suggesting to treat that website as Gospel, it is a point of reference. Nothing more. Nothing less.

The other point of reference would be common opponents. Like most team’s in the immediate and extended Bay Area, both team’s had their season interrupted by the California wildfires that produced unsafe air quality. Vintage’s much anticipated matchup against Vacaville along with Napa’s game against Rodriguez were each cancelled.

The two common opponents are Wood (Vacaville), which is playing Vacaville Friday for a winner take all matchup for the MEL title, and Armijo (Fairfield). Napa lost to Wood 10-7 in overtime and beat Armijo 49-14. Vintage lost to Wood 24-21 and beat Armijo 44-15. Again, I’m just pointing it out as a reference not as a predictor.

The other subplot to this story is that it will be the last football game in which the two schools will meet as SJS opponents before moving into the North Coast Section next season to be in the same league with fellow Napa Valley schools Justin-Siena and American Canyon.

High school football players are also a prideful bunch. If you are a Vintage player you are saying, “We can be the group that stopped Napa’s dominance in the Big Game.” If you are a Napa player, you are saying, “We can’t be the first group to lose to Vintage.”