Sometimes a program has that watershed moment. For Vintage (Napa) High football, that time might have come on Friday night at Memorial Stadium with a 28-27 come-from-behind win over the Wood (Vacaville) Wildcats.
The timing of the win could not have been better. For openers, the Crushers improve to 5-4 overall and 3-1 in Monticello Empire League. Vintage has won three of its last four heading into its game against Napa, otherwise known in these parts as The Big Game. With a win, Vintage can earn at least a share of the MEL title for the first time since 2005. That season, the MEL had a three-way tie atop the standings with Vintage, Napa and Vacaville each going 4-1 in league. Vintage generated that deadlock with a 28-7 win over Napa. The mere fact that a shared MEL crown is on the table for the Crushers is significant.
As for the win over Wood, to appreciate the victory, you have to comprehend the process. The Crushers trailed 27-17 with three minutes left. Abdeil Ballines’ field goal made it 27-20 with 2:36 remaining. Vintage forced a three-and-out and took over at the Wood 22.
With 5.3 seconds left in the contest Isaiah Garcia connected with Ryan Salmon for a 9-yard touchdown pass, making it 27-26 Wood. From there, Vintage’s first-year head coach Dylan Leach had a decision to make. Do you kick the extra point to force overtime? Do you go for the two-point conversion, a la Jack Del Rio or Tom Osborne, and go for the win? Leach chose the latter and Triston Schaumkel rewarded him by scoring on the two-point conversion.
Regardless of outcome, Leach’s decision to go for the win that very moment was the best move. I know the narrative is going to be, “OK, Vince, he’s a genius if it works and a dummy if it doesn’t.” That outlook though is short-sighted. When I see a coaching decision, I don’t look at the outcome to decide if it’s good or bad. I look at the reason behind it.
Leach could have opted to kick the extra point and force overtime. Even if Vintage lost, very few would have faulted him. That move would have been considered “playing the percentages. By going for the two-point conversion, he put all of his chips on the table. Let’s be honest, if the Crushers do not succeed on that two-point conversion, Leach would have been railroaded by a segment of people. By making that move, Leach’s message was, “we’re going to win this game right here and have no regrets because I believe in you.”
With decisions like that, players will follow Leach wherever he goes. If Crusher players do not “buy in” now, I don’t think they ever will. However, I believe they do. Those in Napa know Leach’s story. He’s a 1992 Vintage High graduate, all-MEL, member of Vintage’s coaching staff under Les Franco and Billy Smith. Then he donned the Blue and Gold from 2010-2015 as defensive coordinator. When Kyle Hofmann resigned after three seasons amid allegations that he provided supplements (specifically Creatine) to players that can legally be purchased at stores but per the California Interscholastic Federation, coaches are prohibited to provide to players, the Vintage administration reached out to Leach.
One has to understand that culture changes do not happen overnight. Look at Napa, Mott took over a ready-made situation at Napa, which had gone 37-9-2 under Jerry Dunlap from 2002-2005. Since taking over in 2006, Mott has gone 93-33 entering the 2016 version of Big Game. In that same span, Mott has added to that legacy and culture while Vintage has had five coaching changes in 10 seasons including Leach.
It should also be noted that the outward seeds of Vintage’s culture change could be seen on Oct. 14 when Vintage narrowly lost to traditional MEL powerhouse Vacaville 29-20. Despite losing to the Bulldogs by an average margin of 49.7-14.8 since 2006, Leach did not do any gladhand moral victory narratives. I have never believed in moral victories but I do believe some losses are more honorable than others and the Crushers have had plenty of dishonorable ones.
Big Game is next. This event has been a house of horrors for the Crushers. What was once an anticipated event has turned into, how does Napa get tuned up for the playoffs? Make no mistake, Big Game will draw big numbers at the gate. It’s a social event as much as an athletic event. However, on the field, Big Game has not been compelling. Napa has won 12 of the last 13 meetings, mostly in decisive fashion.
To use a stock market term, Vintage is “trending up.” Will that translate into beating Napa? Who knows. Napa is the favorite and has earned that right but Vintage may very well at least narrow the gap.
Football in the Napa Valley is rich in tradition from the big schools to the small schools. I have long admired Mott as a coach and his program. I have also developed admiration for American Canyon establishing its mark in a short period of time. The Wolves can win their fifth Solano County Athletic Conference title in six seasons with a win over Vallejo on Friday. However, count me among those that hopes Vintage continues to ascend and if you are a Napa Valley resident that’s what you should want because it is good for local football. You don’t want to have what is happening in Fairfield or Vallejo, where local high school football is a hot mess.
