Time machine: Two years of driving the Golden Girls around town

There are some jobs you take even if you have no idea what lies in front of you. Then, you realize what a life-changer the job becomes.

That would describe my two-year stint as bus driver for the Springs of Napa, which is an independent living facility for senior citizens in Napa, CA.

In December 2014, I left behind the only career I knew, sports journalist. However, due to the declining state of the industry, I began sowing the seeds for my exit in March 2012. Three months later, I passed three written DMV tests as well as my DOT physical to get my CDL Class B permit. In October 2012, I spent two weeks at Falcon Trucking School in Vallejo, CA, to pass my behind the wheel test and earn my Class B license.

My chance at transitioning out of the newspaper industry was to work part-time in another field while juggling my full-time job. Being a father of three, that would be a challenge but it was necessary. In January 2013, I landed a job with MV Transportation, which is a transit bus company in Fairfield, CA. I did not want the job but I had to take it in order to shake the “no experience” tag.

Six weeks later, I discovered the Springs of Napa needed a bus driver. Within two days, I interviewed with Tom Pietrantonio and Peter Beloberk, manager and co-manager respectively. I sold them on being a native Napan and knowing my way around town along with representing my community and family the right way. They told me how dealing with elderly would require patience and compassion. The latter, I have never had issues. I am as compassionate as the day is long. The former, however, not so much, having three toddlers at the time.

The job would involve transporting residents to doctor appointments, hair appointments and shopping trips, etc. The previous bus driver had resigned and the facility was without bus service for three weeks. They convinced me that I would be an instant hero because they finally had bus service. Before my first day on the job, I asked myself, “I’m 40 years old. I’ll be dealing with mostly elderly women. How is this generational gap going to work?”

Then I discovered something pretty amazing: a) Treat them like they matter and they’ll return the favor, b) Resign yourself to the idea that you’re not going to change them.

Within a few weeks, I became like a surrogate grandson and/nephew to them. I was blessed to have four loving grandparents and remain blessed with two loving parents. I’ve also been blessed to have many loving aunts and uncles. These ladies, however, made me feel important because I made them feel valued. Being a young male bus driver, I would also get kidding but innocent remarks like, “We’re so lucky to have a handsome young man drive us around.”

I could a tell a zillion stories about this job but in a nutshell, it felt like driving The Golden Girls (i.e. Betty White & Co) around town. There are four stories that keep flashing through my brain:

I’m going for a ride with you, Kid

Isabella Gore, who died in June 2016 at 95 had a gruff exterior but if she liked you, she was as sweet as apple pie. I was one of the lucky ones. She referred to herself as “Izzy.” How many 90-year old Izzys are out there? Near the front of the building, there was a passenger log. Residents would sign their name and put their destination. I never required people to sign their name but I always preferred they did so in the interest of planning my route.

So I made a copy of the signout sheet each day. After doing my 15-minute pre-trip inspection of the bus, I drove it in front of the building. As passengers are lining up to enter the bus, I’m looking at the sheet. I see Izzy in line but I don’t see her name on the the list. So I ask, “Where are you headed, Izzy?” She quipped: “I’m going for a ride with you, kid.” I quipped back: “So you’re just escaping from here for a little bit?” She smiles: “You’re damn right, kid.” Hop on board, I say.

Izzy called everybody, “Kid.” Even if you were a fellow 90-year old. Lo and behold, at least three other residents followed her lead on later bus trips. One day, I had more residents looking to escape than I had ones that had to go somewhere.

The near brawl that I feared

The activities director had abruptly quit. She was responsible for driving residents to recreational trips. Her resignation meant that I was responsible for transporting and playing chaperone. There was a resident named Lorraine, who was suffering dementia, that signed up for the trip. Though the bus had no assigned seating, both Lorraine and Izzy always insisted on having the front seat of the bus even if there were other vacant ones.

So I drive the bus near the front of the building. Lorraine leans into the path, luckily 50-or-so feet away. So I wave my arms to tell her to get back under the canopy. Instead she walks toward the bus doors, which open outward. I gesture with my arms for her to move away from the bus so the door does not hit her as they open. She obliges but then rushes to the front seat. As I walk by Izzy, the feisty one clenches her fist, “I’m gonna punch that damn woman right in the nose!”

At this point I’m nervous having to juggle the roles of bus driver and chaperone, so I check in with Tom and his wife, Liz, to alert them. Liz quips: “Just make sure they stay out of jail!” I’m chuckling: “With Izzy and Lorraine that might be an issue.” Fortunately Liz diffused the situation.

So Izzy and Lorraine are sitting next to each other. I remember the whole trip with baited breath thinking, “Am I going to have to break up two 90-year olds with canes and walkers from smacking the hell out of each other.”

The white haired lady with glasses

Perhaps the single funniest moment on the bus one day became a running joke. So I mention a resident’s name and another one asks, “Who’s she?” Without even thinking about what I was saying, I blurted out, “The white-haired lady with glasses.”

The infamous Izzy chimes in, “That REALLY narrows it down, kid!”

Maintaining a friendship

When I use the term “maintaining a friendship,” I don’t necessarily refer to as doing things socially with them. However, once a month, I stop by the Springs of Napa at lunch-time to visit them. Seeing the smiles on their faces when I tell them “I just came by to visit” makes their day. Honestly, it makes mine too.

It still amazes to me to this day that when I interviewed for this job, I did it to simply gain experience so I could get out of a dying industry. The friendships that this job morphed into, however, mean way more than CDL Class B driving could ever mean.

ESPN layoffs strike a chord for me

Do you ever have one of those days where something happens three time zones away affect you because you were once fully invested in that arena?

For me, today was that day. Early Wednesday morning, news broke that about 100 ESPN staffers, plus or minus a few were being let go. The layoffs included both both on-air and online personalities. I won’t bore you with the complete list but among the most prominent are Ed Werder, Danny Kannell, Len Elmore, Trent Dilfer and Dr. Jerry Punch to name a few.

ESPN issued two statements early on Wednesday, including one from President John Skipper and a second from its deputies.

“A necessary component of managing change involves constantly evaluating how we best utilize all of our resources, and that sometimes involves difficult decisions,” Skipper said, in a statement. “Our content strategy—primarily illustrated in recent months by melding distinct, personality-driven SportsCenter TV editions and digital-only efforts with our biggest sub-brand—still needs to go further, faster…and as always, must be efficient and nimble. Dynamic change demands an increased focus on versatility and value, and as a result, we have been engaged in the challenging process of determining the talent—anchors, analysts, reporters, writers and those who handle play-by-play—necessary to meet those demands.  We will implement changes in our talent lineup this week.  A limited number of other positions will also be affected and a handful of new jobs will be posted to fill various needs.”

The reasons for the layoffs include but are not limited to rising costs of carrying various programming and the fact that ESPN has lost 10 million subscribers in five years. It’s easy to understand the reasons for the cuts. Highlight shows are not the necessity they once were. At 44, I’m old enough to remember having to watch pregame shows and highlight shows to get the information I desire. Now it is as simple as hitting Youtube or Google.

As a former media sports media member, I was never fortunate enough to get to ESPN but their story hits home for me. I know cynics of the media industry won’t shed a tear for them and I respect their right to feel that way. Days like this, however, evoke a different feeling for me.

I was fortunate enough to spend 18 years in the newspaper industry as a sports reporter before changing careers in December 2014. I have since become a route sales representative (which is an upscale title for truck driver). I made the move for an assortment of reasons: a) At some point, my love for the work could not overcome the fact that the income sucked, b) Lost family time from my wife and kids, and c) The industry changing in ways I was not willing to comply.

Though it never drew national headlines, I remember many staff meetings the last 10 years I spent in the newspaper industry where the narrative centered around company wide budget cuts from expenses to laying off staff. I could go along with the former but the latter, the more often it happened it sucked the life out of me. Watching people that I liked personally that had families to support suddenly see their livelihood taken from them was humbling.

I understand the business side of the layoffs. The print product has become de-emphasized as a way people get their news because of the technological era. However, watching people have their careers end and understanding why it happened did not make me feel better.

The biggest thing that makes me feel better was that I saw the shrinkage of the industry coming so I decided to do something about it. Throughout my years as a sports reporter, I was never given reason to think my job was in jeopardy but enough alarm bells sounded to where I could not stand pat.  I acquired a skill that would not die, as in acquiring a Class B Driver’s License. You can do so many things with that skill from delivery driver, garbage truck driver, bus driver, street sweeper driving, etc.

I was fortunate enough for two years to drive buses part-time while remaining in the newspaper industry. That experience eventually paved the wave for my current job.

Mind you, I haven’t died as a writer. I get my fix through this online journal along with freelance sports reporting on high school football Fridays for my former employer, Napa Valley Publishing. I have no regrets changing careers. It was the best thing I did for me and my family, not necessarily in that order.

Journalism is nothing more than a sideline for me but that’s fine. I accepted that fate two years before I left the newspaper industry.

Hearing the fate of the aforementioned ESPN folks made me realize one thing, exiting the newspaper industry on my own terms means more to me every day.

Time Machine: 2006 Calistoga High football

In order to understand a team in victory, you have to understand their moments of defeat. Those moments of setback include their darkest hour.

Calistoga High football has had seasons where it achieved far more success than the 2006 team that went 7-5. Without that team’s efforts, however, there’s a good chance Calistoga High does not have a football program today.

To appreciate the 2006 Calistoga High football team, you first have to understand the peaks and valleys between 1999-2005. Like most any high school football program, Calistoga High has seen both the top of the mountain and the bottom of the ocean. The 2005 season, however, it could be surmised fell below the bottom of the ocean if such is possible.

The Wildcats played just four games on the field that season which began with the excitement of the return of Dan Conner as head coach. Conner replaced John Antonio after just two seasons and had coached the Wildcats in two others stints (1974-1977; 1996-2000). Calistoga won the 1999 CIF North Coast Section Class B title in 1999.

Conner would soon discover that “what was” is not always “what is.” Conner always had a rule that if a kid would miss practice for any reason, he had to first let him know. The 2005 season was full of weeks like that in addition to academic ineligibility and even when games were played on the field, it was not a good representation. The poor on-the-field representation included things like post-possession penalties that revealed lack of self-control.

Frustrated with the constant issues, Conner wanted to cancel the rest of the season. That led to strife between Conner and the Calistoga administration (specifically principal Kevin Eisenberg and to a lesser degree, athletic director Frank DiFede). The latter would make the argument that Conner only had the authority to cancel individual games but not an entire season. Conner resigned and Joe Russo took over as head coach the rest of the season. The Wildcats would only play one game, which was a 27-20 win over Laytonville. The remainder of the contests were forfeited. At 1-0, Russo is the only undefeated football head coach in school history.

Throughout the entire offseason, there were questions as to whether or not Calistoga High would have a football team in 2006. Assistant coach Shawn Garrity, who was a teacher at Calistoga High, oversaw the offseason program between opening the weight-room and organizing team fundraisers that included a car wash. Garrity even oversaw spring practice.

The other problem facing the future of the high school football program was that the Calistoga Cubs, which is the youth football program, did not have a season in 2004 and 2005. I remember asking DiFede throughout the offseason, “at which point do you decide one way or the other whether or not Calistoga will field a football program?”

In late June, it was like the cavalry arrived. First, Calistoga High hired 1962 graduate Mike Ervin in June 2006. Ervin had coached in various locations both at the college and high school levels including but not limited to Mendocino College, Sonoma State University, Cardinal Newman, Anderson Valley, Analy and Reid High in Sparks, NV. Shortly thereafter, Laura Wilson, who graduated from CHS in 1985, came aboard to become Cub football president. The Cubs generated enough interest for a JV and varsity team.

If you would have told me, “Vince, make a parlay bet that both Calistoga High and the Calistoga Cubs will have a season in 2006,” my response would have been, “There’s a better chance I’m going to sleep with Cindy Crawford.”

Ervin would inherit a talented but mostly unproven senior class that included Ziggy Gutierrez, Andrew Watkins, Alex Cedarquist, Alex Lynch and Russ Rider. There were also talented juniors in the mix such as B.J. Schlieder, Jesus Cachu and Bryant Rubio. Ervin would bring in the shotgun veer and a 4-2-5 defense. He would also bring in assistant coaches Jesse Atkinson and Aaron Debacker, both of whom played for Ervin at Analy. That staff also included Calistoga High graduates Julio Ambriz and Jake Blakeley.

The question is, how soon could Ervin get the players to buy into his way of coaching? The first answer to that question would come on Week 1 against North Hills Christian (Vallejo), coached by former Calistoga and St. Helena coach Richard Eaton.

I remember vividly going into that game and season saying that “if Calistoga went 2-8 and didn’t have to forfeit games to academic ineligibility and would get rid of discipline issues the season would be a success.” I also remembered asking, how would the Wildcats do the first time they faced adversity since they were prone to crumbling in times of crisis the previous few seasons before?

The responded very well, beating the Eagles 24-16. Calistoga, however, would lose four of its next five games by a combined 137-70. That total is skewed because of a 55-0 win over Rincon Valley Christian and a 19-18 loss to Berean Christian (Walnut Creek), which was a division higher than Calistoga. The Wildcats were facing the meat of their schedule because it also included three playoff teams (Vacaville Christian, Mendocino and Tomales).

Sitting at 2-4, the Wildcats won their next three games (42-12 over Laytonville, 36-0 over round Valley-Covelo and 39-22 over Potter Valley). Despite losing the regular season finale 34-27 to Anderson Valley-Boonville, Calistoga earned a CIF North Coast Section Class B playoff berth only to lose 48-0 to St. Bernard (Eureka).

I remember a couple weeks following loss thinking that while the defeat was disappointing, it should not reflect the 2006 season. You hear a common narrative that says: “You’re only as good as your last game.” I agree to a point but to appreciate a team’s success, you have to remember their journey.

Without 2006, I don’t think 2007 to present happen.

Vintage sensing upward mobility entering spring football

The win-loss record from the previous year says the 2017 offseason is the same as 2016.

Such is true, both seasons on the field for the Vintage High football team was 5-5 the previous year. The vibe around the program, however, appears much different.

On my week of staycation as a route sales representative (upscale title for truck driver) from Alhambra Water, I randomly stopped by the Vintage High football weight-room to chat with Crushers head coach Dylan Leach on Wednesday. The conversation didn’t take too many off-ramps but I digress.

The Crushers will be moving from the CIF Sac Joaquin Section to the North Coast Section in the 2018-2019 school year. Fellow Napa Valley schools (Napa and American Canyon) will join Vintage in the move. The only question is which league will they join? That story is for another day.

Before they move to the NCS, the Crushers hope to demonstrate to their Monticello Empire League foes that they are a rising sun as opposed to a setting sun. Vintage’s nonleague schedule is mostly similar to last year with American Canyon, Davis, Woodcreek and Vanden being repeat opponents. The only change is Lincoln (Stockton), which competes in the Tri-City athletic League, will replace Bethel (Vallejo).

Last year at this time, Vintage and Leach were in the process of reuniting with the 1992 graduate that starred on the football field.

To refresh your memory, Kyle Hofmann resigned after three seasons amid allegations that he provided supplements (specifically Creatine) to players that can be legally purchased in stores but per California Interscholastic Federation rules, coaches are prohibited to provide to players.

After serving as a Vintage assistant for ten years (2000-2009), Leach joined the Napa High staff from 2010-2015 before returning to his roots three weeks after Hofmann’s resignation.

On this date in 2016, Leach had been hired but had not been on the Vintage campus yet to prepare for 2016.

“At this point last year, I wasn’t even in this room yet,” Leach quipped referring to his office. “We’ve had coach (Vintage assistant coach) Jamie Larson running the weight room and doing a phenomenal job. We’re really excited about where we’re headed at this point.”

Like most 5-5 seasons, the 2016 Crusher version had its peaks and valleys. The Leach era started like a house of fire with a 36-2 win over Bethel (Vallejo). Vintage then lost four of its next five by a combined 125-60 to fall to 2-4 with only a 25-22 win over Davis saving the Crushers from a 1-5 start. When MEL competition began, Vintage showed signs of life. The Crushers beat Rodriguez 34-16. One week later, Vintage lost to Vacaville 29-20.

That game, however, was a sign that different times exist at 1375 Trower Avenue, not because the Crushers were competitive for a rare time in recent memory against Vacaville but because of the message Leach uttered thereafter. 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 in recent years.

The Crushers beat Armijo 21-0 one week later and rallied from a 26-13 deficit with three minutes left to beat Wood (Vacaville 27-26) before losing to Napa 35-0.

While the Crushers crosstown rival has garnered headlines for undesirable reasons with an alleged hazing incident that later led to a power struggle with head coach Troy Mott and the NHS administration. Mott has since resigned, putting a cloud of uncertainty over the Indians:

http://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2017/03/motts-resignation-gives-reason-for-pause.html

Both programs have prepared in earnest for 2017. Despite not having a coach in place, Napa players are still actively conditioning. The Crushers, however, have done so distraction-free. After the last regular season game, Leach gave the team a week and a half off to decompress and then all of Christmas break.

“We worked out until the break but it wasn’t fully in motion after break,” Leach said.

The Crushers are eligible to begin spring practice on May 1 but between track swimming and baseball, Leach knows he will not have a full compliment of players participating until May 10.

Vintage will also participate in 7-on-7 drills with Napa Valley schools American Canyon, Napa, Vintage, Justin-Siena and St. Helena with the drills rotation at each school’s facility. St. Helena head coach Brandon Farrell organizes the schedule.

“Coach Farrell does a great job of getting us organized,” Leach said. “We’ll probably enter one other tournament. I’m not sure which one but there’s a few we are looking into. It’s a great opportunity to compete.”

While Leach likes the excitement surrounding the prospects of 2017 and beyond, he also believes pumping the brakes from time to time is necessary.

“Football is a game where you can’t be on the emotional roller coaster,” Leach said. “You have to stay even keeled. We’re excited every day about the opportunity to play football but I think we have to make sure we are not over training and burning out kids. I think in this day and age coaches seem to think they have to run these year around programs where kids are piquing way too early. It’s a combination of work hard and smart. We’re trying to make sure we pique in September and are able to run through November.”

The Crushers have plenty of reason to embrace lack of change. Since Les Franco resigned after the 2006 season, Vintage has been through four coaching changes including Leach. The only question is, will the upward mobility translate to being on the plus-side of .500?

Things to think about before drafting a quarterback

NFL teams in the market for a quarterback grapple with the question of “should we draft, trade or sign one as a free agent?”

It is akin to shopping for a car and asking, “Do I buy it new, used or get a certified pre owned one?”

You’ve heard the cynics, “For every Peyton Manning, there’s JaMarcus Russell.” Manning is a future Hall of Famer while Russell became the biggest bust in NFL history. I can come up with examples at every position but in the interest of time, I won’t.

If you look at recent trends, the last ten years have featured 26 first-round draft picks at quarterback with only Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and perhaps Joe Flacco becoming elite-to-semi-elite franchise signal-callers. I give a mulligan to last year’s first round picks (Jared Goff and Carson Wentz) because it is too soon to draw conclusions after one season. The same could be said about the 2015 draft class of Jameius Winston and Marcus Mariota.

Then there are quarterbacks like Ryan Tannehill, Mark Sanchez, and Blake Bortles, who are tweeners: not bad enough to be labelled busts but not good enough to be called franchise quarterbacks. Then there are busts like Russell, Josh Freeman, and Johnny Manziel.

The other extremes are Tom Brady and Tony Romo, sixth-round draft pick and undrafted free agent respectively. This is not about comparing the two. True, the recently retired Romo does not have the championship pedigree of Brady but he had a solid 11-year career for the Dallas Cowboys, something you seldom expect from undrafted free agents.

No team is going to be perfect on its draft picks but missing on a first rounder, especially quarterback, can set franchises in reverse. The biggest reason is because first round picks make more money than later round picks. The higher a player is picked, the greater the financial risk.

First round draft picks make up to $10 million in one year with the average being about $5 million. The amount varies based on where a player is picked within the round. Fourth round picks will make an average of about $550,000 in their first season. Seventh rounders will make an average of about $40,000 in their first season. Players drafted in the first four rounds generally get a 2-4 year contract and are given a longer shelf life to prove they can be viable contributors. Those picked in rounds 5-7, the only guaranteed money are bonuses, which means you have to make the team to get paid.

Missing on a quarterback, however, in the first round is more costly than any other position. For example, if you draft an offensive tackle in the first round and the player is not performing, you can perhaps convert him to guard. You might slide an outside linebacker to defensive end. You might move a defensive end to defensive tackle. You might move a cornerback to safety. These players can also contribute on special teams. You might not get the return on your investment that you hoped but maybe with the position change, he becomes a viable contributor. With a quarterback, however, it is either he becomes your productive starter or he flames out.

The narrative you hear about quarterback play in the NFL is that it is a “quarterback driven league” or “quarterback is the most important position on the team.” You can win Super Bowls with mid-level quarterbacks like Jim McMahon, Trent Dilfer, Phil Simms or Brad Johnson. Those quarterbacks, however, were backed by all-time great defenses. Otherwise, trying to win championships without top-flight quarterbacks is career suicide.

The top three quarterbacks, in no particular order, in the 2017 NFL draft class are considered to be Clemson’s Deshaun Watson, North Carolina’s Mitchell Trubisky and Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer.

All three come with leeriness. Despite leading Clemson to a National Championship victory over Alabama, the question on Watson is while he is a great athlete with a winning pedigree, can he become a pro style quarterback when it comes to throwing from the pocket and reading defenses? For all of his greatness, he threw 17 interceptions. With Kizer, for all of his talent, cynics will point to Notre Dame’s 4-8 record. That argument, however, is questionable because Kizer did everything he could to help his team win.

Trubisky is the most NFL ready because of his arm strength coupled with accuracy but is 13 starts enough of a sample size to evaluate? Watson and Kizer are similar to a lot of modern day college quarterbacks operating out of the shotgun running zone-read option plays that involve a quarterback running game. Those plays are a nice changeup in the NFL but will not have a long shelf life.

Reading defenses in the passing game is a much different animal with option based offenses versus pro style offenses. While the shotgun formation in the NFL has become more mainstream, quarterbacks also line up under center more often. Reading defenses in an option based offense in the passing game is “drop back to throw, if your first read, maybe your second, is not open, take off and run.” In a pro style offense, quarterbacks are asked to go through all of their progressions (as many as five) before running.

These quarterbacks are also labelled as “projects” that will take time. The problem is, NFL coaches are not given the luxury of time. It’s either produce a winner or you are out of a job.

Though, I’m a big believer in not reaching for a quarterback in the first round, drafting one as often as possible is a prudent move whether it’s in the first round or seventh round, even if you have a future Hall-of-Famer. You don’t do it because you are looking for the next (insert random great quarterback).

There’s the obvious reason of preparing for injuries but the layer runs deeper. You do it to acquire assets that are good bargaining chips. Teams will panic if a starting quarterback goes down because of an injury. As a result, they will overpay to get a replacement either in a trade or as a free agent. Even if your team has Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Ryan, Derek Carr, etc., you draft one to acquire assets. If you miss on a fifth rounder, so be it. No harm, no foul.

Quarterback is undeniably the most important position but there are two rules to live by: a) Don’t reach for one in the first round but b) Draft them as often as possible regardless of round.

Time Out with Adriana Montuya: 2017 American Canyon High senior

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

Adriana Montuya: Athletics have opened up a huge door in my life because softball has not only taught me many life lessons like patience, communication skills, and how to work hard, but also it has connected me with people I would have never had the opportunity to get to know if I was not playing a sport.

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

Montuya: My plans after high school are to go to CSU Fullerton in Southern California, continue my education, and try to walk on as a freshman for their softball team.

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

Montuya: I applied to Fullerton as undeclared, but once I complete my general education classes I hope to go into their athletic training program. I really like the idea of being able to help athletes perform to the best of their abilities.

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

Montuya: My favorite class at American Canyon High has been sports med because not only do we learn about the human anatomy, but we also learn about different injuries athletes get and how to treat them properly.

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

Montuya: I think that each of my family members have influenced me in a significant way but because I spend most of my time with my sister, Katherine, I would have to say her. She has taught me so many lessons through her mistakes and achievements, and even though she is younger than me I truly believe she has much more life experience because she's so outgoing and constantly putting herself out there. She has such a good work ethic and has always pushed me to do my best.

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?

Montuya: I would like to meet Katherine Johnson. She was an African American mathematician and physicist for NASA in the late 1960s. She contributed to the development of computers and helped land the first two men on the moon. She was an extremely intelligent women who, regardless of being discriminated for her gender and race, was still able to accomplish things that were thought to be impossible. I would like to meet her, learn more about her achievements, and what kept her going through life despite all the people who were against her.

Time Out with Nick Reinell: 2003 Justin-Siena High graduate

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

Nick Reinell:​ The camaraderie. I enjoyed the day-in and day-out time and work put in with my teammates and friends in practice and then the sharing of nerves, joys, and lows during game time. The shared experience and the commitment you make to each other is special.

Almost as important (at least to me) was beating your opponent to the point where they respected your game. When you shook your opponent's hand after the end of the game and they gave you a little extra pat on the helmet and had something a little extra to say specifically to you; that was the most rewarding thing you could receive. Earning the respect of the opponent (and beating the tar out of them!) was important to me.

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

Reinell: After Justin-Siena, I attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and graduated with a degree in Biochemistry. I returned home and was lucky enough to be hired by a wine industry laboratory, which then sparked my interest and passion for wine. Today, I am proud to be making wine at a couple of Napa Valley wineries. I also play ice hockey every week in Santa Rosa which is has always been my favorite sport to play and watch.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Justin-Siena High?

Reinell: Hands down, it was AP English with Robert Morrish. The love he had for literature was only bested by the love he had for his students and teaching. To this day, there is not a week that goes by where a quote from a novel we read or a patented Morrish phrase, does not creep into my conscience. "You can't stay on Ogygia." "The braggart's pompous tongue is hated most by Zeus." "Good enough rarely is!" “Janicing,”

“Scribble Walking,” the Black Cat... It was the most engaging classroom I've ever been in.

D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Justin-Siena High?

Reinell: Gotta be the football game against Drake where I scored a touchdown off an intercepted screen pass.

There is no way a defensive lineman gets a touchdown....right? That night I did; 15 yards to glory. You would think I would be the 'toast of the town' after that... but earlier that same game, I had been bested by my best friend; Justin Paniagua, had a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown (I threw a key block on that play, and he knows that...) that gained him Team Chevy Player of the Game. I was disappointed in the snub, but it was the Drake QB that left that night the most disappointed.

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?

Reinell: In some ways, I am still the same person I was when I was younger. You don't have to convince my fiance of that.

However, much of what I do professionally relates to the team dynamics of athletics. Winemaking is the epitome of a team endeavor. You depend on the vineyard crew to manage the vines and grapes, with care, for 8-9 months. Then you rely on your cellar crew to crush, ferment, and age wine for 1-2 years.

There are probably 22 different people and hundreds of steps and inputs involved in the process. One piece affects the other; I’m still a part of a team everyday and wine is a true team sport.

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

Reinell: My mother, my father, my brother and my fiance.

I get my passion and emotion from my mother. I get my levelhead and patience from my father. I get my inspiration and love of life from my brother. And I get all of those and everything else I need from my soon to be wife. In regard to my future wife...she was the best looking reporter at The Napa Register so I had to take my shot; no offense to the other staff.

D’Adamo (chuckling): I can’t argue with you on the best-looking part. Now for the $64,000 question. Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.

Reinell: John Wooden is always my response. The greatest coach of all time; in any sport. His philosophies transcend sport and are incontrovertible truths for how to conduct one's self. As a California boy who found a calling in Indiana, I appreciate, respect, and revere the Indiana boy who found his calling in California.

Wolves football seeking to build on established success

American Canyon High might be the baby of athletic programs in the Napa Valley but when it comes to football resumes, the Wolves are grown up achievers.

In six years time, American Canyon football has gone 48-24 with five Solano Athletic County Conference titles, either sole possession or shared. That record is actually a little deflated based on going a combined 9-12 in 2011 and 2015. Both seasons are easily explainable. In 2011, the Wolves were a first year varsity program with no seniors. In 2015, American Canyon was enduring its third coaching change in as many years.

The Wolves will be moving from the CIF Sac Joaquin Section to the North Coast Section in the 2018-2019 school year. Fellow Napa Valley schools (Napa and Vintage) along with three  SCAC foes (Vallejo, Bethel and Benicia) will join American Canyon in the move. The only question is which league will they join? That story is for another day.

Before they move to the NCS, the Wolves are preparing for another season that they hope ends with another SCAC banner and a deep run in the postseason. In 2016, the Wolves reached the semifinals of the SJS Div. III playoffs for the second time in six seasons.

I had a chance to catch up with Wolves head coach Larry Singer and assistant coach Chris Yepson this past Wednesday on my way hope from work. The conversation took a few off ramps but didn’t go too far off the rails.

All kidding aside, the vibe I got from both is they are genuinely excited about the 2017 season. Granted, every team is excited right now but having seen this team up close the past couple seasons, that optimism is not unfounded.

Though the Wolves lose a fair number of key players from last season’s 11-2 team, the cupboard is anything but bare with returnees Kama Aalona, Lavar Seay, Lucas Gramlick, and Brenden Johnson to name a few. The Wolves JV team went 8-2 last season. While I am usually the first one to say “pump the brakes” on JV success, I also think when you have an established culture like the Wolves possess, there’s reason to think that success will translate on the varsity.

Whether a team goes 2-8 or 11-2, the common denominator in the offseason is optimism. The narratives, however, are different. For the 2-8 team, the focus becomes something to the effect of “let’s bounce back,” “let’s get this program back on track,” etc. For the 11-2 team, like the Wolves, the narratives are to the effect of “last year was great but it’s time to turn the page,” “let’s sustain our success,” etc.

“The great thing is both of these classes, the current seniors that are graduating and the ones that will be seniors next year are great competitors,” Singer said. “These kids that will be seniors want to be as good if not better. They have bought into the weightroom program incredibly well. They hold each other accountable for being here. We have a couple of guys that are getting serious looks from colleges. It’ll be interesting to see what goes on.”

That type of culture is a great thing to have. While coaches are leaders by definition, at some point their message becomes redundant but when you have 17-18 year old kids uttering the same narrative, the coaches’ message carries even more credence.

The Wolves offseason program hit full throttle after the student-athletes returned from Christmas break. Singer gave them from the last postseason game, Nov. 25, until the end of the aforementioned break to allow their minds and bodies to decompress. Spring football practice will begin May 1. The summer program will consist of weight room work, practice and 7-on-7 with fellow Napa Valley high schools St. Helena, Justin-Siena, Vintage and Napa. St. Helena head coach Brandon Farrell organizes the matchups that take place at each of the aforementioned schools. Singer added the Wolves might do a couple of travelling 7-on-7 matchups like they did last year including one in Antioch.

The Wolves 2017 schedule has been released. The SCAC contests are Benicia, Vanden, Bethel, Vallejo and Fairfield. The nonleague foes are Woodland, Vintage (Napa), Wood (Vacaville), Inderkum (Sacramento), Mission (San Francisco). The Wolves played four of the five schools last season with Mission, which will replace Armijo (Fairfield), is the one exception. Mission competes in the San Francisco Section in the Academic League.

“We wanted to find teams that will give is the best look going into the playoffs,” Singer said. “The section bases your seeding on what your schedule is. If you play a lot of tough teams they will seed you higher. If you play a lot of cupcakes, they’re not going to seed you higher. Last year the Inderkum win (54-19) was huge for us as far as getting a high playoff seed. Hopefully we can build on that.”

Dropping Armijo from the schedule was a good move because the Indians are a perennial bottom feeder. I don’t say that to disparage Armijo but you get the concept. Everyone has their own idea of nonleague scheduling approaches. Some programs like to load it for bear with tough teams. Some programs will take template games across the board. Others will take a mixture of template games, coin flips and tough ones. I generally believe in the mixture approach but if you know you have a quality team at your disposal why not challenge your players to be better?

What exactly 2017 translates for the Wolves from a win-loss perspective, who knows? However, I have plenty of reason to think this program will add to the winning legacy it has established.