Season has seen peaks and valleys for Saints football

Sometimes you see things that remind you to pump the brakes amid a very good start feeding optimism. For me, that moment was witnessing the Lower Lake High football team defeating the St. Helena Saints 33-14.

The last time Lower Lake defeated St. Helena was 2007. The coaches for that game were Stan Weiper for Lower Lake and Dave Collinsworth for St. Helena. Process that for a moment. The win catapults Lower Lake to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in North Central League I. The loss drops St. Helena to 3-2 overall and 2-2 in NCL I.

The loss, however, is no reason to panic.

Before the season, I looked at the St. Helena roster and thought, this may not be the star-studded team earlier this decade but at the small school level, you do not necessarily need top-shelf talent to be competitive. If you have a top-flight coaching staff, you can mask weaknesses and still find a way to be competitive.

The examples I constantly give in the NCL I are Cloverdale basketball and Middletown football. Those teams do not win regularly because their athletes are so much better but when it comes to coaching, those programs are a well-oiled machine. Even at their worst, those programs do not sink to the depths.

With Friday’s setback, the Saints are 79-33 in head coach Brandon Farrell’s tenth season at the helm. That would qualify as a very successful tenure to date if I do say so. Coming into the season, I looked at the fact that the St. Helena JV team had gone a combined 2-18 the previous two seasons. I’m usually the first one to pump the brakes if a JV team goes 18-2 in the span. I’ve see many JV teams do great but flame out once reaching varsity but rarely do I see JV teams with bad win-loss records suddenly turn great even though the right staff can coach up a few wins.

Then there was the offseason, Farrell added long-time Justin-Siena assistant coaches Steve Vargus and Steve Shifflett to the coaching staff along with Ian MacMillan to become the Saints JV head coach.

I find it comical when people talk about what matters more, talent or coaching? I have always said one cannot happen without the other. The Saints started the season 3-1. They beat the teams they were supposed to beat Drake (35-0), Cloverdale (41-20) and st. Vincent (41-0). Those teams are a combined 4-12. The two Saints losses are against Lower Lake and Kelseyville (28-14). Those teams are a combined 8-3. That said, no shame attached to those defeats.

The NCL I has become a much improved league the past few years in that the quality in the middle has become stronger. People like to throw around the words “tough league” or “weak league.” I find most leagues to be about in the same in that there is quality at the top and lack of quality at the bottom. For many years, Middletown has been the lead dog with different teams challenging them. In the 2010s, it was mostly St. Helena and Fort Bragg. In past years, Kelseyville, Clear Lake and Willits also had their time.

I remember talking to Farrell in May. Like most any coach, optimism is going to be abound in spring time but he also cautioned that there would be some growing pains:

http://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2017/05/saints-begin-spring-football-with.html

Vargus is very highly regarded having spent 16 seasons at Justin-Siena as defensive coordinator under former head coach Rich Cotruvo. Vargus’ 3-4 defenses were huge reasons why the Braves won six NCS titles in 14 seasons. Vargus has also coached at Vanden, Vintage and Terra Linda.

Lower Lake, which is the largest school in Lake County, that is much improved from years past. The Trojans have always had athletes, now they have the football acumen and discipline to go along with it. The next three weeks present win column opportunities for the Saints with a trips to Fort Bragg, Winters and Willits. All three are on the road but within reach.

All in all, it was fun to return to St. Helena and see some old and familiar faces as I covered this program up close for the better part of ten seasons. Though Friday night did not go as they liked, I still see a well-run program.

St. Helena JV handles Lower Lake

The St. Helena High JV football team improved to 4-0-1 with Friday’s 52-6 blasting over the Lower Lake Trojans.

The Saints dominated the proceedings from the opening kickoff on the way to victory. St. Helena, which visits Fort Bragg on Friday, led 8-0 after one quarter, 32-6 at halftime and 46-6 after three quarters.

“I was really happy with our performance tonight because of the speed we played at,” Saints head coach Ian MacMillan said. “The first half was pretty much close to perfect. The one touchdown we gave up was my fault because we had some subs in and I called the wrong coverage. They played with a lot of speed and tenacity. These kids are very willing to take in information and apply it. They are a great bunch of kids.”

Behind the offensive line of Rowan Knight, Ryland Campos, Conlan Harrington, Jesse Cole and Jackson Dena, St. Helena compiled 325 yards rushing on 41 carries. Cody DiTomaso carried 20 times for 264 yards.

The sophomore scored five touchdowns, covering distances of 26, 46, 75 and twice from 1 yard away. Quarterback Jake Mendes added a 14 yard run while George Cutting scored from 4 yards away. St.  Helena made good on four two-point conversions, all from Mendes, who added 98 yards rushing on ten carries.

Defensively, St. Helena limited the Trojans to just 107 yards on 34 plays, 35 of those yards came on two plays. Mendes and Daniel Martinez each intercepted passes. DiTomaso also recovered a fumble. Jake Lehman and Cutting each recorded tackles for lost yardage. Lehman also added two impact tackles (gains of 0-3 yards). Knight and Dena each added one.

Time Out with Isaiah Garcia -- 2018 Vintage High senior

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

Isaiah Garcia: What I've enjoyed about competing in athletics the most is making lots of friends and building relationships with so many people.

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

Garcia: I don't know what I would like to do after high school.

D’Adamo: Have you thought about a direction you might like to go? What might you choose as a major? What intrigues you about going that direction?

Garcia: I’m still thinking about what I might want to do. I would hope to go to college and study fire science.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Vintage High? What have you enjoyed about it?

Garcia: My favorite class here at Vintage would be AVID because we learn so much about college and how to get into college.

D’Adamo: Within your family who have been the most influential people? In what ways have they been influential?

Garcia: Within my family my dad has been the most inspirational by providing me with all the goods I need to be successful. He was the star football player when he was my age so that's inspired me to fill his shoes.

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?

Garcia: If I could meet any historical figure it would be Bo Jackson because he is probably the best running back to ever play and he played for the best team out there.

Time out with Raymond O'Brien -- 2018 Vintage High senior

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

Raymond O’Brien: Being on a team full of guys that you know got your back over anything and an unbreakable brotherhood bond that will last until we are adults.

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

O’Brien: Get a job and continue to attend school at a junior college to further my education for a better job.

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

O’Brien: Major in English on Journalism, Creative writing, and Technical writing.

D’Adamo: What has been your favorite class here at Vintage High? What have you enjoyed about it?

O’Brien: Legacy Youth project has been the most influential class for me and has helped me go about school in a whole different way, as well as to discover new things about our areas of wealth inside and out of school.

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

O’Brien: My mom has been the most loving, caring , influential mother towards me and she is that person to me because everyday she tells me to keep going and to not give up because I've been knocked down several times but her words helped me get up quicker and quicker each time. Even when I put doubt in myself , she's always that person to tell me to get back up and keep fighting because the fight ain't over until you hear a bell and I haven't heard a ding.

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?

O’Brien: I would want to meet my grandpa on my mom’s side of the family Juan Mares Herrera because he was a soldier in the Mexican-American war and fought for his country's independence and lived for awhile after and had a family with my grandma but he soon later died when I was in my mother's stomach while she was pregnant. My mom always tells me stories about him when she was younger which makes me wish I could have met him in person. But I know all of my loved ones up above are looking down on me and are cheering me on.

Going around the horn for Napa Valley high school football

By definition, the term “du jour” pertains to special of the day. The word is normally used in combination with soup or other meals. The term is also most commonly used in newspapers, magazines, and talk shows as it pertains to topics at hand.

I’m going to narrow it down to high school football in the Napa Valley. Between working my day job as a route driver for Alhambra Water, I went to my hobby on Friday night after work to cover the American Canyon Wolves and Mission (San Francisco) Bears. American Canyon won 34-22. I’m not necessarily going to recap any games per se but I’ll touch on topics instead:

Vintage Crushers are 4-0

I want every Napa Valley high school athletic program to succeed but I must say I am thrilled that Vintage improved to 4-0 with Friday’s 24-21 win over Lincoln (Stockton). With Napa and Vacaville dominating the Monticello Empire League since 2002, Vintage was either a dud or fair-to-midland in those years, mostly the latter.

The Crushers’ last three wins have been by three points or less. They are living a charmed life. Vintage will likely stumble at some point before the end of the regular season but when you play a physical brand of football and are coached up, that can go a long way. The Vintage administration got it right welcoming 1992 graduate Dylan Leach back as the head coach. The Crushers 4-0 start is their best since 1997.

Hold the obituary on Napa

The obituary would have been written had the program not found a coach by June 15. We don’t need to go into details because unless you have been on an island examining coconuts you know the particulars.  

The narrative was that a grueling nonleague schedule that included powerhouses like Nevada Union, Rocklin and Pleasant Valley (Chico) would doom the Indians. Pleasant Valley was the CIF State 4-A champion but on Friday night in North Central California, the Indians defeated Pleasant Valley 14-10 to improve to 2-3. I’ll be brutally honest, before the season I factored in the nonleague slate with the tumult the program endured. I thought 2-3 would be a success. Entering MEL, I still think Vacaville is the team to beat but Napa and Vintage could have something to say about that. Credit head coach Jesus Martinez and the coaching staff for keeping the ship on course when it could have sunk.

That said: I don’t mean this disparagingly but Rodriguez and Armijo are MEL humpty dumpties. Wood (Vacaville) can be a threat but without quarterback Carson Strong, if you contain running back Daniel McFadden, you contain the Wildcats. With American Canyon establishing its own tradition and Vintage ascending, it makes football compelling in the Napa Valley. You don’t want what is happening in nearby places like Fairfield and Vallejo, where football is a dumpster fire.

American Canyon Wolves are prowling again

The Wolves were knocked back on their heels with three straight losses (36-34 in overtime to Woodland; 28-14 to Vintage and 53-0 to Inderkum). American Canyon has since woken up with wins over Wood (44-29) and Mission-San Francisco (34-22). The addition of Vintage transfer Eddie Byrdsong cannot be overstated. He runs violent between the tackles as the dive back and makes the offense harder to defend. Now Brendan Johnson, LaVar Seay and Kama Aalona can run in space.

American Canyon would love nothing more than to give the Solano County Athletic Conference the double barrell before going to the CIF North Coast Section next school year. The Wolves have won five straight SCAC titles, either solo or shared. They would love to do it solo. That goal is on the table. Bethel, Vallejo and Fairfield are going to fight for scraps. I believe the Wolves are superior to both Vanden and Benicia but I can’t bring myself to underestimating either.

St. Helena is not going away in the NCL I

Unlike previous years in the 2010s, the Saints are not in the North Central League I driver’s seat but they are still in the car. St. Helena has the appearance of a team that can win enough games to be an NCS Div. V playoff team after a 41-0 win over St. Vincent (Petaluma). The score was deceptively close because the running clock rule went into effect in the second quarter.

The Saints (3-1) host Lower Lake (4-1) on Friday. The Trojans are a markedly improved club over years past under fourth-year head coach Justin Gaddy. Lower Lake, which is the largest school in Lake County, has always had athletes but now has the football IQ to match. Combine that with the fact that St. Helena players are becoming increasingly more comfortable in their retooled schemes, you have a compelling matchup.

Justin finds the win column

Gauging the difficulty or lack thereof in a nonleague schedule is often subjective but that cannot be said about the Braves, who are now 1-4 after beating San Rafael 48-0 on Friday. Justin’s nonleague foes have a combined record of 15-3. Since they lost those games by a combined score of 155-38 and shredded an overmatched team on Friday, it’s hard to gauge how good the Braves are or could be potentially.

Looking at the landscape of the remaining schedule, Marin Catholic is a likely loss. Terra Linda is 4-1 and much improved under former Justin head coach Rich Cotruvo. The rest of the Braves schedule consisting of Sir Francis Drake, Novato, and Redwood are winnable contests. The question is that if the Braves go say 4-6 or 5-5, will it be enough to make a return trip to the NCS Div. IV playoffs?

Calistoga faces unknowns in NCL III

The Wildcats dropped their first game this season, falling to Rincon Valley Christian (Santa Rosa) 70-28. Before the season, the NCL III was revamped to North and South so as to decrease the likelihood of forfeits. Calistoga is in the South with familiar foes RVC and Tomales. The unknowns, however, are newcomers like Branson (Ross) and Stuart Hall (San Francisco).

I am the first one to scoff at the common opponents theory Calistoga and Branson have one common foe -- Roseland Prep (Santa Rosa). The Wildcats defeated Roseland Prep 66-24 with Branson beating them 70-6. Calistoga and Stuart Hall have no common opponents to date. The other unknown on the Wildcats’ schedule is nonleague foe Cornerstone Christian (Antioch) on Oct. 28. The Cougars are 2-2 with wins over Crystal Springs (68-16) and East Palo alto Phoenix Academy (54-0). Cornerstone christian has losses to Woodside Priority (72-0) and Pinewood (62-0).

Time Machine: 2007 high school football: Calistoga at Potter Valley

There are times where you know you are covering a team that is good but not necessarily great. You watch that team win a particular game. The process of the win won’t make you forget say the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers, 1984 San Francisco 49ers, 1985 Chicago Bears, etc.

You watch the game and the outcome does not appear signed, sealed and delivered until late in the contest. After the game, however, you feel like it is a solid road victory because it is a two hour drive that feels like three hours where you go “to” the game. On the way home, however, the two-hour drive feels more like 45 minutes because you saw the team you cover win. Well, in this case it was a bus ride since as a sports reporter for the Weekly Calistogan, I rode to Potter Valley to witness the Calistoga High football team’s 34-15 win over the Bear Cubs.

Setting the stage: With three games remaining on the schedule, Calistoga needed a win to keep its CIF North coast Section Class B playoff hopes alive. Like most teams that finish with a 6-4 record, the Wildcats had their peaks and valleys. One week earlier, Calistoga blasted an inferior Round Valley (Covelo) Mustang team 40-0 at home.

The game marked homecoming for Potter Valley. Calistoga was in Mike Ervin Part I. Ervin, who is a 1962 Calistoga High graduate, took over the previous season after the program was on the verge of being disbanded because of numbers and disciplinary issues among other things. Ervin prompted took a talented but flawed team to the CIF North Coast Section Class B playoffs in his first season.

Thumbnail sketch of the game: Calistoga High football players might not have been alive when Olivia Newton-John produced the song “Let’s Get Physical,” but one would have thought that was their purpose in the second half of the crucial win over the Bearcats on a chilly Friday night.

The crowd thinned out noticeably as the Wildcats turned a 14-7 halftime lead into a 34-15 triumph.

Bryant Rubio finished the game with 25 carries for 132 yards, scored both of the Wildcats’ first-half touchdowns and added an interception and a fumble recovery on defense in the second half.

Rubio scored from 1 and 2 yards out in the second quarter. Rubio’s second score — which came just 38.6 seconds before the half — was set up by quarterback Raymond Fechter’s 49-yard pass to B.J. Schlieder over the middle.

Fechter, as has been his custom throughout the 2007 season, had an efficient passing night in completing 9-of-11 aerials for 201 yards and a touchdown, a 12-yarder to Granville Fox in the second half.

Jesus Cachu (seven carries, 68 yards; two catches, 45 yards) added a 5-yard TD run and Jose Luis Alfaro booted field goals of 21 and 23 yards to round out the second-half scoring.Fox had three catches for 84 yards, while Schlieder added three grabs for 74 yards.

Defensively, Schlieder posted a pair of sacks and a tackle for lost yardage, while Alfaro, Fox, Leo Sanchez, Fabian Juarez, John White and Victor Maldonado also recorded stuffs for the Wildcats.

Potter Valley gained 110 yards in the first half before the Wildcats tightened the screws defensively in the second half in permitting just 38 yards. The lone second-half score for Potter Valley in the second half came on the defensive side.

What it meant: The Wildcats kept their playoff hopes afloat on to lose the following week against Point Arena, 36-14. Calistoga applied for an at-large bid only to be denied, despite a 6-4 record. The problem was forfeit wins, one against Laytonville and another against Round Valley.

Time Out with Jonah Pelter -- 2015 Calistoga High graduate

Vince D’Adamo: Whether it has been Calistoga High or Santa Rosa Junior College, what do you continue to enjoy about competing in athletics?

Jonah Pelter: I have realized is that as we get older, especially coming from the Napa Valley and/or Calistoga, we are in such a tiny bubble whether it’s work, athletics, or academics. I don’t mean that in a bad way but it’s a small town that’s not even a dot on the world. I recognize the fact I’m still on this athletic journey. I don’t take it for granted because I know how easy it is to get off that path.

As John Wooden would say, “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey.” I enjoy competing and working with athletes from Sonoma County that went to bigger schools like Maria Carrillo, Piner, Santa Rosa and Montgomery. You make friends. When you go to practice everyday and work hard, you form relationships with the people doing the same thing. I’m around people that have the same educational goals as me. I’m surrounded by people who want to be successful, not that I wasn’t in high school.

D’Adamo: What is your major and what are your plans after SRJC?

Pelter: I’m a communications major and hopefully in my last year here before I transfer. I’m looking at UCLA, Cal State Northridge, UC San Diego, UC Davis, Cal State San Marcos, and University of LaVerne. I was a journalism major but I like communications because it’s broader. I have realized that there are a lot of things I can do with a communications major. After I graduate, I’d like to take some time to travel abroad and see the world more. I went to Israel last summer, it was an amazing experience. Hopefully I can get a job involving social progress, sports commentating, or maybe doing some hip-hop commentary.

D’Adamo: You hear so much about the balance between school, athletics and simply being a 19-year old youngster takes on a life of its own. How much have you found that to be true?

Pelter: Running track has kept me balanced. If I was just coming to school here, I’d probably be working at a job and possibly be academically frustrated. I’d probably think, “I work this job four days and week and make good money. I’ll just drop out and make more money.” Instead, I have practice four days a week and you get priority registration when you are a student-athlete. I schedule my days around practice knowing that everyday at 2:30 p.m. and know I’ll be tired after practice. It allows me to see where I can free up study time.

I’m lucky to have a coach that cares about your success as a student-athlete and as a person. Some coaches don’t care about student success. I’m blessed to run for coach (David) Wellman. I try not to overwhelm myself. I set little study goals during the day. People have similar goals as you. They are in college because they want to succeed in one thing or another.

D’Adamo: This question is an extension from earlier but how much has experiencing life outside of the Calistoga bubble changed you?

Pelter: I still live in Calistoga but I’m immersed in Santa Rosa. This has become a home for me. It makes me realize that we are not that much different. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and has a dream. It could be a simple dream like going to the dentist and not having cavities. It could be something complex like becoming the first Mexican Senator in Rhode Island. We are all working toward something. Everyone is on their own journey. For some people, it takes more time to bloom. There will always be an occasional societal factor but it’s really up to me. Being at the JC has made me more academically inclined. I’m realized that being in this environment, I love going to school and discussing things with classmates and teachers. Of course, there are some classes I don’t like. I’m reading more books. I’m curious about the world whether it’s politics, social issues. Before I had fewer dimensions.

D’Adamo: Whether it is teachers or coaches, who at Calistoga High has been influential to the point where it still remains strong?

Pelter: Coach (Paul) Harrell was very influential. If you came to one of our practices, you heard him yell my last name about 20 times. He’s tough, blue collar guy. Any one of his players would second that. I remember one day, we were on the track doing a two-mile run during the summer. He was following us on his bike. I was just crazy tired. I decided that I had enough. I’m like, “I’m going to tell coach I’m sick. It’s hot. This is nonsense. I’ll go home and watch Sportscenter.” When I told him I wasn’t feeling well you could sense that he thought I was full of it. He told me about the voice inside my head that wanted me to do stuff. He taught me how to combat that. At the time I didn’t think much of it but as I have grown that was the truest statement ever spoken to me. I told paul that moment changed my life. As humans, we all have potential to do amazing things.

There are so many great teachers at Calistoga High, which gets a bad wrap, which is truly unfortunate because there are amazing faculty members that I still communicate with to this day. Tyrone Sorrentino was a very influential teacher. He’s an art teacher. He expanded my mind on what art is. He taught me that it is not just painting. It’s the art of expression. That’s how I started rapping. That’s how I express myself by writing poetry. He is a well-dimensioned guy. I would also include Ruth Gelinas. She’s an amazing teacher. She made me realize how much potential everyone has. The work she does with her academic support class. I also think of John Lowell and Gary Guttman. The list goes on.

D’Adamo: Relevant to Calistoga High football, you saw the best of times as a junior and the worst of times as a senior. The one thing I think of is, life is full of victories and defeats, how much have both outcomes taught you that’s what life awaits?

Pelter: I’ve picked up things from both years. Our 2013 season, we were one of the best teams the high school has ever seen. I know that’s a bold statement and we fell short of what we were truly capable of. I feel like we were not only talented and worked hard, everyone loved playing football. People were out there 30 minutes before practice but we loved the game. Coach (Jake) Blakeley, Coach (Donnie and Chad) Taylor and Coach Harrell wanted us to do that but it wasn’t a big deal because we loved it. You have to be committed but you also have to love what you’re doing. Time is such a valuable asset in a person’s life. I believe that team made Calistoga football in general better. Younger kids that are coming up now like Christian Caldera, who is going to be a star you heard it here first, that watched that team and said, “Wow, this is amazing.” They saw the spirit.

Then in my senior year, they saw the lack of spirit. I also realized that year that even though we struggled we were a good football team. We didn’t put everything together. I learned that season that you have to come together. We all liked each other but we didn’t have that same preparation as the team before. Weight-training was sparse in the summer. That’s on me as well because I was a captain and I should have capitalized on that more but you live and learn. This past year I was the sprinters captain at SRJC. I have realize what works and what doesn’t work. There’s a great line from a rapper named Big Sean, “My mistakes are my greatest professors.” That team didn’t communicate as well and we should have disclosed more things between players and coaches. You can have talent but that doesn’t mean squat. It can get you a nice little highlight but you have to work for it.

That was a tough season but got our tails kicked a lot of times but I realized that we are a damn tough group of people. We stuck it out, not just my senior class but guys like Oscar Perez, Tavo Rios, and Flavio Fernandez. That is true toughness when the going gets tough. I had an amazing group of teammates like Zane Murphy, Timmy Montanez, Jonathan Quinones, Carlos Rios, Edgar Avina, Jorge Polanco, and Toby Buckley. I could keep going. Those guys are my brothers. So much of what I do at Calistoga comes from the Band of Brothers. I wouldn’t be here without those guys. It gets me emotional just thinking about it.

Napa Valley high school football around the horn

Do you you ever have one of those high school football weekends where you don’t see a game but you still want to share thoughts with other?

This would be one of those weeks. I did not cover a high school football game due to a prior family commitment but I sneaked looks on my twitter feed in between sips of fermented grape juice and caught up on in-depth reports of the proceedings when I got home. All I can say is, from North to South in the Napa Valley, it was a very compelling Friday. Here is a closer look in alphabetical order:

American Canyon Wolves (1-3)

The Wolves needed Friday’s 42-29 win over the Wood (Vacaville) Wildcats like a dog needed a bone. Welcome the addition of Vintage transfer Eddie Byrdsong, who via CIF rule was not eligible to play until Friday. Byrdsong’s presence awakened American Canyon’s offense, which entered the game having scored 50 points (14 the previous two weeks), from its slumber.

Byrdsong’s sledgehammer running style gives the Wolves flexbone veer an ideal fit at dive-back while allowing Brenden Johnson and Kama Aalona to move in space, where they can use their speed. Byrdsong had 107 yards on 19 carries and two scores. Aalona added 105 yards on 11 carries. Johnson compiled 38 yards on seven carries with two touchdowns. Quarterback LaVar Seay connected on 8 of 10 passes for 198 yards and two touchdowns, both to Robbin Brown.

The most impressive aspect was Asa Wondeh gouged the Wolves to start the game with a 93 yards kickoff return and a 55 yard run, both touchdowns, but the Wolves rebounded.

Looking ahead: The Wolves suddenly look like a team that can right the ship. Vanden and Benicia would be their most significant hurdles but there is not a remaining game the Wolves cannot win. Does that mean they run the table? No but each game is within reach. Offense has awoken. Defense and special teams need to follow suit.

Calistoga Wildcats (4-0)

If you are scoring at home, process this for a moment: 234-96. That is the total that Calistoga has outscored its foes, including its 50-40 win over Anderson Valley-Boonville. Granted, evaluating eight-man football is a different animal because the field dimensions are shorter but what the Wildcats have done to date is impressive in Year III of Mike Ervin Part II.  

This game had another twist, as in it became the Apple Cup, which in prior years was Anderson Valley and Mendocino. The latter, however, did not have enough players to field a team.

The Wildcats had three rushers surpass the 100 yard barrier: Flavio Fernandez, Jesus Mendoza and Jasiel Flores.

Looking ahead: With one hurdle having been cleared in Boonville, another one awaits. Calistoga hosts Rincon Valley Christian (Santa Rosa), which is 2-1 including a 35-0 win over Anderson Valley. RVC has been a thorn in Calistoga’s posterior region throughout the years. Sorry Coach Ervin, I had to steal your line.

Justin-Siena Braves (0-4)

If you are a Braves fan, there’s no complaints with how the defense played. You give up just 14 points, you should expect to win. The problem is, for all intents and purposes, Hercules defense pitched a shutout because the lone Justin touchdown was a 40-yard interception return from Ronald Caretti.

With that theft, Justin led 7-0 and for the most part held Hercules in check. The problem was, the Braves offense moved the ball well from time-to-time but any significant chances they had to score were stonewalled.  

Looking ahead: Though Justin remains winless, the next two weeks represent winnable opportunities against San Rafael and Novato. Like the Braves, both teams are 0-4. The rest of the slate thereafter with the exception of Drake is tough sledding.

Napa Indians (1-3)

Given the ruggedness of the nonleague schedule, I’m not surprised at the current record after Friday’s 14-13 loss to Nevada Union (Grass Valley). Defensively, Napa has played very well in yielding just 63 points in four contests, thus giving them a puncher’s chance to win every game. One of Nevada Union’s two touchdowns came via special teams.

The offense, however, has been another matter, scoring just 48 points in four contests but even that number is skewed because 28 came in a 28-13 win over Riordan (San Francisco).

Brandon Herter’s 3-yard scoring run cut the lead to 14-13 with two minutes remaining. Napa head coach Jesus Martinez opted for the two-point conversion and the lead rather than kicking the extra point to tie the game, which came up short.

Looking ahead: Stringent tests against Pleasant Valley (Chico) on Friday and against Monticello Empire League favorite Vacaville on Oct. 20 will make getting North of .500 a tough climb. The next question is the status of starting quarterback Caden Cortese, who left the contest with an injury.

St. Helena Saints (2-1)

One week removed from losing to Kelseyville in their North Central League I opener, the Saints started like a house of fire on the way to a 41-20 road win over the Cloverdale Eagles.

The Saints defense, which has been retooled under first-year defensive coordinator Steve Vargus, recorded seven quarterback sacks for the game and 12 tackles for loss in the first half. Casey Walker starred both on offense (18 carries, 168 yards, three touchdowns) and defense (two sacks).

The two teams had similar yardage totals, 344 for St. Helena and 314 for Cloverdale. The Saints, however, maximized their output better in averaging 8.4 yards per point compared to Cloverdale’s 15.7.

Looking ahead: Barring an unforeseen set of circumstances, the Saints should be 3-1 after playing St. Vincent (Petaluma) on Friday at home. The Mustangs are 1-3 and have been outscored by the opposition 115-37. The revealing tests come later against Middletown and much improved clubs like Lower Lake and Clear Lake.

Vintage Crushers (3-0)

If you are a Vintage Crusher fan, times are exciting. For the second time in as many weeks, the outcome of a game rested on a two-point conversion as Vintage defeated Woodcreek (Roseville) 22-21, rallying from a 21-0 deficit.

Quarterback Isaiah Garcia connected with Zach Geary for two touchdowns, the second of which capped a 75 yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown, making it 21-20 with 5.6 seconds left in the game. Rather than kick the extra point and tie the game, Vintage head coach Dylan Leach went for two and the win. Garcia rewarded that faith by scoring. Speaking of Leach, this quote is legendary:

“In those situations, we don’t go for the tie around here. I proved that to the team last year against Wood, when we won it at the last second on a two-point conversion. I just told the team, ‘That’s not my attitude, that’s not my environment, that’s not what I grew up knowing. I grew up in Crusher football where we go for two.’”

In many years of the recent past, this would have been a game where a 21-0 deficit becomes a 42-7 loss. I honestly don’t know the last time Vintage started 3-0 but I know it has not happened this century.

Looking ahead: The Crushers are buying what Leach is selling. The last time Vintage finished a season better than 6-4 was 2000, when they went 8-3 under then first-year head coach Les Franco. The Crushers close their nonleague slate at home against Lincoln (Stockton) Friday and at Vanden on Sept. 29.

"Stick to sports" is a euphemism for "shut up I don't agree with you"

Once again, sticktosportsgate has reared its head.

The latest example has been ESPN talk show host Jemele Hill, who is a black female, branding President Donald Trump a “white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists” in a recent tweet.

Hill has been with ESPN in numerous capacities since 2006 with her current role being a co-host with Michael Smith as evening anchors for Sportscenter. The following day, during a White House news conference, White House correspondent David Nakamura asked press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders whether the president was aware of Hill’s tweet. Sanders responded, “I’m not sure he’s aware but I think that’s one of the more outrageous comments that anyone could make and certainly something that I think is a fireable offense by ESPN.”

Though I am not personally a fan of Hill and have become increasingly disenchanted with ESPN, I do not think Hill should be fired. However, I strongly believe the network is playing a dangerous game that has extended further into society because it fired former Major League Baseball pitcher Curt Schilling, who was a baseball color and studio analyst for the network from 2010-2016, for expressing his conservative views on social media.

ESPN sacked Schilling, a Hall of Fame contender after a long career during which he won three World Series, after he posted a meme on Facebook protesting recent laws allowing transgendered people to use whichever bathroom they wish. ESPN claimed Schilling’s post violated a company policy prohibiting analysts from discussing politics.

I’ve just reread that sentence multiple times. One thing comes to mind, “you can talk politics but it better be the kind we agree with.” Social media has become a big contributor to celebrities speaking out on political and social issues and has gotten exceedingly en vogue even though it is not a new phenomenon. Some people like it because celebrities have a voice. The ones that don’t like say “stick to sports.”

I generally don’t have a problem with celebrities speaking out politically or socially regardless of stance if the issue means something to them. Though they make insane amounts of money, they are just as human as the rest of us. Some will say their income makes them sheltered from reality. At which point I say, what reality world does a billionaire like Trump reside? However, many professional athletes came from impoverished backgrounds.

Before celebrities speak out they need to realize the following: a) Your opinion is your opinion, you only speak for how who and others that share your opinion feel, b) Be prepared in how you articulate your message because you will face the firing squad as people look for cracks in the facade, c) Don’t belittle those with dissenting views.

Most importantly, understand that though while the First Amendment protects your right to express what you desire, it does not protect you from the ramifications you face. I don’t think Hill should be fired for her tweet but if that’s the case, Schilling should not have been fired for his social media posting either.

Which brings me to another point, the “stick to sports” mantra. It’s time to call that phrase what it really is. The phrase does not mean keep politics off my TV. It means, I don’t agree with you so shut the hell up. The problem is, those who say it lack the plumbing to admit that is what they really mean.

No more than a few months ago, I took a Trump supporter to task, who is also a Golden State Warriors’ fan. In February 2017, Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said in an interview with CNBC that Trump was an “asset” to the country. Curry, who is one of the most popular endorsers of Under Armour, said: “I agree with that description if you remove ‘et’ from asset.”

This Trump supporter proceeded to get on his soapbox about celebrities speaking out politically and/or socially. My response: “I guarantee you that would not be your narrative if he was a Trump supporter.”

This fellow backpedalled faster than Richard Sherman.

I don’t care if you are supporting anti-Trump people like Hill, Curry, Gregg Popovich or Steve Kerr or pro-Trump people like Schilling, Dennis Rodman, Clint Eastwood or Mike Ditka. There is one question I demand that you answer honestly, what does “stick to sports” mean to you? Does it mean attaboy if you agree and go pound sand if you don’t? Or does it mean, I don’t want your opinion regardless of stance? If your answer is the former, I’d say you live in a sheltered bubble, not to mention you’re a damn hypocrite. If it’s the latter, you should realize people will give opinions whether you like it or not but I can at least respect their consistency.