Cautiously optimistic Napa High football will be fine

The offseason narrative has been that the Napa High football program was shaken to the core, turned upside down, inside out and rightside up.

That belief has credence when you factor in alleged hazing incidents, former head coach Troy Mott’s resignation as a result of a power struggle with the administration, school board meetings that had parents, student-athletes and community members going nuclear, and players looking to transfer to different schools due to the uncertainty of the 2017 season.

All of Mott’s assistant coaches had resigned with two of them, Ian MacMillan and Kirk Anderson going to different schools, St. Helena and American Canyon respectively. Finding a coach was in such dire straits, and I don’t mean “Sultans of Swing,” that Napa High principal Annie Petrie sent a letter to parents on May 18 with a self-imposed deadline of June 15 to find a head coach or the 2017 season would be cancelled.

Napa High without a football season? That would have gone over like a screen door in a submarine for a school that has existed since 1897 and is the longest standing Napa Valley football program along with St. Helena.

As a former sports reporter that writes as a hobby since changing careers in December 2014, I want to make one thing clear. I support all Napa Valley high school athletic programs from Calistoga to the North to American Canyon to the South.

Though I graduated from Justin-Siena in 1991, I have spent 38 of 44 years in this town. I could not fathom Napa High without football. I always admired the program from afar. No one wanted to go within 100 yards of the job as evidenced but six candidates being interviewed with two being offered the job only to say no thanks.

Fortunately longtime JV assistant Jesus Martinez, who was the Indians JV head coach last season agreed to take the reigns at the blessing of Mott and principal Annie Petrie. Martinez is a 2004 Napa High graduate that was the Indians quarterback with Jerry Dunlap as head coach with Mott as an assistant.

I wanted to talk to Martinez right after he got hired but I felt it was best to wait a few weeks so as to allow the choppy seas to calm down on some level. He was amenable to such. By my own admission, I lit the Napa High administration and NVUSD board of trustees on fire in two other blog posts. I take nothing back but I see no point rehashing anything any more than necessary.

However, when I stopped by practice last week to talk to Martinez, I came away cautiously optimistic that Napa High football will be fine.

For openers, dating back to 2002, Napa has compiled a 122-42-1 overall record, 59-11 in Monticello Empire League that also includes a CIF Sac Joaquin Section Div. I title in 2007.

The staff still has a heavy Napa High influence with assistants Robbie Steen, Kevin Anderson, Alex Russ, Jeremy Wooten and Nick Tedesco being alums. Throw in the fact that Mott is still around as a mentor because Martinez is jumping into the deep end going from JV to varsity.

Having Mott as a resource is also a benefit from the standpoint of offering guidance on practice formats, game management, etc.

The non league schedule will not be easy with Pittman (Turlock), Rocklin, Nevada Union, Riordan (San Francisco) and Pleasant Valley (Chico). Those teams combined for a 30-27 record in 2016 with that mark being skewed by Riordan and Nevada Union’s 2-8 record. As far as the Monticello Empire League is concerned, Vacaville is not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. The Bulldogs and Napa have each won sole possession or shared the MEL title every year since 2003. Vintage and Wood are not easy outs. Then there are bottom feeders such as Rodriguez and Armijo.  

There is plenty of talent to keep the streak of postseason appearances alive. While there is no question the offseason uncertainty was an emotional drain and the healing process will continue for quite some time, I believe often times kids are more resilient than adults because they don’t know any different.

The fact that many players continued their offseason conditioning program led by athletic director Thomas Sims speaks to the inherent work ethic these youngsters have.

Though Martinez lacks coaching experience on the varsity level, the fact that he and much of the staff are Napa High alums are to their benefit. They know the lay of the land and their status as alums gives them built-in equity if times become a challenge. Whereas an outsider would not get the same benefit of the doubt.  

The program was shaken but not near to the level that it could have been. Thank goodness there will be players donning Blue & Gold jerseys this season.