2019 nonleague football schedule breakdown: Napa Grizzlies

This is the third story in a series featuring nonleague schedules for

Napa Valley high school football teams. Today, the focus is the Napa
Grizzlies:

What was once a picture of stability has become a revolving door. The
Napa High football team under only four coaching changing from
1979-2016 (Les Franco, Bob Herlocker, Jerry Dunlap and Troy Mott).
The Grizzlies are undergoing their fourth coaching change in as many
seasons.

After Mott resigned, Jesus Martinez and Tom Petithomme each coached
for one season, 2017 and 2018 respectively. Enter Richie Wessman, who
was hired in January.

Napa has gone from a perennial contender to also ran overnight. The
reasons for the decline are many that we will not rehash because it has
been written and talked about ad nauseum.

The Grizzlies have gone 3-16 the last two seasons, including 0-10 a year
ago for the first time since 1955. Napa’s win came on Oct. 27, 2017, when
it was known as the Indians.

On the surface, however, the Grizzlies would appear to be in the position
of an immediate turnaround. What that translates into from a win-loss
standpoint who knows? However, a season with a record North of .500
appears to be a strong possibility.

For openers, the Grizzlies’ varsity team, which had 28 players last season
(plus or minus a few), is getting a big lift in that the JV team. Napa’s JV
went 7-2-1, winning a share of the Vine Valley Athletic League with
crosstown rival Vintage, whom it played to a 14-14 tie in the Big Game.
Granted, JV success does not always translate on varsity but in this case
it provides optimism because last year’s JV team had about 45 players
(plus or minus a few).

Other reasons for optimism is the return of the freshmen football team,
which went away last season due to lack of numbers. Considering that
the VVAL is not exactly Murderer’s Row coupled with a favorable
nonleague schedule, the seeds are in place for a bounceback season.
Granted, the Grizzlies have to prove it on the field but the ingredients
are there to take advantage. Napa’s nonleague opponents have a combined
record of 77-131 the past five seasons and went 22-22 in 2018. Here’s a
closer look:

AUGUST 23

AT MIDDLETOWN

On the surface, it is strange to see a Div. II team like the Grizzlies matching
up against a Div. V team like Middletown. Though if you like the small
town, Friday Night Lights feel that resembles Mid-America, Middletown is
a great experience. The Mustangs are a long-time small school powerhouse
under head coach Bill Foltmer. Middletown went 11-3 last season on the
way to winning the CIF North Coast Section Div. V title and has gone
42-18 the last five seasons. The biggest advantage the Grizzlies will have
in this game is fewer players going both ways, meaning offense and defense.

AUGUST 30

VS. NEVADA UNION (GRASS VALLEY)

If you are looking for a “how the mighty have fallen” story, look no further
than the Miners. Nevada Union was once a program that made other teams
tremble. Those days are long gone. Jefferson Heidelberger is not walking
through the door, fans. The Miners have gone 11-39 the last five seasons
with 3-7 being the high water mark in that time. Nevada Union’s last
playoff appearance was 2012 and the last winning campaign was 2011.
The two teams have played in each of the last three seasons. Napa won
the 2016 matchup 35-34 in overtime. The Miners won 14-13 and 59-34
in 2017 and 2018 respectively.

SEPTEMBER 6

AT VALLEJO

The third oldest rivalry in California is being revisited for the first time
since 2013. The last time the two teams met they were known as the Indians
and Apaches. The teams were long time combatants as members of the
Monticello Empire League and continued to play each other as nonleague
opponents when Vallejo, which is now the Redhawks, moved to the now
disbanded Solano County Athletic Conference. The series was discontinued
in large part because it was so one sided. Between 2002-2013, Napa won
by an average score of 43.1-to-13.5. Like Napa, Vallejo shifted from the Sac
Joaquin Section to the North Coast Section beginning in the 2018-2019
school year. Vallejo’s last winning season was 2005. The Redhawks,
who compete in the Tri County League’s Stone Division, went 4-6 in 2018
and are 11-38 the last five years.

SEPTEMBER 13

VS. ARMIJO (FAIRFIELD)

This game will be played on Friday The 13th and this matchup has been a
house of horrors for Armijo, which like Napa will soon to be no longer
known as the Indians. The two teams met as long time members of the
MEL, where Armijo still competes. The Indians last non-losing season
was 2006 (5-5) and last winning season was 2005 (8-2). Armijo is 13-36
the last five years and went 4-6 last year. The last four head-to-head
meetings, Napa won by an average score of 58.3-to-9.6.