There are certain eras of most any program that are etched in your mind forever. Calistoga High football in the late 1990s would be one stretch of time that comes to mind for me. Small town sports programs go through peaks and valleys as far as talent levels of various classes but the Wildcats football program had a special group of athletes with a tremendous work ethic and resolve in the late 1990s. Couple those qualities with talent and you have a special group.
Setting the scene: 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 CIF North Coast Section 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.
During the week leading up to the game, I remember going to practice to interview Conner and a couple players for a preview story for the Napa Valley Register. Wildcats’ starting offensive lineman Levi Thomas walked up to me and said, “We’re going to win.” Thomas’ Joe Namath like moment came true on a rainy, mud-soaked day as the Wildcats pulled off a 14-6 upset. The field was not a work of art, neither was the game, as both teams lose a combined 15 fumbles. Look up the word “quagmire” in the dictionary and this game qualifies as such.
Thumbnail sketch of the game: The Crusaders led 6-0 early in the second quarter. Calistoga faced third and 13 from the St. Bernard 42. Crusader cornerback Bobby Ludden intercepted quarterback Jake Blakeley but Calistoga’s Leo Leon, who was the intended receiver, tomahawk-stripped Ludden of the ball. In the meantime, offensive tackle Adrian Orozco hustled to recover the ball, giving the Wildcats a new set of downs at the Crusader 28.
On the next play, Wildcats running back Ben Alfaro, ripped off a 22-yard gain to the St. Bernard 6-yard line. Two plays later, he scored on second-and-goal to tie the game at 6-6.
Corey Pinochi fumbled an Alfaro punt that Don Bohan recovered at the St. Bernard 19. Calistoga later faced fourth-and-goal from the 1 but during the time out, running back Ernesto Marron changed his socks, which were drenched. Marron got the call on fourth down and scored as the Crusader defense was keying heavily on Alfaro, who had 73 yards on 19 carries. Blakeley connected with Leon for the two-point conversion to give Calistoga a 14-6 lead midway through the third quarter.
The Wildcats, however, had to fend off more Crusader charges. With 6:30 left in the contest, St. Bernard trailed 14-6 and had first-and-goal from the Calistoga 1. However, Crusader quarterback Alton Tomlin and Bohan recovered to give Calistoga possession. Three plays later facing third down and 4, Calistoga opted for a “quick kick” as Alfaro punted but St. Bernard’s Ryan Redner inexplicably tried to dive on the ball, this making contact and the Wildcats recovered to get a new set of downs.
St. Bernard later had one more chance at the Calistoga 47 but with two seconds remaining Alfaro intercepted Tomlin’s pass in the end zone to send Calistoga to its first section title game appearance since 1978.
What it meant: Truth be known, it was probably one of the ugliest games you’ll ever watch. The constant downpour and quagmire field conditions had a lot to do with both clubs combining to lose 15 fumbles. In fact, I would venture to say there was about an inch and a half of water on the field even before the game, in which the Crusaders were considered heavy favorites. Did the conditions help Calistoga? Perhaps so because it can be an equalizer for the underdog but it should also be pointed out two years earlier when St. Bernard beat Calistoga there was also a lot of rain.
Though Calistoga’s trip to the section title game one week later was a 25-0 loss, the win over St. Bernard had to be a huge confidence builder one season later. Most of the roster returned to fashion one of, if not the best, season in school history. In 1999, the Wildcats went 9-2 with both losses coming by a combined six points. The Wildcats capped the next season with a 22-18 come-from-behind victory to win over St. Bernard in the NCS Class B title game.
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