In Napa, CA, the high school football matchup of Napa-Vintage is known as the Big Game.
At the present time, one could could call Friday’s matchup between the American Canyon
Wolves and Vintage Crushers at Memorial Stadium as the Bigger Game. It is also the Huge
Game as it pertains to 2018.
Wolves and Vintage Crushers at Memorial Stadium as the Bigger Game. It is also the Huge
Game as it pertains to 2018.
The Napa-Vintage has not been compelling for 16 years because Napa won 14 of 15 contests
from 2002-2016. In that stretch, Napa and Vacaville was the deciding game for the Monticello
Empire League while Vintage was mostly mediocre with a few below average to bad seasons
mixed into equation. Recently, Vintage has been the rising sun. Napa has been the setting sun.
Vintage defeated Napa 14-7 last season and the two schools appear to be going in opposite
directions. Entering Friday, Vintage has gone 11-5 since the start of 2017 while Napa is 3-13,
including an 0-6 mark this season.
from 2002-2016. In that stretch, Napa and Vacaville was the deciding game for the Monticello
Empire League while Vintage was mostly mediocre with a few below average to bad seasons
mixed into equation. Recently, Vintage has been the rising sun. Napa has been the setting sun.
Vintage defeated Napa 14-7 last season and the two schools appear to be going in opposite
directions. Entering Friday, Vintage has gone 11-5 since the start of 2017 while Napa is 3-13,
including an 0-6 mark this season.
The American Canyon Wolves and Vintage Crushers have met just twice with American
Canyon winning the 2016 matchup 42-14 at Memorial Stadium. Vintage was a 28-14 winner
last season at Wolf Den Stadium. Despite the limited head-to-head meetings, there is deep
rooted history. For further reference, read this post from March 2016:
Canyon winning the 2016 matchup 42-14 at Memorial Stadium. Vintage was a 28-14 winner
last season at Wolf Den Stadium. Despite the limited head-to-head meetings, there is deep
rooted history. For further reference, read this post from March 2016:
The 2018 edition carries a few subplots:
* American Canyon, Vintage, and Napa vacated the CIF Sac Joaquin Section for the North
Coast Section. While Napa and Vintage were in the MEL, American Canyon was in the
Solano County Athletic Conference, where it won six straight league titles, sole possession
or shared. American Canyon, Vintage, Napa, Justin-Siena, Casa Grande, Petaluma and
Sonoma are now members of the Vine Valley Athletic League.
This contest will most likely decide the VVAL champion. Vintage is 4-2 overall and 2-0 in
VVAL. American is 3-4 overall and 3-0 in VVAL. Both teams started on the wrong foot but
has since righted their ship. Vintage was outscored 55-15 in its first six quarters of the season,
the first was a 35-7 loss to Wood. The second one was a 28-27 loss to Acalanes (Lafayette) in
which the Crushers trailed 20-8 at halftime. Since then, the Crushers have bludgeoned
opponents to the tune of outscoring them 165-50.
In American Canyon’s first four games, all defeats, the Wolves were outscored 175-56. In
their last three games, all victories, American Canyon has boat raced foes 125-23.
* Though it remains to be seen what they would say publicly about this game, there is no
question this game is personal for American Canyon’s Eddie Byrdsong and Vintage’s
Michael Webber.
Byrdsong started his high school experience at Vintage but transferred to American Canyon
during the 2016-2017 school year. Based on CIF rules, Byrdsong had to sit out the Wolves
first three games last season, during which time American Canyon went 0-3 including the
aforementioned loss to Vintage. Once Byrdsong was inserted into the lineup, he gave the
offense a sledgehammer style of runner to compliment the speed element of the Wolves.
Webber and his family grew up in American Canyon. Michael Webber, who is the youngest
of three kids, spent his pre-high school years playing sports with and against the current
American Canyon players. Webber has been an immensely valuable player for the Crushers.
He has played a Swiss army knife role contributing at quarterback, wide receiver and
defensive back.
Both players will undoubtedly want to perform well.
* This game depicts the mantra that is similar to boxing, “styles make fights.” Though
American Canyon has a bruising runner in Byrdsong, their game is about beating you with
speed such as quarterback Vance Eschenburg, Justin Del Rosario and Alec Tadlip. Also,
unless your name is Lucas Gramlick or Jonathan Bade, Wolves linemen have historically been
small but quick. That scenario came to fruition in 2016 when the Wolves won 42-14.
small but quick. That scenario came to fruition in 2016 when the Wolves won 42-14.
The Crushers will try to beat you by being physical at the line of scrimmage with a downhill
running game out of a variety of formations. Translation, they want to maul you like a New
York City mugger. They might line up Webber or running back Viliami Schaumkel in the
shotgun to take a direct snap with two extra linemen in the backfield. They also might line
up quarterback Jacob Aaron, who has given the offense a steady hand, either in the shotgun
or under center. Vintage’s physical approach was the winning edge last season 28-14.
* I am about to do a major troll job but enjoy. Just for posterity, the two teams have a pair
of common opponents. Vintage lost to Wood (Vacaville) 35-7 in the season opener.
American Canyon lost to Wood 28-22 in Game Four. It’s over. American Canyon will beat
Vintage by 16 points. Why bother playing. Just kidding, I’m trolling the Jabronis who fixate
on the common opponent theory. Both clubs have also played Petaluma. American Canyon
won its matchup with the Trojans 43-16. Vintage won its matchup against Petaluma 50-7. It’s
over, Vintage is going to beat American Canyon by 16 points. Just kidding, the trolling
continues.
* Though media members are supposed to be impartial, sometimes we get caught up in the
emotion of the team we cover. After all, we are not robots. I feel genuinely conflicted as I
cover this game on Friday.
For openers, I had the American Canyon beat for about 18 months before an editor I despise
to this day removed me from it. That said, I have some unfinished business in South Napa
County:
https://vincedadamo.blogspot.com/2016/05/american-canyon-i-hardly-knew-you.html
I have gotten many freelance assignments from my former employer, the Napa Valley
Register, to cover American Canyon. As a result, I have developed a great rapport with
them. Covering that program has been a treat. I am amazed at how the Wolves have
sustained their success despite four coaching changes in less than a decade. American
Canyon appears to be righting itself under first year head coach John Montante.
However, as a Napa resident, I follow the Crushers from afar because I am huge fan of
head coach Dylan Leach. I am impressed at how he has changed the vibe and culture of a
program that faded into the background behind Napa -- and to a lesser extent Justin-Siena
and American Canyon.
I have three kids, two in fourth grade and one in sixth grade. If we lived in American Canyon,
I would have no reservation about them being Wolves. As a Napa resident, I have no
reservation about them being Crushers.
Conflicted emotions aside, readers should expect no less than a professional job by yours
truly.
*Though one can never predict the future, the VVAL title is likely going to be this matchup
for at least a few years to come.
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