Thursday, May 16, 2019

2019 nonleague schedule breakdown: American Canyon Wolves

Reporter’s note: This is the first in a series looking at the nonleague
footballschedule breakdown of Napa Valley high school programs.
Today, the focusis the American Canyon Wolves.


Like it’s Vine Valley Athletic League brethren Napa and Vintage, the
Wolves have digested a full season of the CIF North Coast Section after
spending its previous eight in the Sac Joaquin Section. Despite having
four different head coaches in that span, the Wolves have gone 61-34.
American Canyon enters its second season under current head coach
John Montante.


The Wolves went 6-6 last season, recovering from an 0-4 start to finish
the regular season 5-5 with the lone remaining loss coming to VVAL
champion Vintage, 28-14. American Canyon defeated Montgomery
(Santa Rosa) 43-29 before falling to Rancho Cotate (Rohnert Park),
55-7 in the NCS Div. III playoffs.


Before each high school football season, one of the most comical things
to listen to is fans, parents and even coaches talking about their team’s
strength of scheduleor someone else’s lack of schedule strength. On
paper, however, American Canyon’s nonleague schedule has an addition
by subtraction -- no more Inderkum Tigers. The Wolves blasted
Inderkum 54-19 in 2016. That win catapulted American Canyon to
an 11-2 season and a trip to the SJS Div. III semifinals. The other
three matchups, however, the Tigers got the better of American
Canyon by a combined 165-6.


Each time I hear such sentiments I ask myself, “OK, and what exactly
are you basing your statement on?” Is it last year’s record? Is it based
on how many starters a team has returning? Even though an opponent
is subpar now are you basing it on remembering them as a powerhouse
from a different time?


The formula yours truly is using for breaking down the nonleague slates
is looking at last season’s record and the collective mark of the past five
seasons. In addition, what are that team’s trends within the five-year
period? Is that record skewed by one really good or bad season? The
problem with solely going by last season’s record is that one season
does not transfer to the next? Also, the formula is not prediction based.
I simply provide information and you can draw your own conclusion.


Here’s a closer look as the Wolves four nonleague foes are a combined
121-108 the last five years and went 25-19 in 2018:


AT DEER VALLEY


Aug. 23


Deer Valley has not had a winning season since 2013, when the Wolverines
went 11-2 to reach the NCS Div. I semifinals. Deer Valley is 14-36 since
that season. The Wolverines went 4-6 in 2018 which included a 36-21 win
at American Canyon to begin the season. Deer Valley, however, competes
in a loaded Bay Football League with Liberty (Brentwood), Antioch,
Pittsburg and Freedom (Oakley).


VS. ST. PATRICK’S


Aug. 30


This matchup makes you want to play revisionist history and ask, “Where
was this in 2016?” Of course, hindsight is always 20-20. That season,
the Wolves went 11-2 and advanced to the semifinals of the SJS Div.
III playoffs. The Bruins went 13-3 and were the CIF State champs,
winning the 6-A bowl game. Watching the Div. III Wolves against the
Div. V Bruins would have been interesting. The 2018 version of both
teams were distant cousins with each team going 6-6. The Bruins are
36-28 the previous five years but that record is skewed based on a 24-5
mark in 2016-2017.


AT AMADOR VALLEY


Sept. 7


The Dons are a prime example of fair to midland. Amador Valley has
gone 34-24 the previous five seasons, 5-6 on the low end to 8-3 a year
ago, including a 42-13 win at American Canyon.


VS. WILL C. WOOD


Sept. 14

These two teams have a lot of history and a crossover history angle.
For openers, Wood has gone 37-20 the past five years with a 10-2 season
in 2015 skewing that mark ever so slightly. Though the Wildcats have
been perennially viewed as Ticket No. 2 in Vacaville, having their own
on-campus stadium has changed the perception on some level. American
Canyon and Wood have met five times the last five seasons with the
Wildcats winning three, including last season’s 28-22 victory. Wood
hired Kirk Anderson as its head coach. Anderson was an American
Canyon assistant under Larry Singer in 2017.

No comments:

Post a Comment