Playing revisionist history with 2013 Upvalley football

When you play the revisionist history game, to do it semi-accurate, it’s based on
numbers crunching and the eyeball test. More so the latter but use the former as
reference points.

It is highly speculative. In 2013, I had an embarrassment of riches with high school
football coverage as the Upvalley sports beat reporter for the St. Helena Star and
Weekly Calistogan. The two publications are part of Napa Valley Publishing, which
is based out of Napa, CA. St. Helena and Calistoga are two rural communities about
a half hour drive North of Napa.

That season, the St. Helena Saints went 9-3 and the Calistoga Wildcats went 8-2. I had
a few seasons where only one or neither was good so to have both succeed was a treat.
On some occasions, the two teams played on the same night but different venues,
which meant I could not be in two places at the same time.

The two programs played regularly but the series discontinued in 1994 before
re-estblishing in 2008 and 2009 with St. Helena winning both games decisively, 37-0
and 45-6. The two teams are not likely to play each other in football any time soon.
Calistoga, which is about half of St. Helena’s size in enrollment, moved to eight-man
football in 2015.

St. Helena entered the 2013 season having lost stars such as quarterback Richard Hoppe
along with Joey Brink (wide receiver) and Danny Brink (running back). However, Saints
head coach Brandon Farrell adapted to his personnel. In 2012, the Saints used the pass to
set up the run. In 2013, Farrell leaned heavily on a veteran offensive line, leading the
way for record-setting running back Sebastian Segura, who enjoyed one of the best
seasons — and careers — in Saints history. Segura posted single season records for
most rushing yards in a game (270 in the playoffs against Kelseyville) and season
(1,701), as well as most career rushing yards with 2,716. He posted nine 100-yard
rushing games and three 200-yard contests this season, topped off by 18 TDs. Robert
Covey held the previous records since 2004.

Litto Damonte and Gannon Laidlaw anchored the offensive line. Davone Browne was a
dual threat as both a receiver and return man. Damonte and linebacker Kile Grayson
anchored a Saints defense that was stout all season.

For Calistoga, head coach Paul Harrell had guided many of the same players to success
with the Calistoga Cubs youth football program. The success translated in high school.
Running back Dylan Alvarado rushed for a school record 1,978 yards, breaking Corey
Beck’s mark that stood since 1987. Alvarado posted 9.94 yards per carry and scored a
school record 25 rushing TDs. He set a single season record by scoring 154 points,
highlighted by a game against Emery in which he rushed for 407 yards and seven TDs.
Alvarado broke Jason Tamagni’s single-game record set in 2001.

The NCL II/BFL Offensive MVP, Alvarado also led the ’Cats in tackles with 86 from
his linebacker position and added an interception. Walker Hughes anchored the line as
the point player for the rushing attack. Hughes was second on the Wildcats with 12
pancake blocks.

Timmy Montanez led the defense with the second-most interceptions in school history
with nine, including two pick-sixes. Montanez recorded 39 tackles from his safety
position and contributed 16 catches for 132 yards and a TD as a receiver.

On the numbers crunching front, the Saints went 9-3 overall and 6-1 in North Central
League I. In the CIF North Coast Section Div. IV playoffs, St. Helena defeated
Kelseyville 47-20 and lost 24-7 to eventual champion St. Mary’s (Berkeley). St.
Helena’s opponents had a combined record of 68-56 (54.8% winning percentage) and
an average calpreps.com ranking of -16.13. St. Helena outscored opponents by an
average of 30.6-10.5.

Calistoga went 8-2 overall and 5-1 as members of the NCL II/Bay Football League,
co-champions with St. Vincent (Petaluma), marking the program’s first league title
since 1997. Calistoga lost in the first round of the NCS Div. V playoffs at Ferndale,
50-28, which lost to Valley Christian (Dublin) 34-6 one week later. Wildcats
opponents had a combined record of 51-55 (48.1% winning percentage) with an
average calpreps.com ranking of -22.9. Calistoga outscored opponents by an
average of 40.3-16.6.

The teams had three common opponents: Cloverdale, Tomales and St. Vincent. St.
Helena went 3-0 against those teams beating Cloverdale 28-7, Tomales, 20-0 and
St. Vincent 12-7. Calistoga beat Cloverdale 42-13, Tomales 52-16 and lost 27-14
to St. Vincent.

Since the two teams did not play, I can only wildly speculate even though there are
people on each side of the equation that are convinced their team would have won.
On the league and schedule strength front, neither was overwhelming but I give the
edge to the Saints. The numbers clearly demonstrate. The teams played in a scrimmage
before the season but if you think that reflects how a real game plays out, have another
drink.

As one that covered both teams, I believe I can bring objectivity. Most years, I would
have given St. Helena a pretty considerable edge but in 2013, I don’t think it’s a
two-inch putt. In fact, I think Calistoga would have been good enough to win on a
given day.

If the game was played early in the season, I give Calistoga the edge, but not a big one,
because at the time the Wildcats were playing at a higher level. Calistoga started that
season like a house of fire, outscoring its first three teams (Cloverdale, South Fork and
Swett) by a combined 112-19. St. Helena started 2-1, outscoring teams 46-23. The Saints
were outstanding on defense but offensively couldn’t get out of their own way. St.
Helena was vulnerable enough at the time to be had.

If the teams played each other between Week 4-9, I would have given St. Helena the
edge, but not a huge one. Calistoga was continuing to dominate its next five foes,
outscoring them 249-70. However, watching the Wildcats in that span, I came away
with the feeling that they were maintaining their success but not necessarily getting
better whereas the Saints were on the ascend. St. Helena went 5-1 in a six-game stretch
after the bye with the lone loss coming to eventual NCL I champ Middletown (21-6).
In that span, the Saints offense caught up to their defense, outscoring foes 240-54.

Thereafter, however, I would have given the Saints a fairly sizeable edge. Calistoga
entered its season finale 8-0 with a chance for its first unbeaten regular season since
1987 and a chance to win sole possession of the league title. The Wildcats lost to St.
Vincent 27-14 and flopped in the aforementioned defeat to Ferndale.

St. Helena, meanwhile, defeated Cloverdale 28-7 in the season finale, then Kelseyville
47-20 before the aforementioned loss to St. Mary’s.

Regardless of how one speculates, I look back at the 2013 high school football season
with fondness.