Time machine: 1999 baseball Wood vs. Vintage

Sometimes you remember a team clinching a league championship in stirring fashion. Starting a rally with two outs and nobody on base is about as captivating as one gets. In 1999, the Vintage (Napa, CA) High baseball team had a successful season of historic proportions. It was the kind of team you talk about more than a decade later.

The Crushers defeated Will C. Wood (Vacaville, CA) 7-5 on the way to winning a school-record 27 games. The win came with two regular season games remaining and clinched the Monticello Empire League, its third in five years time.

Setting the stage: Though Vintage had players in this era that went on to make a splash at the college and professional level such as Mike Neu, this era of Crusher baseball was defined by having a team full of grinders that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

Though the term chemistry gets thrown around freely and is often viewed as overrated in baseball, this Crusher team had that quality which was as big of a reason as any why they reached the heights they attained.

Add those qualities with pitching, hitting and defense and you have a special combination. The leader of this team was shortstop Steve Skinner. I have never seen a high school shortstop double-clutch throws to first base that still routinely beat the runners. The lineup also included Derek Texdahl, Dal Wilson, Brian Massey, J.R. Roberts, Duke Rasmussen, Lorin Brambila, and Jared Kimball. On the pitching side, there was Wilson, Wes Frey, Andrew Workman and Tom Pridemore.

What stood out about this season was the race for the MEL title that took place between Vintage and the Fairfield Falcons. The Crushers were humble and hard-working bunch. The Falcons were brash and cocky.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: Vintage trailed 5-4 going into the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs. Kimball reached on an error and Massey hammered a triple to straightaway centerfield. Massey slid into third with head-first, getting a face full of dirt in the process. Brambila followed with a walk. Skinner gave the Crushers the lead (6-5) with an RBI single to score Massey and Brambila later scored on a wild-pitch.

What stands out to me about this rally is that it started with two outs and no one on base. Those rallies can suck the life out of an opponent.

Despite the rally, Vintage still had to get three more outs in the top of the seventh. That half of the inning started restlessly for the Crushers. Wood’s Jimmy Loveday started with a leadoff walk against Frey. With Workman warming up in the bullpen, Crushers head coach Rich Anderson made a trip to the mound.

Though Workman was Vintage’s closer, Anderson opted to stick with Frey. Anderson’s reason for sticking with Frey was because he had only thrown 71 pitches before Loveday’s at-bat. Frey followed by inducing a groundball that Brambila nearly turned into a double-play. Frey then followed by inducing a 4-unassisted line-drive double-play to Brambila.

The game started about as inauspiciously as you could get for Frey, who gave up a three-run homer to Wood’s Mitch Lauer in the bottom of the first. Vintage fought back to make it a 3-2 game after three innings on RBI single by Skinner and Steve Tanner.

What it meant: Despite winning the MEL title, Vintage’s stint in the CIF Sac-Joaquin Section Div. I playoffs was short-lived, ending after three games. Fairfield, meanwhile, went on to win the SJS D-I title. Though Vintage High baseball has had pockets of success, none have come close to the 1999 version. That team was blessed with quality talent but also great intangibles.

Time Out with Tate Battistini (2016 St. Helena High senior)

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

Tate Battistini: For me, the fact that I've played sports with all the same girls since I was in little league soccer has been the best part of it all. Being able to grow up with them and experience sports and competition at the same time has really been one of the best experiences throughout it all. This last volleyball season really was bittersweet and being able to look back on the many years we have all played together has been amazing. I will never forget all the memories I've had while playing with all of them.

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

Battistini: After high school I plan on hopefully continuing to play volleyball in college. I've been interested in Lewis and Clark and Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and somewhere between my studies I would love to get out and travel around Europe and South America; maybe study abroad for a year or so.

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

Battistini: I've been deciding between a few different art majors but interior architecture and design really have my interest because I would love to some day design houses and create other various types of pieces. Along with sports, art has been one of my favorite hobbies and I am very inspired by creating things that will further inspire other individuals. Wherever I go with my career it has to be something I love doing and look forward to going to, so art remains my main focus in my college endeavors.

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

Battistini: Art with Ms. Seyve has definitely been my favorite class at St. Helena because it has always been the class I can go to and actually chill out in. I've been taking it all four years of High school and I'm super happy I've been able to create so many pieces in it. Also it's nice to be around a teacher who has such a fired up artistic attitude towards teaching. I'm never bored in that class!

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

Battistini: My parents of course have always influenced me due to their never ending support and love. My dad has always been by my side and continues to be a big supporter throughout any sport or endeavor I've done. My mom does so much for our family and sometimes I have no idea how she manages to do the amount she does for all of us. Together, they inspire me to be the kind of people they are and I will always be beyond thankful for all they have done and continue to do for me.

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?

Battistini: Louis Zamperini would definitely be a historical figure I'd like to meet. Not only was he in the Olympics as a distance runner but his story about surviving through world war 2 and being a prisoner of war is one that inspires me greatly. To be able to meet such an amazing individual like him would be crazy and I would love to hear from him about the experiences that he went through. There's only so many people as invincible and inspiring as him.

Time Out with Daniel Gonzalez (2016 American Canyon High senior)

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

Daniel Gonzalez: Competing in athletics has really been my outlet. I have a very competitive nature and sports allowed me to block out everything in my life and compete to be the best. The best thing about it though it developing lifelong bonds with those around you.

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

Gonzalez: After high school, I plan to go to a four year university preferably in Southern California.

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

Gonzalez: I am definitely wanting to pursue business as a major because it is one of the few things that has interested me. To me, everything is a business and corporations have such a huge influence on the public. It seems to be a direction that holds a lot of power which is also intriguing to me.

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

Gonzalez: My favorite class was the "Business Marketing/Management" class because it intensified my passion for a career in business.

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

Gonzalez: My father has been the most influential because in my mind, he is the epitome of the phrase "hard work pays off". He worked very hard to get where he is now and I will always try to emulate that level of work ethic.

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

Gonzalez: I would love to meet Steve Jobs because with his company, Apple, he had the world wrapped around his finger. Apple is easily one of the most successful tech companies and to have that kind of impact on the world just from a business is an incredible achievement.

My career change one year later

Change -- it’s part of life. Sometimes we resist it. Well, in my case often times but I digress. Sometimes, we welcome it. Other times, it’s all we have left in our pocket.

Many people in their professional life undergo a career change about 5-7 times. It was exactly one year ago today that I turned the page (pun intended) on journalism as a full-time income and joined Alhambra Water as a route trainee. I graduated to route sales representative four months later:

http://napavalleyregister.com/news/opinion/mailbag/the-ride-has-been-great-but-time-for-a-change/article_3a3683ac-2318-5f2a-966c-4dc45bb2fbf2.html

I have not given up writing entirely, however, as I try to maintain a steady stream of content on this blog. I also freelance write for my former employer on Friday nights during football season. One year later, I have no regrets at all about leaving the newspaper industry but I love writing enough to keep it in my life. However, I don’t miss the other headaches of the newspaper industry: fundamentals of journalism have been bastardized by social media, deadline pressure, time away from family and corporate suits that don’t know diddly about sports thinking they can tell an accomplished sports reporter how to do his job.

The career change I made was about as extreme as you get -- sports reporter to water delivery. So how did I get the job? Well, I interviewed -- twice. To that end, I thank Richard Slate (Vallejo branch manager) and Tim Ramos (Vallejo branch route development manager) for taking a chance to hire yours truly.

My selling points were multiple. For openers, I saw that the newspaper industry was a sinking ship, so I did something about it. I got my Class B Driver’s License. I gained real world driving experience driving buses both for a retirement home and for a wine touring company.

I think my being proactive appealed to them but I had two more hurdles: pre-employment drug test and physical skills test. I never worried about the former but I did the latter. However, once I passed the latter, I was in the clear. Hauling five-gallon bottles of water that weigh 43 pounds is a physical job. Can 42-year old handle a job that normally goes to people in their 20s? I learned the value of having a great work ethic at an early age from my dad. Even though I worked in a white collar environment for 18 years, physical labor was not a foreign concept since I changed tires at my father’s business.

I remember my first day of training with current colleague Juan Ybarra, who was a foreman at the time but has since gone back to being a route sales rep. My body had to be thinking, “Vince, what the hell did you get yourself into?” It was a struggle the first week. In fact, by the end of the first day, I thought Juan had changed my name to “Goddammitt!”

So how has the change treated me one year later? Like any change, it has been an adjustment but I would say it’s been a good change.

The hours are long and hard, frequently working 10-12 hours per day at a physical job ain’t for sissies. However, physically, the job has whipped me into shape as I have lost 25 pounds in the process without changing how I eat -- like crap. Physically, I am in the best shape I have been since I was 22 years old. Without going into numerical specifics, the money is light years better than what I made as a newspaper reporter.

The best part of the job though is no weekends, no holidays and no evenings. That freedom adds up to seeing my family more often.

What has been refreshing is that I have gone from one of the most shrinking industries to one of the most growing ones. Even with California’s drought, the water industry is growing. The reasons are vast and include but are not limited to poor quality of tap water and people being more hydration conscious.

Change can be unsettling but one thing I learned is that when you are in a dying industry, it behooves you to make a change.

Time Out with Nigel Center (2016 American Canyon High senior)

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

Nigel Center: The grind, working harder than the next person to be the best player on the team. It's always fun to compete because you make friends in the process and these friendships last forever.

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

Center: I plan on going to a four-year college on a scholarship to play either football or run track and to work on getting a business degree.

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

Center: I would love to be either a business major or a visual designs major. I want to be a business major because one day I would love to own my own company and I say photography as a backup because I really love to take pictures and it can give me an out to go sight-seeing.

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

Center: I think my favorite class would've been my Algebra II class in 10th grade, learned a lot and had fun in the class as well.

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

Center: I'd have to say my mom. I've seen her at her worst and seen her struggle and overcome it all and that influences me to be a better son, student and athlete for her. I'd also so my pops , seeing him work as hard as he does to do everything he can for the family is amazing to me and inspires me to do just that but better.

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

Center: I have three actually, the first one would be Reggie Bush because he is the person who I've looked up to my entire years of playing football, I even wore No. 5 in my pop warner years just like him. The second person would be Drake because he's my favorite artist and when I listen to his music I relate to it a lot. The last would be Malcolm X, he was such a huge part of black history and after I read his bibliography it only made me want to know more about him.

Rules changes make comparing eras and records exceedingly harder

Apples and oranges. People say they can’t be mixed. Well, they can if you put them in a blender.

The Golden State Warriors have captured the imagination not only of basketball fans but sports fans. The Warriors began the 2015-2016 campaign by winning their first 24 games before losing to the Milwaukee Bucks 108-95 on Dec. 11. Golden State’s 24-0 start broke the previous record of 15-0, which the 1948-1949 Washington Capitals and 1993-1994 Houston Rockets established.

The Warriors have won 28 consecutive regular season games dating back to last year. The 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers hold the record for 33 consecutive wins. The only difference being their winning streak came in the same season whereas the Warriors’ string spanned over the course of two seasons.  

Golden State, which won its first NBA title since 1975 last June, is a serious candidate to surpass the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls’ regular season record of 72-10, best in NBA history. Matt Steinmetz, who is a broadcaster for Comcast Sportsnet Bay Area, is also featured several times per week on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco as well as hosting pre and post game shows during Warriors broadcasts. Steinmetz was a Warriors beat writer for the Contra Costa Times from 1996-2005.

In lieu of the Warriors’ historic run, Steinmetz posed the question on Twitter of “could the Warriors beat the 72-win Bulls team? Showtime Lakers? Bad Boys Pistons?” Though Steinmetz followed those questions up by saying it would depend on the era in which you are playing the games, the blowback was significant.

Former NBA All-Star turned TV analyst Charles Barkley has not made too many friends in the Bay Area within the past year. Throughout last season, Barkley proclaimed that a jumping shooting team would not win an NBA championship. All the Warriors did in 2014-2015 was go 67-15 on the way to their first NBA title since 1975. Yes, the Warriors are making 3-point shots at at historic pace led by reigning MVP Steph Curry and backcourt mate Klay Thompson. However, the team is on par with the likes of the San Antonio Spurs with their passing and defensive prowess.

Barkley hasn’t shown any inclination to say he was wrong about the Warriors either. In a recent interview on FS1 with Colin Cowherd, Barkley said, “We would have just mauled them. You're not gonna let guys come off those picks. They changed the rules—it's kind of like the NFL where you can't touch the wide receiver. The defense is at a disadvantage, all these cornerbacks in the NFL are really at a disadvantage. And a guy like Stephen Curry, who is amazing, you can't put your hands on him, you can't hand-check him. It's a totally different game.”

Let’s be honest, rules of the game have been made to benefit offenses from the 3-point shot to clear path fouls to no hand checking just to name a few. With that being said, before you declarative say that Team X from today would not beat Team Y from 20-40 years ago, the question asked should be “which era are we playing the game?

If I matched up the 1996 Bulls versus today’s Warriors in 1996, I’ll say “advantage Bulls.” Put that game in today’s era and I’ll say “all bets are off.” Put the Warriors today against the Bad Boys Pistons in 1988, I’ll say, “advantage Pistons” but if I put that game in 2015, I’ll say “advantage Warriors.”

You make the same argument for the NFL, where the rules have been made to benefit offenses. In today’s game, there are very few 21 personnel (two running backs, one tight end), 22 personnel (two running backs, two tight ends) or 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends). Football today is about shotgun offenses with three or four receivers and in many cases the tight end being in the slot formation. The era of tight ends being in-line blockers and occasional pass catchers are a thing of the past.

Not only is a defender not allowed to hit the quarterback too high or low, he cannot hit them too hard. If he lands on a quarterback, a penalty and fine are on their way for putting too much of his body weight upon the golden boy.

Defenses have been castrated beyond recognition. If a team wants to play defense as the way NFL Films often hails in historic clips, they will be fined and suspended without fail. Not only has the aura of a great defense been lessened drastically, but the personalities that go with them have been greatly tempered.

To that end, let’s say you matched up today’s New England Patriots against the 1970s Pittsburgh Steelers. Who wins? Again, it depends on the era the game is played. If you play the game in 1975, I’d say advantage Steelers. For openers, Tom Brady would not get the ridiculous protection he gets today from referees. Mean Joe Greene would tear his head off with no consequence. The likes of Mel Blount would mug Julian Edelman down the field.

If the game is played in 2015, however, I’d say advantage Patriots and a big reason for such is that the game has changed to where the Steelers would not be allowed to play the style of game that made them successful in the 1970s.

Time Out with Davon Middleton Jr. (2016 American Canyon High senior)

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

Davon Middleton: What I've enjoyed the most about competing in athletics throughout my life is getting to know new people and watching myself grow and succeed in the sports I play.

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

Middleton: My plan after high school is to go to a community college for two years then transfer to a University and play football.

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

Middleton: I want to major in Radiology. I want to go in this direction because I realized I want to do something in he medical field and getting X-rays interest me.

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

Middleton: My favorite class has to be Sports Med.

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

Middleton: My little brother Kyree Middleton influences me to do my best on the field and also in the classroom.

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

Middleton: I want to meet DeSean Jackson because he reminds me of myself he's not the biggest or tallest on the field and I was the same way this year when I played football.

Time Machine 2006: Calistoga basketball teams break St. Vincent hex

Have you ever had a situation that seems so unfathomable now but then you realize, it actually did happen before? Calistoga and St. Vincent (Petaluma) High School have had many encounters over the years, many of which have come as North Central League II opponents.

Setting the stage: The games have been known to be contentious at times but it’s hard to call it a rivalry now because it has been so one-sided in St. Vincent’s favor, at least in the recent past with the possible exception of softball, where the teams split the four head-to-head matchups. In football, Calistoga has not beaten St. Vincent since 1999.

In some ways, the rivalry is social as much as athletic. Calistoga is a small town public school while St. Vincent is a private school. The argument is frequently made that public schools are limited in their drawing power whereas private schools can draw students from communities other than their own. Nowadays though that argument is flawed at best because public schools have students on campus that are from other districts. However, Calistoga is one of the few districts, at least in the immediate area, that has a legitimate gripe. You seldom if ever hear of a student coming to Calistoga living in another district.

As for private schools, the term “recruit” is often used. While that may happen in some cases, I wouldn’t put St. Vincent in that category because if they truly recruited, they would be on De La Salle’s level but that’s another debate for another time.

While Calistoga High basketball has fallen on hard times for much of the past decade, neither has experienced a winning season since the 2006-2007 season. Over the course of the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons, however, the Wildcats experienced the joys of success.

Thumbnail sketch of the games: On Feb. 1, 2005, the Wildcats trounced St. Vincent 68-50, but that final score was deceptively close as Calistoga led 52-29 after three periods.

The win marked the first in 13 years that Calistoga posted over St. Vincent. The previous time Calistoga beat St. Vincent, assistant coach Cesar "Shorty" Cruz was playing. Cruz is now the varsity girls basketball coach for Calistoga.

The Wildcats beat the Mustangs later that month 52-51 on two Donnie McMahon free throws in the closing seconds. McMahon led the Wildcats with 25 points and the Wildcats received timely contributions from other sources.

Luis Vasquez tallied 11 points while Beto Mendoza added 10 points and six rebounds. Francisco Gonzalez added seven and Shane Kohler six, all in the opening quarter. Jeremy Campbell scored just two points but added eight rebounds and eight steals.

On Dec. 15, the Calistoga girls turned the trick for the first time since at least 1988 five days after winning the Gene Duffy Holiday Classic.

The Wildcats edged St. Vincent 54-52 with Julia Hoff hitting the game-winning jumper with 41 seconds left in the contest. Hoff finished with 15 points and seven rebounds.

Rachel Lilly led the Wildcats with 20 points while Alyssa Smith had 12 points. Yesenia Vasquez led Calistoga in rebounding, grabbing 14. That game marked the first win over St. Vincent in girls basketball since 1988.

What it meant: On the boys side, the Wildcats went 15-11 to complete the 2004-2005 season. The following year, Calistoga would go 20-9 to win a share of the North Central League II South with Rincon Valley Christian. In 2006-2007, Calistoga went 19-10. Those years were a string of four consecutive CIF North Coast Section Div. V playoff appearances.

The Calistoga girls went on to finish the 2005-2006 season with a 18-11 mark, reaching the postseason for the first time in school history. The following year, Calistoga went 18-7.

While Calistoga basketball has fallen on hard times since those years, that era is a good reminder that you have to enjoy success while it lasts because success can be fragile.

Time Out with Dominic Collins (2016 St. Helena High senior)

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

Dominic Collins: I've enjoyed the competitive aspect to athletics because they've taught me discipline and tangible communication skills. Athletics also act as an outlet to pursue my personal passions, as I hope to do when I'm an adult in the workforce full time.

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

Collins: I plan to attend a large four-year college after high school.

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

Collins: I will major in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, Management Information Systems, or Accounting. I'm drawn to these subjects because of my interest in quantifying assets like sports contracts and the varying nuances of business negotiations.

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

Collins: My favorite class has been AP Statistics with Ms. Rios because she provided us with incredible resource opportunities to take advantage of in learning the material. It also coincided with my major interest in college and helped me determine what I want to do.

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

Collins: Within my family, while I'm forever indebted to my mother, I believe my dad has had a tremendous influence on who I am. By incorporating our almost identical interests and his life experience, he's taught me accountability and respect among the other valuable life lessons. I feel more like him everyday and he is a definite role model in my life.

Time Out with Aaron Cronin (2016 St. Helena High senior)

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

Aaron Cronin: The thing I enjoy most about competing in athletics is the camaraderie that you build with your team. While playing the game is certainly fun, forming relationships around a sport where there is interdependence between all players creates unique relationships, that aren't seen in many other places.

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

Cronin: After high school, I plan to attend a four-year university. My top choice is Colorado College, but I've also been looking at Lewis & Clark University and Denver University.

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

Cronin: I'm very unsure of what I want to major in, but I'm leaning towards something in the biological/ecological sciences. Maybe something like biochemistry or environmental science. I'm intrigued in biological sciences because getting a major in this field would increase my understanding of the interactions between all living species and the earth, specifically how humans affect the earth. Perhaps I could help the huge issue of global warming by going into environmental policy, or something in the likes.

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

Cronin: I took my favorite class at St. Helena High my junior year, which was AP Biology. While the class was very demanding and pushed me to my academic limits, I learned more about the earth and about life than I ever have in my academic career. I think I learned more in that class than any other class I've taken, period. One of the reasons I like it so much is because it is applicable in many real life situations, which helps justify my learning of the subject.

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

Cronin: My sister has been very influential, in that she has served as a role model to me as I've grown up. She attends Colorado College (my top choice), and is the one who got me interested in it. Besides that, she's shaped my music taste, political perspectives, and has helped me in countless situations. Of course, my mother and father have been very influential in shaping my perspectives as well, and raising me to be a grateful and realistic young person.

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?

Cronin: If I were to meet one historical figure, it would be Kurt Vonnegut. I love his writing style, and his ability to find humor out of even the darkest subjects. I'd be interested to see how he is in person, and whether he talks and acts how he writes.

Time Out with Dominique Shelton (2016 Justin-Siena High senior)

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

Dominique Shelton: I enjoyed the competitive aspect of my athletic career. I love being able to compete with the guy next day me and get challenged by my opponent.

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

Shelton: My plans after high school is to play football at the collegiate level.

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

Shelton: My major most likely would be business.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Justin-Siena High?

Shelton: It has been a great experience I made friends with people I would have never known if I didn't transfer.  

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

Shelton: My parents, they do everything for me along with my grandma and uncle and great grandparents. All of them are a big aspect in my life and I'm blessed to have them in it.

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

Shelton: Lebron James. Ever since I was little legion was my favorite player. He's physical and he's the best player in the world

Time Out with David Johnson (2016 American Canyon High senior)

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

David Johnson: I’ve enjoyed playing with my brothers, and know that my brothers have my back and they know I have theirs.

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

Johnson: After high school I plan to be in the Marine Reserves and also be a fireman.

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

My favorite class is financial algebra, it really teaches me real world problems and solutions with bank accounts and taxes etc.

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

The most influential people in my family have been my dad because he's always tried to push me to be the best I can be. Also it has been my mom for basically having my back for the past 17 years.

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?

Johnson: I would want to meet Deion Sanders because he played in a professional baseball game and a professional football game in the same day, also because he's an all time great in the NFL.

Time machine: 2000 high school football playoffs: Justin-Siena at Kelseyville

Sometimes you remember a team and community being convinced that a particular season was their time to win a championship, only to have their hearts broken.

In 2000, I made a one and a half hour drive to Kelseyville, CA, (Northern California community with population of about 3,000) two days after Thanksgiving. The No. 5 seeded Justin-Siena High football team was in its first season competing in the CIF North Coast Section after moving from the Sac Joaquin Section. The Kelseyville Indians entered the NCS Class A semifinals as the No. 1 seed.

The Braves, however, stunned Kelseyville 34-21 and one week later completed their journey by beating Ferndale 16-14 for the NCS Class A title, marking their first Section crown in football since 1983.

Setting the stage: Kelseyville finished the season with an 8-2 record and as North Central League I champions. The Indians defeated St. Vincent (Petaluma) 31-0 one week earlier. Kelseyville appeared to have a well-balanced team poised to win its first section title since winning the NCS Class B crown in 1982. The Indians came into the game with a stout defense and a balanced offense led by running back Nate Kinsey and quarterback Brian Hanson.

Justin’s season had peaks and valleys. The season started with a 40-9 win over St. Helena but it was a costly one in losing starting quarterback Steve Andres, who also starred on the baseball team, with a broken femur. The Braves turned to Mike McNamara to run the Houston split-back veer.

Rich Cotruvo was in his fourth season as Justin’s head coach. He had an accomplished head coaching career at Monte Vista (Danville) before coming to Justin shortly before the 1997 season. From 1997-1999, the Braves went 14-17 with one postseason appearance. Through the program was not what most people know it as now, one could tell that a new era had dawned at Justin. Before 2000, Cotruvo strengthened his coaching staff by adding Steve Vargus, Steve Hatton and Jim Costan. All three joined the Braves staff after resigning (or getting pushed out, depending on who one believes) from Vintage High.

That season would also be the dawning of a new era because the Braves would be changing sections. The Superior California Athletic League disbanded and Justin would join the Marin County Athletic League. The MCAL consists of schools twice Justin’s size in enrollment.

Despite Andres’ injury, the Braves were 5-1 but sustained three consecutive losses to drop to 5-4. Justin earned a playoff spot one week later with a 38-0 win at Tamalpais and defeated John Swett 28-7 in the first-round of the NCS Class A playoffs.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: Though high school football in California is a 48 minute game, the complexion of the contest turned early in the fourth quarter with the game tied at 21-21. Kelseyville had fourth-and-goal at the 1. The Indians balked at a field goal attempt. Kinsey tried to run through the middle but Braves’ linebacker Chris Hay stopped Kinsey in his tracks and the Braves took over on downs. Two plays later, Steve English ran around the right side thanks to blocks from Ron Duvall and Isaac Herrera and went 96-yards to paydirt to give Justin a 28-21 lead.

The Braves iced the game with 4:38 remaining when Duvall picked off a Hanson pass that George Tracy tipped at the line of scrimmage. Duvall went 48-yards to paydirt on the Pick Six as a stunned silence beckoned the home Kelseyville crowd.

Justin took the game’s opening drive seven plays for 72 yards capped by McNamara’s 2-yard run. Kelseyville answered with a workman-like 75-yard drive on 14 plays that culminated with Kinsey’s 12-yard run. The Braves took just three plays to answer that score as Ryan Harrison took the ball on a reverse and threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to English, making it 14-6 Justin. The Braves’ offense, however, had three straight possessions with nary a first down.

Kelseyville tied the game at 14-apiece with 7:14 left in the second quarter on Kinsey’s 1-yard touchdown run. Hanson followed by connecting with tight end James Nelson for the two-point conversion. The Indians took a 21-14 lead with 2:49 left in the first half on Kinsey’s 3-yard yard before Justin tied the contest at 21-21 late in the third quarter as McNamara connected with Harrison on a 55-yard catch and run.

What it meant: Though the win over Ferndale one week later was the final step on the journey of winning what was the first of six section titles the program has won under Cotruvo, the road win over Kelseyville was a watershed moment for Justin.

This game has also changed the course for both programs. At the time, it was Kelseyville that had the postseason pedigree while the Braves were still in the process of establishing one. While Justin has gone on to experience annual postseason success, Kelseyville has yet to win a playoff game and has only made the postseason four times since 2000.