Time machine: 1999 football playoffs Calistoga vs. St. Bernard (NCS Class B title)

To admire an accomplishment means to appreciate the journey. If you followed Calistoga High football in the 1990s, you experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

The team’s 22-18 win over the St. Bernard (Eureka) Crusaders at St. Helena High two days after Thanksgiving in 1999 for the CIF North Coast section Class B title was a representation of that journey. The team was knocked to the canvas early but rose off the deck for a triumphant victory, marking the Wildcats first section title in football since 1978.

Setting the stage: The program had fallen on hard times from 1992-1995 before Dan Conner took over as head coach in 1996. Conner had been the Wildcats head coach from 1974-1977 and was also an assistant coach for several seasons. Conner infused a phrase known as “Restore the Roar.” Calistoga reached the NCS Class B playoffs in 1996 and 1997 only to get ousted in the first round by St. Bernard (Eureka) and Ferndale respectively.

In 1998, the Wildcats went 8-2 in the regular season and would get yet another four-hour bus-ride to Humboldt County for the third straight postseason. This time against St. Bernard, which ended Calistoga’s 1996 season with a 29-14 loss. In 1998, however, Calistoga upset St. Bernard 14-6 to reach the NCS Class B title game, only to get whitewashed 25-0 against Tomales.

The Wildcats would return 17-of-23 starters in 1999. Every mile they ran, every hour they spent in the weight-room was focused on completing unfinished business from the previous season. Calistoga would also move up from the North Central League III to the NCL II. The Wildcats went 24-8-1 in NCL III and 9-2 one year later in NCL II. Calistoga also went 2-1 against NCL I clubs that season.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: St. Bernard took a 12-0 lead as running back Dustin Echevaria scored on a 69-yard touchdown run and quarterback Alton Tomlin’s 1-yard run.

Calistoga closed the gap to 12-8 on Ernesto Marron’s 68-yard touchdown run with Loren Brown, Juan Mora and Adrian Orozco opening up the hole. Ben Alfaro added the two-point conversion.

The Crusaders then went in front 18-8 as Echevaria scored on a 79-yard run on a draw play with 1:21 left in the first half. The game was looking like shades of the previous season’s title game loss to Tomales.

St. Bernard, however, would not score the rest of the night. Late in the third quarter, Calistoga faced fourth-and-goal at the St. Bernard 1-yard line. Conner did not hesitate, he kept the offense on the field. Alfaro scored on a 1-yard run off-tackle with Mike McCloskey and Randy Tscharner leading the way. Alfaro added the two-point conversion, making it 18-16 St. Bernard.

Calistoga took the lead with 8:56 left in the contest. Facing second-and-15 from the Crusader 16, quarterback Jake Blakeley fired pass toward Tscharner, who climbed the imaginary ladder to haul in the pass at the goal-line for the touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good, putting Calistoga in front 22-18.

What I remember most about that drive was Marron’s 15-yard run. However, it was not just any 15-yard run. I remember him bouncing the run outside the tackles toward the sideline with St. Bernard defensive back Jeffrey Prudomme in his sights. Marron’s eyes looked like they were bulging out of his head and he barreled into Prudomme near the Calistoga sideline. Just seeing the emotion on the Calistoga sideline gave one the belief this was the Wildcats’ night.

Calistoga looked poised to ice the game when recovering an Alfaro blocked punt at the St. Bernard 15 but Marron’s fumble gave the Crusaders’ possession and new life with just under four minutes left in the game.

On second-and-17, Tomlin connected with Echevaria for a 49-yard aerial to the Calistoga 35. The Crusaders then faced fourth-and-18 from the Calistoga 43, Tomlin threw a long pass down the right sideline toward Prudomme. Thanks to hearing footsteps from Drew Bohan and Alfaro, the pass landed incomplete.

The Wildcats later completed the dream “victory” formation.

What it meant: Despite its peaks and valleys since the turn of the century, Calistoga football has reached the postseason five times in nine seasons since 2006 (twice each under Mike Ervin and Paul Harrell). However, this victory in 1999 was the Wildcats’ last postseason win.

Games and seasons like this, illustrate how much high school football success means in a small community like Calistoga because there is only one high school. Years like this one also illustrate that when you have a mixture of talent, coaching and team chemistry, it behooves you to take advantage of your window of opportunity. 

Time Out with Alex Quirici (University of Oregon rugby player)

Vince D’Adamo: What is your major at the University of Oregon and how close are you to graduating?

Alex Quirici: I’m studying Economics and minoring in Journalism. I’ll be graduating this coming June.

D’Adamo: When did you first take an interest in rugby and what position do you play?

Quirici: I would have to say I started to take a serious interest in rugby towards the end of my sophomore year in college. I have to thank the members of the local “St. Helena Old Boy’s Rugby Football Club” for encouraging me to try out for the team. Members such as Bert Casten, Neil Bason, Dr. David Gold, Duane Hoff, etc. were the ones who got me to really think about pursing the sport. I joined the team at the beginning of my junior year. My position is Outside Center (Back).

D’Adamo: What is the class/practice/games balance like?

Quirici: Balancing academics and sports is something that I’ve been doing for most of my life but college academics has definitely made balancing the two a little more difficult. During our regular season (winter term) is when balancing the two is by far the most difficult. We practice most days of the week and then travel for a majority of our matches on the weekends. Away matches take up most of our weekend, so it’s important that I get my schoolwork done during the beginning of the week. College is all about time management so you learn to balance everything out.

D’Adamo: How much overlap is there between rugby and football as far as object of game and rules?

Quirici: There are definitely some similarities between the two. The main objective in both of them is to get into the end zone. This zone is referred to as the “try-zone” in rugby. A “try” is worth five points. A “try” in rugby closely resembles a “touchdown” in football.  After a try is scored, a “conversion” kick (worth 2 points) is attempted. So the scoring system is fairly similar to football. The offense in rugby closely resembles the backwards lateralling that occurs by a losing team at the end of a football game. In rugby you can only pass the ball backwards but you’re allowed to kick the ball forward to advance downfield. Overall, I wouldn’t say there isn’t a huge overlap between the two, but it’s safe to say growing up playing football has definitely helped me with my rugby endeavors.

D’Adamo: With all the talk of player safety in football with regard to concussions, is it true that rugby is actually safer without helmets in that you have to be more conservative with fundamentals?

Quirici: As far as concussions go, I can say for certain that I’ve seen more concussions in football than I have in rugby. With football you get this sense of feeling invincible since your body is covered with padding, but with rugby you don’t have the “unbreakable” mentality. When you’re delivering or a receiving a hit in rugby you have to be smart about the positioning of your body in order to embrace yourself for the impact. For instance, in rugby we are taught to place our heads behind the ball carrier when making a tackle. We often refer to this method as “cheek-to-cheek”. In football we were taught to place your head in front of the ball carrier when tackling. I’ve read into the topic and have learned that football coaches at all levels of the game are now advising their players to carry out rugby style tackling in order to reduce head injuries.

D’Adamo: You experienced a ton of team and individual success at St. Helena High. Looking back four years later, how of that bonds with teammates and coaches exist to this day?

Quirici: I’m very lucky to still be extremely close with my high school teammates as well as my coaches. Coach Brandon Farrell, who was my football and baseball coach during high school made the long trek up to Eugene, Oregon to watch one of my matches this year. Just this past week, I played in Boise, Idaho and was lucky enough to have three of my high school teammates come cheer me on. I was fortunate enough to grow up and play sports with a great group of guys. I’m grateful for all of our team success and the relationships I was able to build along the way.

D’Adamo: Having experienced life away from St. Helena, what is it like when you return to visit?

Quirici: It’s a really special treat when I get the chance to come back home. One of the biggest takeaways from going away to school is how lucky I am to grow up in a town like I did. Unfortunately, I don’t get home too much besides on long school breaks, but when I do return home I instantly realize how blessed I am to call St. Helena my home. I think you have to move away in order to really appreciate how special the valley is.

Stabler, Favre two legends we can relate to as people

As sports fans, we are guilty of putting our heroes on such a pedestal that we forget they are still regular human beings.

One thing I scratch my head at is when I hear people grovel, “They make millions, they should be able to deal with that!” To quote Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend!” As working middle-class stiffs, we can’t relate to making millions. However, if you are sitting in a restaurant having dinner with your family and someone asks for your autograph or picture, I doubt you would be in the best mood either.

I had a chance to cover sports at virtually every level, from NFL to youth. When I covered the Oakland Raiders for six years as a freelance writer (from 1999-2005), I would frequently get comments to the effect of, “You must be in awe being around those stars.” Honestly, nothing could be further from the truth. What I found is that if you treat them like regular human beings, they like it much better.

We think so much of how we can’t relate to professional athletes that we often lose sight of how we can. Take the two quarterbacks that will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016 – Brett Favre and Ken Stabler.

Each one led their franchise to one Super Bowl title but their paths to Canton, Ohio, are a little different. Favre played for 20 seasons, was an 11-time Pro Bowler and three-time NFL MVP. Favre retired as the NFL’s all-time leading passer and was named first-team All-Pro three straight years. Favre’s resume was so off the charts that he is a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer.

Stabler played 15 NFL seasons and compiled an impressive winning percentage of .661. Stabler was the first quarterback since the NFL-AFL merger to lead his team to five consecutive conference title games. He was All-Pro and NFL MVP in 1974 and 1976. Stabler’s induction is sort of bitter-sweet in that it comes after passing away in July 2015.

I don’t think there’s any question that Stabler’s passing played a huge role in swaying voters that were against his candidacy in years past. However, I also think that because his resume is similar to Joe Namath’s, it begged the question of “If Namath is in the Hall of Fame, Stabler should be there as well.” I’m guilty of having such a stance.  

Like Stabler, Namath led his team to one Super Bowl championship that Namath is best known for “guaranteeing a win.” Namath was selected to four AFL All-Star Games and one Pro Bowl.

True, the average working class adult can’t relate to becoming NFL quarterbacks but when you look at how Stabler and Favre did it, they become much more relatable.

Think back to when you were a kid throwing the football around in the backyard. The scenarios you often played out in your mind was being a quarterback leading your team to victory on the last drive. When it came to baseball, you dreamed of hitting a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning. When it came to basketball, you dreamed of hitting that buzzard-beating shot to win the game.

When it came to quarterbacks, I pretended to be Joe Montana. I would take the imaginary snap from center and drop back to pass while uttering in my brain, “There goes D’Adamo back to pass.”

Long story as to why the common person can relate to doing what Favre and Stabler did is this, how many games did you watch Favre or Stabler throw a pass and say, “What the hell are you thinking?” Then when you need to go 80 yards with no time outs and two minutes left, those guys could flawlessly march their team down the field on the way to victory.

The average person, however, can’t fathom completing 28-of-35 passes for 375 yards and five touchdowns like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning.

However, you can relate to Favre and Stabler throwing back a few cold pilsners and, in Stabler’s case, lighting up a Marlboro, then going out the next day to play a game. 

Time machine: 1998 volleyball playoffs -- Ceres at Vintage

Sometimes the team that’s ahead is more vulnerable than the team that is behind. You hear so often about how momentum can be fragile in that once it is lost, it is hard to regain.

In 1998, I had a chance to witness that as the Vintage (Napa, CA) Crushers hosted the Ceres (Ceres, CA) Bulldogs in a CIF Sac Joaquin Section Div. I volleyball playoff match. Vintage was the No. 8 seed and Ceres was the No. 9 seed. The winner would face a trip to play No. 1 seeded Lincoln (Stockton, CA) two nights later, not what one would call a reward but if you are on the court, you might as well try to win and make memories. On this night, Vintage rallied for an 8-15, 9-15, 15-8, 15-4, 15-5 win over Ceres.

Setting the stage: The Crushers were in a ‘tweener like position throughout the season in that they were good enough to beat the lower end teams in the Monticello Empire League like Armijo, Fairfield, Vallejo, Hogan but had difficulty with the higher end teams like Napa and Vacaville. No shame there but it depicts the position Vintage faced.

The team’s resume wound up amounting to a No. 8 seed in a 16-team postseason bracket.

One other side note, high school volleyball in California was played under the sideout scoring format before going to the rally scoring formula a couple of years later. In the sideout format, only the serving team can score. In rally scoring, either the serving or receiving team can score.

Thumbnail sketch of the match: The first two games, Ceres’ athleticism shined in winning several long rallies. In Game 1, Vintage took a 7-5 lead before the Bulldogs scored 10 of the last 11 points. The wind continued to be at the Bulldogs’ back in Game 2 as Ceres took an 11-2 lead. Vintage rallied to cut the lead to 11-9 but got no closer.

Facing a 2-0 hole also meant that the Crushers faced elimination for the rest of the match. Vintage came out with a balanced attack as Kristen Max and Raquel Cantillon delivered blocks at the net. Lyzzy Barkas and Lisa Schwarze supplied the defense and setter Ashley Mason directed the offense and served in outstanding fashion.

The Crushers had two 5-0 runs in Game 3 on the way to a 15-8 win. What I remember most was thinking whoever wins Game 4 will win the match. If Ceres won, the match would have ended. If Vintage had won, I felt it would win Game 5 because the force was on its side.

In Game 4, the Crushers broke Ceres’ will. The game started with a Mason service ace and ended with a Cantillon kill as the Crushers won 15-5.

Vintage had momentum and the home crowd on its side. The Crushers dominated Game 5 with a 15-5 win. Ceres had the body language of a defeated club.

What it meant: In the long run, very little. Two nights later, Vintage lost in straight sets to a Lincoln team that steamrolled its way to an SJS Div. I title. No shame there. Vintage was behind the eight-ball from jump, both playing the No. 1 seed in their building and having to expend every last ounce of energy to get there.

The win over Ceres was a reminder in that as Yogi Berra once said, “it ain’t over until it’s over.” The match also served as a reminder that it’s a matter of perspective. From a Vintage point of view, the match could be seen as a great comeback. From a Ceres standpoint, it was a collapse.

The middle ground answer, however, is that momentum is fragile. While I am no volleyball expert, I find the comeback in rally scoring format even more impressive than had come in rally scoring format. With rally scoring, momentum is especially fragile. With sideout scoring, momentum is harder to build. 

Time Out with Dan Hayes (CSN Chicago)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about being connected with athletics throughout your life either as an athlete or journalist?

Dan Hayes: I've always loved sports and even though this is a job that can be very stressful at times, it rarely feels like work. How can it be work when part of my job is to go grab a postgame beer to discuss baseball and that counts as preparation for the next day?  I know I'm very fortunate to work in a field that I love being around. Prior to working in sports journalism, I had a retail job and worked at a bank. I feel like those experiences have helped me to not take this job for granted.

D’Adamo: Which sports did you play competitively in high school?

Hayes: I was a terrible athlete. The furthest I went was trying out for my frosh basketball team and those dreams of a spot far down on the bench were wiped out by a severe ankle sprain several days before it was time for final cuts. My baseball career was done early and was forgettable at best.

D’Adamo: Even with the changing state of the media industry, what keeps you coming back every year?

Hayes: This one probably goes back to the first answer. But I'll say this, the changes in the industry have been a driving force for me. While I won't say I love change, it hasn't been so overwhelming that I refuse to make an effort. I remember when Twitter burst onto the scene and how I waited a while to jump on board. But it wasn't long before I realized that it gave me an equal voice. Even though my paper was 1/4 the size of our biggest competitor, I could break news and receive credit for it that was difficult before social media. Five years ago I worked for a newspaper and occasionally blogged. Now, I blog, do radio and TV hits and use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram to promote my work. I'm likely to add Periscope to my duties this season on occasion.

D’Adamo: You have covered a wide range of sports from high school to the NFL, how much have you enjoyed all for different reasons?

Hayes: Thirteen years ago I was the Bethel High football beat guy (just missed out on C.J. Anderson). I loved covering that team and the Vallejo High hoops team in the year after DeMarcus Nelson left. Loved that story and seeing the team make a strong run in the playoffs. High school sports offers you a level of access that you rarely find in pro sports.

I also did motor sports and MMA, which was interesting from the perspective of being a fish out of water. I knew nothing about either before I took over and really enjoyed learning on the fly.

Baseball is great, but it can be difficult because it's such a long season. Trying to find new ideas to write about in August for a 99-loss team is next to impossible. The travel schedule is just as difficult, though it has become easier now that I'm in the middle of the country as opposed to San Diego.

D’Adamo: What is it like covering sports in Chicago?

Hayes: It's pretty amazing. For the most part, people are very passionate about their sports teams. They tune out if teams stink, but they still seem to care. That's a nice change from San Diego, where if the team is done, people tune out early and instead focus on all the other things they could be doing. I can't blame them, San Diego is an amazing place to live and I'd much rather be hiking or riding a bike than paying attention to an offense that averaged under 4 runs a game when I was there.

D’Adamo: How much of a shadow do the 1985 Bears and 1990s Bulls still cast?

Hayes: They definitely still swing a big stick around here, but not as much with the Blackhawks having won three recent titles. That '85 Bears team will always be loved as will Jordan and Pippen and the rest. But you get the sense that people are tired of talking about the past and want some new memories made. You could see it with how hungry everyone was during the Cubs playoff run last year.

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

Hayes: Easily my parents. Both were educators. My dad taught 7th/8th grade English and my mom was an administrator. And both are huge sports fans. Beyond that, my cousins were really good baseball players, both playing in college. That combination definitely influenced where I am now.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Hayes: I'd love to meet President Obama when he gets out of office. He's a huge White Sox fan and fancies himself a basketball player. I'd love to talk to him about his thoughts on the White Sox and just how he has dealt (very nicely I might add) with all the hatred he has received over the years. Not only is he our first African American president, he's our first true Commander in Chief to be in office during the social media age. 

Time Out with Phil Barber (Santa Rosa Press Democrat sports reporter)

Vince D’Adamo: What have you enjoyed most about being connected with athletics throughout your life either as an athlete or journalist?

Phil Barber: I enjoy sorting out the drama of athletics -- and there is always drama. In the locker room, in the front office, and especially on the field or in the gym. Any game you cover, a narrative story line seems to emerge. Sometimes it's heartbreaking, sometimes comical, sometimes just exciting. But sports creates real drama more than almost any other subject you could cover.

D’Adamo: Which sports did you play competitively in high school?

Barber: I played football as a freshman and sophomore but gave up on that when I realized the practices were really hard, and that I wasn't going to play much. So after that I stuck to baseball. Good fielder. No power at the plate.

D’Adamo: Even with the declining state of the newspaper industry, what keeps you coming back every year?

Barber: In large part, the camaraderie. That's in the Press Democrat newsroom, where I see really talented and committed journalists trying like hell to cover the area we live in, despite our economic limitations. And that goes for the press box, too, where my colleagues always make me laugh and teach me things about sports.

D’Adamo: You cover such a wide range of sports from college to pro to high school? Do you enjoy each for different reasons?

Barber; I do, yes, but I will say this: When it comes to game coverage, I prefer the pros because there is so much more at stake, and I can feel comfortable criticizing them when warranted. When it comes to feature writing, though, a good story is a good story, whether it's about an Oakland Raider, a Sonoma State Seawolf or a kid at Montgomery High. And I love the emotion the high school kids put into their sports.

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

Barber: My parents were both good people and eager sports fans, so they got me started, but two other relatives were integral to my career path. My Uncle, Rowland Barber, was a very successful writer; he wrote, among other notable books, Harpo Marx's autobiography (..."with Rowland Barber") and "Somebody Up There Likes Me," with the boxer Rocky Graziano. Uncle Rowland was nothing but encouraging about my writing, and he was a great sounding board. And my older brother, Stephan Blom-Cooper, was another writer who seemed to delight in every stupid thing I penned. Unfortunately, both are no longer with us.

D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports, that you would most like to meet. What would intrigue you about meeting him or her?

Barber: Hope you don't mind me going non-sports, but I would have loved to meet Woody Guthrie. He stood his ground and advocated tirelessly for the workers of America when it wasn't necessarily popular, and he did it with an acoustic guitar and a twinkle in his eye. And Woody did write a song about Joe DiMaggio.

Legislating social media a challenge even at younger levels of sports

For the longest time I was naïve enough to think that covering sports at the youth and high school levels are much different than college or pro.

To a certain extent that aspect is true, because while high school recruiting websites defy common sense, covering sports at that level still generally lends itself to having one-on-one interviews after games — as opposed to postgame press conferences that resemble state-of-the-union addresses with a beehive of hundreds of media outlets.

Let’s face it, any coach will feel much more comfortable talking to reporters in a one-on-one setting as opposed being in a crowd of hundreds of people. Now, social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have found their way to the youth sports setting.

For those not familiar, Facebook is a social networking website geared toward posting one’s personal background on the Internet for reasons that include — but are not limited to — meeting new people or reconnecting with those from other pockets of your life.

Anyhow, there are status updates that contain thoughts or simply what one is doing on that day. It can be things like, “I’m looking forward to going to the park with my kids,” or, “Why have our last two presidents been so bad?”

I joined the whole social media quagmire seven years ago. It all started one night when I could not fall back asleep after one of those night-time feedings to our then-infant twins who are now seven years old.

In hopes of drawing big crowds to games, it is pretty common for players, parents and coaches to invite fans to the game via Facebook.

For that matter, Facebook and Twitter are also used for things like score updates and youngsters signing letters of intent.

Welcome to the era of social media. It continues to grow, even in the world of high school athletics. These digital-age communication tools open the door to countless possibilities, but with both upside and downside.

When I was in high school, our idea of a text message was passing a note in class, and we had to wait until the teacher had their back turned.

In some ways, social media simplifies and is beneficial because teams can be promoted on and can update people to post game times, scores, cancellations and related news. It can be quicker than making phone calls, sending email or text messages.

The problem, however, is that some people can use social media for the wrong reasons. Therefore, healthy boundaries and valuing privacy still have their place.

Among the negatives for social media is that some youngsters might use it for trash talking, among other things. Anyone can sign up for a Twitter or Facebook account, then use it as a verbal weapon while possibly hiding their true identity.

When the communications reaches beyond team matters, you get into a dark area because too many players and coaches have gotten themselves into trouble with comments that become too personal. Players have a venue to bully one another, hidden beyond their keyboard.

However, social media is here to stay for the foreseeable future, but think before you hit that “send” button because once you post it, it’s live. You never know who is following you. On the flip side, you can use it in a constructive way.

So how do you legislate youngsters with social media? For openers, hold them responsible for everything they do. Having specific rules is a tough sell, but youngsters need to know how much of a slippery slope the social media can pose. All it takes is one bad picture or message, and a player’s career in high school could change forever.