In these parts, specifically, Napa, CA, it is known as The Big
Game.
There is the Blue & Gold side and the Burgundy & Gold side.
The former are the Napa High ….. Grizzlies. To anyone over
the age of 25, they are the Indians. Shot fired. The latter is the
Vintage Crushers.
The 48th version of the Big Game will take place on Friday art
Memorial Stadium. For the first time since 2005, the matchup
involves league title ramifications but a different scenario
involves both teams.
The Crushers are 8-1 overall and 5-0 in Vine Valley Athletic
League. Napa is 7-2 overall and 4-1 in VVAL. For Vintage, win
this game and take sole possession of the league title, which
most likely gets a first round home game for the CIF North
Coast Section Div. II playoffs. For Napa, win this game and
create a potential three-way tie for the title with American
Canyon and Vintage. American Canyon visits the Justin-
Siena Braves. Figuring out playoff scenarios, however, can
be like drinking coffee with a fork. To appreciate the position
the 48th edition of the Big Game sits, you have to take into
account the recent journey.
Rewind to 2005, the two schools were members of the CIF
Sac Joaquin Section and the Monticello Empire League.
Vintage entered the game 5-4. Napa was 9-0 and state ranked.
Entering the contest, however, Vintage had a brutal non league
schedule of Montgomery, Nevada Union, Pittsburg and Deer
Valley, those teams had a combined record of 41-14 and an
average calpreps.com ranking of 31.5. Napa’s opponents had
a record of 21-20-1 with an average calpreps.com ranking of
11.4. When the two teams met, the Crushers stunned Napa
28-7. Perhaps, the win was not as much of an upset as initially
perceived.
Fast forward to 2019, the two teams are in the NCS as members
of the VVAL. Neither team has played a world beater non league
schedule but in this scenario, Vintage has the edge. The Crushers
four non league opponents have an average calpreps.com
ranking of 12.0. Napa’s opponents have an average calpreps.com
rating of minus-5.8.
By no means are these two aforementioned years a consistent
reflection of the two teams strength of schedule, I simply provide
these nuggets for context.
The series has produced some great memories, including but not
limited to 1977, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1989, 1998,
1999, 2001, 2002 and 2017. Those games were all decided by
a touchdown or less.
In recent seasons, however, the matchup has not been compelling
on the field. From 2002-2016, Napa has won 14 of the 15 contests
by an average score of 33.4-11.4 since 2002 before Vintage broke
the spell with a 14-7 win in 2017. In 2018, the Crushers rolled to a
69-14 win on the way to winning sole possession of the Vine Valley
Athletic League. In the aforementioned 2002-2016 stretch, Napa
went 131-44-1 with an SJS 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.
Both programs went in opposite directions. Since starting the Leach
era 2-3 in 2016, the Crushers have gone 28-9. Leach, who is a
1992 Vintage High graduate and longtime assistant before joining
Napa’s staff from 2010-2015, was hired in April 2016. Napa,
meanwhile, went through a myriad of events from a hazing scandal,
four coaching coaches in as many seasons and a mascot change
from Indians to Grizzlies. No need to go into more particulars
because we’ve been down that rabbit hole enough but I mention it
because it is part of the story, for better or worse.
From 2017-2018, the Indians/Grizzlies went 3-6 under Jesus
Martinez (2017) and 0-10 Tom Petitomme (2018). The 2019 season
has brought the well-travelled Richie Wessman. Napa has enjoyed
a bounceback season. If there was one adjective to describe those
currently in the Napa program, particularly the senior class, --
survivors.
The narrative behind Napa’s 2019 success by some has been
because of an easy schedule.
The Grizzlies lone losses were to Nevada Union (20-13 in overtime)
and American Canyon (14-7), teams with a combined record of
13-5. The seven wins Napa has compiled have come against
teams with a combined mark of 23-40. You can debate whether
that narrative is right, wrong, good, bad or indifferent but it is open
for conversation. I am simply stating what others are uttering.
Calpreps.com has installed the Crushers as a 28-21 favorite to win.
Napa has the best player in Brock Bowers. The junior phenom is
getting a truckload of Div. I college scholarship offers. He is a
generational talent. The Crushers have resembled a well-oiled
machine the last three years. Vintage had a de facto bye with its
forfeit win over Sonoma, which had multiple players deemed
ineligible for their role in a melee that took place the previous week
against Petaluma.
I’m not into making definitive predictions at the high school level.
However, there are a few things I find equally true: With a talent like
Bowers, Napa has a puncher’s chance. The week off could be a
minus for Vintage but I simply cannot see Leach and staff having
the Crushers ill-prepared.
Enjoy chapter No. 48 of The Big Game.
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