Time Out with Grant Jacka (2000 Vintage High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Grant Jacka: The thing that I always enjoyed about athletics were the friendships that I made along the way. To this day most of my best friends are guys that I played sports with. These are guys that you worked with for countless hours to achieve a common goal. Share in the ups after a big win and the downs after a crushing loss. These are guys that you've bleed and sweat with in 90 degree weather in August. You know that they will always have your back.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Jacka: Fortunately I was able to continue my football career after high school as I attended college in San Diego, play as long as you can until someone tells you that you can't anymore. Football is one of those sports where you can't really keep playing as you get older unless you're fortunate enough to do it as a profession. Completely different from baseball or basketball where you can always find a place to play as you get older. I ended up finishing school at Sacramento State University with a degree in History. I moved back down to San Diego with my beautiful wife Yasmin in 2008 and have been in the insurance business ever since, as an Employee Benefits Broker.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High?

Jacka: My favorite class was US History by far taught by Dan King. He was easily my favorite teacher as well. History always interested me, probably because my dad was so into it as well, he constantly watched John Wayne or War movies. Just think it's great to know where you came from and all the things that led up to where we are today.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High?

Jacka: My favorite athletic moment was probably my first game playing varsity football as a junior. I grew up with Clint Semrau who was a couple years older than me and was lucky enough to watch him and guys like Conrad Alvarez play on Friday nights at Memorial Stadium. To be able to take over the quarterback job from him as a junior was a pretty amazing feeling. Even though I had been to so many Friday night games at Memorial and playing there in the JV day games, coming out onto the field on a Friday night to a packed stadium was a completely different thing. Took me a few series to calm the nerves but I finally settled in. It was an even better feeling throwing my first touchdown pass, pretty sure it was to Darrick Graeber too. Felt like I belonged after that.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Jacka: I definitely feel I've grown since high school, although I still make sure to have as much fun as I can with a lot of the same people from high school. Pretty cool after all these years and most living in different parts of the state that we make sure to stay in touch. As far as growing though, I would say that I've learned to be more accountable for yourself and your actions than when I was younger. You're only going to get out of life what you put into it. Sports was definitely a key component to getting to that point in my life. You are taught at a young age that the hard work will be rewarded and that you can't rely on others to to achieve the things you want in life.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Jacka: Easily both of my parents here. Seeing my dad work as hard as he did to give us the things that he didn't have growing up and my mom fight as hard as she has in dealing with her health issues really made me appreciate everything that I had growing up. I was afforded many luxuries that some kids just don't get growing up and it's all because of them. It was now my job to make the most of them as a thank you to both my parents. I hope that they are proud of where I am today.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Jacka (smiling): Adolf Hitler, so I could have gotten the chance to kick his ass myself.

Time Out with Corey O'Neil (2000 Napa High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Corey O’Neill: Athletics has always been my outlet. It is a step into another world where the daily trials and tribulations of life have no effect on me so it is just me and the task at hand on the court/field. This has a two part benefit as it is both physically healthy to continue doing as long as I possibly can, but also mentally rewarding as an escape. Sometimes life throws you curve balls and the athletic endeavors I partake in help to bring me back to reality and calm my senses. This was as true growing up in my teen years as it is to this day. To be completely frank, I still play basketball roughly 3-5 times a week. It is my hobby, but more importantly, my therapy at times.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

O’Neill: Since graduating high school, I attended Chico State University where I earned degrees in Political Science, Philosophy and a minor in Ethics. I then moved back to Napa for a while to work in the wine industry as the Tasting Room Manager at Peju Family Vineyards and then Black Stallion Winery upon opening their doors. I also spent a little time at Trefethen Vineyards as well. I moved to Washington DC in January of 2008 after accepting a job at a political public opinion polling and research firm called Greenberg, Quinlan and Rosner Research. It was a great environment for me at the time given my desire to make an impact on democratic politics and my even greater interest in getting then Senator Barack Obama in the White House. After a little more than two years in the District, I had a desire to move back out West and luckily found a home with Tulchin Research in 2010, a similar but much smaller San Francisco based political polling and consulting firm where I still work to this day as an analyst. Think Market Research that leans more towards politics and government policy.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Napa High?

O’Neill: My favorite class at Napa High was either Physics with Mr. (Paul) Dean or my Humanities class with Mrs. (Jenny) Valasopolous. I love that woman, and probably made me want to get in to the degree programs I did in college.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Napa High?

O’Neill: Various home run balls come to mind, but probably earning All-County (twice) and All-League honors for baseball as a show of the work I had put into the game I loved and was a part of me for so long.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

O’Neill: I have grown immensely since high school, some ways better and some ways worse, but I will always value what athletics did for me. The idea of growing and pushing yourself past points you never thought you could mentally and physically is a rewarding aspect for me. I don't think i would have the kind of confidence and toughness I have today without that.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

O’Neill: It is hard for me to give a value to any one member of my family, they all hold a piece of me within my existence. My mom is the rational no-nonsense rock that keeps all of us on the right track. My dad is this genuine soul who would do anything for his kids to make them happy, and for me with regard to athletics, would come home itching to have a catch or pitch whiffle balls to me in the back yard (some of my most cherished days). And then there is my sister... my other mother if you will. She, like I do, embodies a little bit of both our parents and helped me get through some tough times growing up for which I am forever indebted to her. and true to her nature, she continues helping people today in Napa as a social worker who helps improve the lives of the more vulnerable members of the community.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

O’Neill: This is fairly easy for me: Michael Jordan. Besides my immediate family, I don't think any other person had a more powerful influence on me than him in my youth. To me, he embodies success through drive, determination and hard work. And watching him play was some of the most amazing artistry I will ever remember in my lifetime. But a close 2nd and 3rd would be Bertrand Russel or President Obama.  

Time Machine: 1999 Big Game Football (Napa vs. Vintage)

Most multiple high school towns have a rivalry game. The kind where regardless of win-loss record, the game takes on social and athletic elements because people attend that normally couldn’t care less about sports.

In Napa, there is Big Game, which pits Napa and Vintage High. Most consider the best ever Big Game, in football if not all of sports, to be in 1982 when Napa and Vintage were tied atop the Monticello Empire League standings. Back then, it was only league champions going to the CIF Sac Joaquin Section playoffs. Rich Harbison’s 75-yard run lifted Napa to a 7-0 win. I can’t speak for what it was like to cover that game because I was just 9 years old. I can, however, speak for the 1999 edition.

In football, the rivalry has lost much luster the past decade because Napa has won every game decisively since 2006. In fact, Napa has won 11 of 12 head-to-head matchups since 2002. Until that time, however, the rivalry had been on pretty equal footing. I only covered two Big Games in football because I was always on a different beat within Napa and Solano Counties.

As a sports observer, we have games that still pop up in our memory banks years and decades later. The 1999 version of Big Game football, which Vintage won 18-14, is one such game for me.

Setting the stage: Both teams were at the bottom of the MEL standings but Memorial Stadium was a packed house. Napa entered the game 2-6-1 while Vintage was 1-7-1. Napa had gone into a funk after losing 32-0 in the 1997 Big Game that it was favored to win. The Indians came back the next year to go 3-4-3 in 1998. That same year, Vintage went 6-3-1 as the Crushers had the MEL’s top-ranked defense led by coordinator Steve Vargus.

In 1999, both teams had close losses as well as decisive ones. While Napa was not a great team, it was better than it appeared to be. Between the two teams, Vintage had more decisive losses and was ravaged with both injuries and, without going into particulars, dissention.

Since both programs had regularly been serious players in the MEL, and the SJS, it felt strange to see both programs fall to irrelevance in 1999. Vintage won Section titles in 1980 and 1986. Napa reached the Section title game in 1982 and 1994 before losing. The Indians, however, won the section crown in 2007.

I remember double-covering that game with my longtime friend and then colleague Andy Ward. Based on Napa appearing to be a better team than its record, the entire Napa Valley Register sports staff of yours truly, Ward, Marty James and Bryan Hohnstein picked Napa to win that game. Back then, the Register did predictions on high school football games.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: When Napa’s Phil Jeffrey ran for a 33-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put his team in front 14-10, it appeared as though the Indians were ready to take control.

Napa, however, failed to extend the lead, which left the door ajar for Vintage. Just over a couple minutes left in the game, Napa faced third and four from its own 48. Memory escapes me on what the time out situation was but if the Indians get a first down, they shorten the game at worst. Instead, Napa quarterback Matt Wood fumbled and Vintage defensive tackle Darriush Garber recovered.

Moments later, Justin Nunley, who threw for a Big Game record 216 yards, connected with Grant Jacka in the right corner of the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown pass with 1:11 left in the game. Vintage made good on the two-point conversion to go ahead 18-14. When Napa got the ball back, Darrick Graeber intercepted Wood’s pass to seal the win.

Though it’s easy to point to the Nunley-to-Jacka connection, the game was actually lost much earlier. Napa had a chance to go in front 21-10 (17-10 minimum) but thanks to a goal-line stand in which Vintage’s Ryan Hill recovered a fumble, the Indians got nothing.

What it meant: The game meant nothing from a playoff ramification perspective but rivalry games is that they can often define your season. The interesting sidenote of the Nunley-to-Jacka connection is that the two alternated at quarterback earlier in the season and each one took a pounding. The lasting memory I still have of that game was not only the capacity crowd but seeing Jacka, who was battered and bruised by season’s end hoist his younger brother (Cameron) over his shoulders.

Though I am not a believer in bulletin board material, this game was a prime example of how motivation can be a powerful tool. Whether it was the entire Register sports staff (myself included) picking them to lose or just looking to get a season’s worth of frustration out on their rivals, the Crushers had an intangible factor that night. Of course, if Napa takes advantage of its opportunities it’s a much different discussion.

After the season, Jim Costan resigned (or let go depending on who you talk to)  as head coach and Les Franco came back into coaching after being dismissed by Napa 11 years earlier. In 2000, Franco and his staff engineered a turnaround season in which they went 8-3. The Crushers, however, went between 4-6 and 6-4 until his tenure ended in 2006. Napa would struggle the next two seasons in going 7-13. Since 2002, however, Napa has been in the playoffs every season including its aforementioned Section title in 2007.

In the meantime, Vintage is still trying to find its way back to relevance. Since Franco resigned at the end of 2006, the coaching position has been a revolving door while Napa has established a strong culture under Troy Mott and earlier Jerry Dunlap. Billy Smith, Dave Shipp and now Kyle Hoffman attempt to put the Crushers back on the radar.

While the Napa-Vintage rivalry has lost some luster in football, this one night in 1999 was an example of how rivalry games can define a season, good or bad.

Time Out with Robert Archer (St. Helena High 2015 senior)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Robert Archer: I've enjoyed meeting new people, spending time with my friends, and being able to push myself to be the best athlete I can be.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

Archer: I plan to go to college next year and try to walk on for the baseball team.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Archer: I hope to pursue business and accounting just as my father.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at St. Helena High?

Archer: My favorite class this year is anatomy because we get to work dissecting cats throughout the year.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

Archer: My grandfather is the most influential person as I always have tried to be the best to improve and impress every time we met.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

Archer: I would like to meet Teddy Roosevelt as he is my favorite of our countries presidents.

Time Out with Cinthia DeJesus (Calistoga High senior 2015)

Gene Duffy photo

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Cinthia DeJesus: What I've enjoyed most about competing in athletics is the bond that is made in the teams I've played in. We all become so close and that is what makes us a better team, we have better communication and we learn to play as one and not by individual. Whether we lose or win we win as a team and we have fun as a team.

D’Adamo: What are your plans after high school?

DeJesus: My plans for after school are to go to college. It doesn't matter if I go to the Junior College or to a four year, but I do plan to continue going to school. I also plan to travel as much as I can and enjoy life.

D’Adamo: What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

DeJesus: I don't really know what I want to major in because I don't know, yet, what I enjoy most but hopefully I will find out once I'm in college.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Calistoga High?

DeJesus: My favorite class in Calistoga High school has been math class. I never really liked math until I had to retake geometry and I grew to actually like it. Now that I'm in Algebra II, I actually enjoy the class.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people?

DeJesus: The person that has been the most influential in my life has been my oldest sister, Rosa. She worked so hard in high school and she didn't know what she wanted to do for the rest of her life, but working in different jobs she realized that she always liked math and now works in the bank. She made me realize that I won't find my true passion right away, it takes time to find what you like to do.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet.

DeJesus: I would love to meet George Lopez just because he has influenced so many people and is overall a great person. He is super funny and I love his work as an actor

Time Out with Ryan Hill (2000 Vintage High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Ryan Hill: Camaraderie. I started playing team sports in third grade, and learned to set goals and thrive through cooperation, discipline and commitment. In team sports there is the added element of teammates depending on you for participation and performance – which is what happens in the real world.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Hill: My family started making wine in 2001, and after graduating with a degree in Wine Business Strategies from Sonoma State University, I’ve been spearheading the sales and marketing for our family business. I got married to a wonderful woman from San Diego in 2010, and we had our first child (Landon) in 2011. We had our second child (Charlotte) in 2013, and currently reside in Browns Valley. Our goal is to get back to Yountville, which is where I was raised and spent my childhood.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High?

Hill: My favorite classes at Vintage High School were English and US History. Mrs. Key, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Tindell taught these classes, and were able to create an entertaining classroom environment, while still challenging the students.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High?

Hill:  My favorite athletic moment at Vintage High was winning the MEL Championship for Basketball in 2000. It was the first time it had been done since 1977, and hasn’t been done since.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Hill: I trace everything back to athletics. Good coaches are like good bosses, and good employees are like good teammates. At Hill Family Estate, we’ve created a culture that reminds me of the teams I played on at Vintage High. On the championship basketball team I played on in 2000, every player knew their role. We weren’t the most athletic team, but we were well-coached, well-conditioned, and believed that we could beat anyone – at any time. That was a common belief shared between 15 guys that all respected each other, and would go to war for one another. If you look at the current employee roster at my family’s winery, a majority of our employees knew very little about wine prior to being hired. However, they knew how to function on a team, multi-task, take accountability, and have respect for their fellow employees and surroundings. Today, we have very little turnover, and one of the best hospitality programs in the Napa Valley.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Hill: Jennifer Carvalho and Peter Jacobsen have been the most influential people in my life. Both of these individuals believed in me during my childhood, and held the bar extremely high. Jennifer is currently the Recreation Coordinator for the Town of Yountville, and was a second mother for me while growing up. She taught me to swim, coached my sports teams, took me to Scandia, the movie theater, 7-Eleven for slurpee’s after school, etc. She also made sure I did my homework before playing with my friends. Peter Jacobsen is a dentist and lived in San Francisco during the week. He and his wife Gwenny owned a small plot of land that they farmed next door to my home. On the weekends, I would go over to Peter’s house and he would teach me all sorts of things. We planted vegetables, drove a tractor, harvested produce, pruned trees, and sold fruits and vegetables to the local restaurants. While we did these activities, he would ask me all sorts of questions about life, which most adults wouldn’t ask kids – simply because most adults treat kids as kids, and not as an adult. This process evoked a lot of thought, and helped me gain confidence and self-esteem. I wasn’t allowed to answer Peter’s questions with a question mark on the end. I always had to answer with a period, and be confident in the answer I delivered. His motto is work is play, and play is work. This is something I’ve fostered in my life that helps me maintain balance, and allows me to enjoy every moment in everything I do.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Hill: I would like to meet Michael Jordan. He was/is my idol, and a big reason why the No. 23 is so meaningful in my life.

Time Out with Chris Tamayo (2001 Vintage High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?

Chris Tamayo: My favorite part about competing was the team camaraderie that was built during the season and after. You become pretty close as a family on the football field. We all had the same goals and shed blood, sweat, and tears together to achieve those goals.

D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?

Tamayo: After high school I moved on from football. I started doing some martial arts because I missed competing and eventually after college I joined the Marine Corps. I found that my time in the Marine Corps was another organization surrounded by like-minded individuals looking to accomplish the same goals and shared hardship to serve their country. I am currently a Deputy U.S. Marshal and of course law enforcement is another organization like the others I have been a part of.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High?

Tamayo: Math and science were always my strong subjects.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High?

Tamayo: I have two favorite moments/games that I'll never forget. The homecoming game of my senior year against Vallejo would be one. They had an amazing rushing attack with Draak Davis and Phil Goodman. Defensively we practiced hard and studied their lineman even harder. The way they pulled their lineman made it easy to read and step up in the hole and defeat the run. I was a linebacker and remember we were able to shut them down like no other team could. It still was a close game but we edged it out. My other favorite was going out my senior year beating Napa High of course.

D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?

Tamayo: I have grown leaps and bounds since high school and a lot of that started with what football taught me. Things don't come easy in life, you have to work hard to achieve your goals. It also helped develop my leadership style that I ended up bringing to the Marines.

D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?

Tamayo: My mom, dad, and sister have all been the most influential people. They have always been there to support me in sports, school, and through my career. I wouldn't be where I am today without their love and support.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Tamayo: I'd probably say Vince Lombardi. That man was a great leader and new how to inspire his team.